BE/MBA in college. What are the best options?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi there. I am very interested in possibly getting a Bachelors in engineering science AND my MBA during my undergraduate studies at the university I will attend. Does anyone have any insight or experience to share about this course of study?
Difficulty? Career applications? etc. I know engineering is generally tough on its own, so I would like to know if I am too in over my head about this idea. I am definitely prepared to work hard though.

Also, does anyone know of what colleges have the best program for this course of study? I have been doing extensive research, but can’t seem to find quite the right fit. I know Carnegie Mellon offers a great dual degree program for BE/MBA. UPenn has dual degree programs, but I heard it’s very difficult to get access (whether coordinated or uncoordinated).

These are all reach schools though. Need some more options. It would really help to maybe hear from people who have done something like this. Your experiences might help me figure out the most cost efficient option combined with the best education.

For more context, I am looking for:
-urban setting or suburb near a city
-med or large school
-Schools in the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Midwest regions of U.S.(basically the eastern half of the country, I’m not willing to go farther than that)

2

The MBA is a graduate program, so joint degrees require that you have excellent grades for the Bachelors part of your studies before moving into the MBA coursework. This means that admission is very selective. Any program like that has an MBA truly worth earning would be a reach.

Why do you think you want an MBA immediately? A BEng with a minor in business might make more sense. The really god MBA programs expect at least two (preferably more) years of work experience after your bachelors degree. Many companies that hire people with a BEng will also pay or help pay for your further studies including an MBA.

3

It may be worth noting that decent MBA programs in the United States usually have most of their incoming classes coming in with years of full-time work experience (and the degree is oftentimes much more valuable this way).

4

Okay, this clears things up a bit. I wasn’t sure about the difficulty or selectivity of these types of programs. @happymomof1 I think I will consider a minor in business. I just thought that an MBA might make me more competitive in the job market. However, I don’t have any experience to back this.