I've always been in love with the combustion engine, as probably most of the men and women in this forum (maybe even on the planet).  I'm a BSME with an interest in returning for an MS, but unsure of the focus.

A few years back I called an old professor asking if he had any upcoming open opportunities in his field of research (the study of combustion and mechanics and how they related to the combustion engine in particular).  He told me that indeed his research assistant was finishing his degree the end of that particular semester, but his funding was cut such that he wasn't going to be able to continue the following year with another assistanceship.  I don't know what happened after that.

Where do you all feel the industry is going in regards to the combustion engine as a consumer power source?  Is there any REAL value in hybrid or electric technology vs. combustion engine design mindful of efficiency (both fuel and power delivery in combination).  Technology like catalysts, fuel injection, computer-controlled throttle, valve/cam and ignition timing, etc/ball valve. all seem to have made  leaps and bounds in efficient power generation over the past 20 years.  Lately the improvements have been particularly amazing...a mid-sized SUV that can get 30+ mpg highway?!  Some of power of modern V-6 engines?!  The reliability of turbo and supercharged engines?!  Wow!

I would love to be in this arena, but is there a future? 

Regardless of what politicians and environmentalists want.  The internal combustion engine (by necessity) will be here for a very long time.

So far, it is unmatched in its convenience, cost, simplicity , weight and power density.

The ICE may exist perpetually. Fuels are just a form of energy storage, not energy, so although we may back off of crude oil as our energy source we may produce fuels long after that (algae-based diesel looks like a contender).

We've tweaked the ICE to have very good efficiency at the final source, and anything else will have to compete with our extensive knowledge and reliability that we've built up over 100+ years of using them. It may well be that electrical takes over in some areas, e.g. in crowded areas to reduce smog etc., but even that won't be for 25-50 years. I think the ICE has at least 75-100 years left, and probably will last much longer than that.

There is REAL value in hybrids and electrics, but they all have their sweet spots in terms of ideal operations and duty cycles, and their own drawbacks. Electrics are severely limited by the total on-board energy storage, hybrids are limited by the length of time they can output peak power, since they run into their non-combustion energy storage limit during sustained high power output situations.

There is far more than a career-length of interesting stuff left in any of the areas you mentioned, so you should just follow what you like to do.

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