[Can I study only 1 year of graduate engineering in the US?]

Yes you can. The degree is either called an M.S. or M. Eng. In all the cases I have seen so far, you only complete coursework, no thesis, which is perfectly fine depending on what you want to do afterwards. Some schools that offers a 1 year master's in engineering include ASU (MS), UCSD (MS or M.Eng), Cornell (M. Eng), Boston University (M. Eng), and USC (M.S. or M. Eng). There are lots more that do this. 

[Just waiting]

I have been pretty busy with work since I submitted my application to grad school, so I haven't been really agonizing over the decision. That doesn't mean I haven't been checking my application status 5-10 times a day, nor does it mean I haven't checked my application status multiple times in a ten minute frame (haven't we all?). But I heard some extremely vague news and now I'm even more anxious! I currently work at the school I am applying to, and my PI kind of mentioned in passing that "[admission's committee member] talked to me the other day about your application." I asked him if he gave any indications, and he smiled and said "He was happy with my response!". So tantalizing!!! No idea what that means!!!! Arg!

[Waiting it out...feeling stuck and in limbo.]

I'm in the same position you are, I applied to a school with rolling admissions and my application has been "in-review" for what feels like forever (only two weeks actually). I currently work as a research assistant at the school I am applying to, and my PI mentioned in passing that "oh calvin, [admissions officer's name] talked to me the other day about your application for the master's program". I asked him if he gave any indication, and my PI just smiled and said "He seemed happy with my response!". Ahhh so excruciating! I have no idea what to make of it, if anything!

 

The advice to work on a back-up plan in the meantime is solid. It reduces the stress associated with potentially not getting in. 

[B.S. in Neuroscience...many questions]

Hi there,

 

I've sent a PM. 

[Just when you thought HELL couldn't get any worse...]

When I am older and I hear about a great philosopher in the news, I am always going to wonder if it is that 1000Plateaus fellow from some old forum on something they used to call an "internet". 

 

 

Life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short". But Hobbes was just an imaginary stuffed animal, so ignore him and do what you need to do, to get where you need to go. 

[Biomedical Engineers - working in the medical device industry with just a B.S?]

I am also interested in hearing some opinions in response to those questions. 

[Boston University LEAP Program]

Hey Calvin,

 

Unfortunately, I'm not very versed in the pros and cons of MEng versus a BSE. However, at a recent LEAP info session, I do recall one of our administrators giving an example that described an employer looking to hire. She said that the employer asked for recent graduates, and that if the person holds only a B.S.E., then the employer also required that they had a certain amount of experience (probably a certain number of years) in the field. If the person holds a Masters, no experience is required. That's one story. If I were to thoroughly answer your question, I would need to do a bit of research before providing you with one. I feel that this type of thing is dependent of many factors, factors that I haven't adequately researched. If you'd like, I can see if I can do some digging and get back to you.

 

As for the second part of your question, from the bit of research I have done, it seems that ABET accreditation is very important for those seeking to work in Civil or Environmental engineering. This topic isn't so black and white and depends upon the requirements of each state. I've also read that holding a degree from an ABET accredited institution is not so crucial for aerospace engineers, although I think all states require you to hold a license if you offer services directly to the public. I can definitely find out by talking to some of our faculty and get back to you. Or, if anyone here has a more definitive answer, we're all eyes!

 

As for your third question, I don't see the different fields as having advantages and disadvantages against each other. It all depends on what you're interested in and intrigued by, what engineering problems you'd like to solve, where your passion lies and where you want to contribute your skills, among many other things. One can make great strides in all of those fields if you're willing to put in the work. Personally, I would not devote myself to a field that I'm not passionate about just because I view an aspect of it as slightly better than that belonging to another field. Once you pinpoint your passion for an area of study, there will be nothing but advantages. A degree in chemical engineering will lead you on an entirely different path than, say, in mechanical engineering. There really is no comparing the two unless you're talking about the types of jobs that'll be open to you. At that point, it's not even about advantages and disadvantages...it's about what you want to do with your life. Also keep in mind that you will probably be working with a team of engineers, each with a different degree. A project may require that all types of engineers contribute, but each person is focusing on something different, but equally as exciting and challenging.

 

Sorry I couldn't provide any concrete answers. Let me know if you'd like me to do any digging about BSE/ABET!

 

Stan

 

 

Thanks for your really thorough response Stan. I'm going to meet with an adviser tomorrow at ASU; I'll ask her the question about the importance of ABET accreditation. I know that concrete answers aren't easy to come by for these types of questions, so don't worry about doing more research. I just want to hear a multitude of opinions from many different people and then make a decision from there. 

I think you mentioned that you're pursuing mech e (if i'm wrong, replace mech e in the following question with the degree you are actually pursuing).

 

What is your feel for the job market in mech E for someone with your credentials? BLS indicates that mech E is seeing 9% job growth for this decade. Growth is good, but the national average is listed at 14%, which concerns me. Has it been easy for you to find jobs and internships in fields that you are interested in, that also pay a starting salary that you want? What kind of competition do you face? 

[Mech E versus BME for career in biotech]

Hi all,

 

I have a B.S. in neuroscience, and am considering a career in biotechnology. I am currently looking for a job in biotech, but would like to go back to school a complete an engineering master's in the next year or so. 
 

This question is particularly addressed to those who ARE in the biotech industry already, but anyone is free to answer: Will a master's in Mech E or a master's in BME serve me better, in terms of preparing me for a job and teaching me skills that biotech industries desire in an employee? 

I am aware that I may not have sufficient background in engineering to go into a master's in engineering. I spoke with an advisor for an M.S. BME program at a local university, and they told me to complete certain deficiencies before applying, so I am taking those courses now. They also said I could complete deficiencies after being accepted as well. 

 

Thanks for your responses. 

[Unemployment in engineering fields ?]

Thanks for the reply NicholasCage, you offer sound advice. To expand on your point, I found that the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an extraordinary amount of data regarding supply and demand for a huge number of fields and jobs (http://www.bls.gov/emp/#tables). Unfortunately, they don't provide regional statistics, but this site (http://www.projectionscentral.com/Home/Index) does. Projections Central doesn't have quite as much data as BLS does, but it's something. 

 

One of the hardest pieces of information to extract is trends over time, especially when time is on the order of multiple decades. Biomedical engineering is a hot career now (61% growth over the next 10 years according to BLS), but will it still be hot in 2030? What about 2040? I would like to have an idea now whether the BME field might experience any massive negative growth before I retire. I suppose that's one reason to keep up with current events in your field. 

[Unemployment in engineering fields ?]

Even though this question was asked almost two years ago, it is a really important question, and while I do not have the answer, I hope someone can respond with some data that might explain what's going. 

[Boston University LEAP Program]

Hi Stang,

 

I am interested in pursuing mechanical engineering, and have considered doing another B.S. degree in mech e. I just finished my B.S. degree in neuroscience a few months ago. I live in Arizona, so I am strongly considering going to Arizona State University (where I will be paying in-state tuition) and doing a B.S.E in Mech E there. 

 

I like that I can pursue an M. Eng at Boston University, as opposed to a BSE at ASU. The biggest drawbacks are distance from home and higher tuition/living expenses. 

Could you describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing an M Eng at BU versus completing an ABET accredited BSE degree? Do you know if ABET accreditation actually matter to companies  that might here me (biotech and aerospace are my top two career options). 

 

 

Separately, what advantages and disadvantages does the study of mechanical enginering have, compared to studying chemical or biomedical engineering? 

 

I've read a lot of your previous responses to questions on this thread, so I'll be really happy to hear your response. Thanks. 

[Information about Cornell M. Eng Biomedical Engineering]

Hello everyone,

I recently graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from an excellent state school, and strongly desire to pursue higher studies in engineering. After this training, I plan to look for a job in industry.

I learned about the Cornell M. Eng - MBA joint program a week ago, and haven't stopped thinking about it since. In that time, I've read every line on Cornell's website pertaining to the program, reread them, spoken with an alumni of the program on the phone, contacted two former professors for more information, and began scouring the internet for appropriate forums.

 

The alumni I spoke with mentioned that he really enjoyed how balanced the M. Eng - MBA program is. In his words, the program is organized such that students focus on expanding their technical knowledge during the M. Eng program, and focus on expanding their connections during the MBA program. 

I would like to hear from alumni of or current students in the program, but I welcome anyone with good knowledge of the joint program (or either program separately) to please provide their advice.

 

1) What is the advantage of completing both degrees in a two-year time frame, versus completing the M. Eng and then enrolling in Cornell's standard two-year MBA program? What are the disadvantages?

 

2) Does the one-year MBA program require GMAT scores? 

 

3) How does the one-year MBA program stack up against the two-year MBA program? Is there sufficient time to intern during the one-year program? 

 

4) How does your experience stack up with the comments made by the alumni I spoke with (see above)?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and provide a response!