Best Engineering Degree for a Business Oriented Career

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I'll start by saying I'm not really sure how to say this, and I have been and will continue to actively looking into it. Anyway, I am a freshman at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering and need to decide on my major (pretty much) by the time I register for next semester. I've always felt that I want a career in engineering that was oriented in business as well. Basically, I do not want to be in a lab doing R&D.</p>

<p>We just had a major's fair today and I am back to being confused. I came in wanting to do NE. I feel that nuclear power will be taking off soon. Then I started getting the vibes that it was too specialized, so I began leaning toward ME. </p>

<p>Basically what I got from talking to advisors in all of these departments is that any engineering can line me up with a "business-y" job. So now I'm back to ME, NE, and my wildcard, Industrial Operations Engineering.</p>

<p>Yeah, I'm basically stuck. I feel ME is broad enough to give me a lot of opportunities but that can also be a con. It is also a much larger department, pros and cons. NE seems more specialized and in something I find interesting, but there may be less opportunities. It also has more opportunities for scholarships. Also a lot of the course is things I am really not that interested in (the medical side of NE). Finally IOE is, idk really. It seems like the "easy" engineering. But, it also seems to be the most business based.</p>

<p>So, in the end I think something in power production and energy would be most beneficial. ME has a concentration in energy. Also ME has a lot of overlap if I change my mind. Finally, I think ME will give me the broadest range of options. Soooo I'm back to leaning toward ME.</p>

<p>This was basically just a rant, I would appreciate input from people with more experience in this matter than me though.</p>

<p>oh, and on a side note how much do employers care about a Math Minor. I would think they don't really, but as an engineer we are like 2 classes off from getting it after our core courses so I figure what the hell</p>

<p>P.S. I am going to be talking to all of the advisors one on one again to get more info. I just like to get info from as many places as possible.</p>

2

<p>Industrial/Systems engineering seems the most business oriented to me. To get into business it really just matters what you personally do though.</p>

<p>I think a math minor would have some, but hardly any, clout.</p>

3

<p>Have you looked into the Engineering Global Leadership (EGL) program at UMich? It is independent of any engineering major.</p>

<p>[Michigan</a> Engineering | EGL Home](<a href=“http://www.engin.umich.edu/egl/index.html]Michigan”>http://www.engin.umich.edu/egl/index.html)</p>

4

<p>If you want to be in the “business” side of a firm that does engineering work… pick the type of engineering which interests you most. </p>

<p>You can start your career in the engineering part of the business - it is always a good idea to gain experience in the “core business” of a company.</p>

<p>From there, you can move into less purely engineering functions and more into the business side (be it marketing, strategy, management, finance… whatever).</p>

<p>One of the most effective ways to maximize your career opportunities with your type of goal is to get the engineering degree, a bit of engineering experience, and then get an MBA.</p>

<p>My H is an EE and after quite a few years on the Engineering side, spent the majority of his career on the business side (marketing, in his case). The Engineering experience was key because he could “speak the language” of the customer wrt technical matters and work well with the engineers in his company to communicate customer needs and concerns.</p>

<p>He did NOT ever get an MBA, but always wished he had. Several of his colleagues did so. Also, without any kind of business degree, one of his best friends started his own company (he was ME)… obviously in that situation, one gets totally involved in the business side. He sold that company and was hired by a similar firm as their CEO.</p>

<p>IE, many paths to your goal, but in my opinion, there is not a “better” type of Engineering for getting into the business side. Unless, as someone above suggested you want to do Industrial Engineering… but that is just one option, not a “better” way to get there, imo.</p>

<p>You can also take some business courses, if your schedule and class openings permit, while you are an undergrad.</p>

5

<p>Answer: Any of them.</p>

<p>As far as getting into the business side later, the academic choices can vary from what “I” have seen in the corporate world…</p>

<p>Some engineers went on to getting MBA’s</p>

<p>Some engineers went on to getting Engineering Management degrees (which is like taking 5 business courses and 5 technical specialization courses)</p>

<p>Some did a technical M.S. and added some business courses.</p>

6

<p>ok, thank you for the input. So I can basically limit my choices and decide based on what I would personally like to do and other factors outside of “which is better for business” because my opportunities could be the same regardless…</p>

<p>I will actually have a lot of free time in my schedule over the next 3 years (iI’d average 10.66 credits a semester and I need at least 12 to be considered full time).</p>

<p>Are there any courses outside of engineering, like in business, that taking would end up helping me out. I mean, I would not be able to get a whole other degree, but I could take business classes here and there…
This is also with a bunch of other options:
--------graduate early
--------join a project group (Michigan Eng has tons)
--------co-op
--------etc.</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>I know about these courses because I originally thought of getting an MBA but I was just too far behind on the business courses to not finish grad school in 2 years. The areas are:</p>

<ul>
<li>Accounting (2 courses: Managerial Acct and Financial Acct)</li>
<li>Finance (1 course)</li>
<li>Management (1 course)</li>
<li>Marketing (1 course)</li>
<li>Statistics (probably done in your engineering program)</li>
<li>Economics (2 courses: Micro, Macro)</li>
</ul>

<p>Notes: </p>

<p>1) At some schools, there is a solo Economics course that covers BOTH macro and micro but ask for students who have already completed Calculus I</p>

<p>2) At some schools, there is a solo Accounting course that covers both Financial and Managerial Accounting but not as in-depth as the 2 separate courses. Usually this course is for non-business majors.</p>

8

<p>Micro and macro econ seem to be prerequisites for a lot of business class. So I’d take those first (both should be pretty easy As). I wouldn’t take any classes that wouldn’t count as an elective towards your engineering degree though. You’ll have a packed schedule as it is, you should probably focus on keeping up your GPA. I’m in engineering now and I certainly don’t plan to stay on the technical side for too long after graduation. My school only allows 3 electives, so I took micro/macro/econ of petroleum industry.</p>

9

<p>I have AP Micro and Macro econ credits, but at the university they don’t count these as credits toward the “real” micro and macro econ classes, just bogus departmental credit.</p>

<p>I am sure Michigan will have any class I could imagine as well</p>

<p>Also, like I said, over the next three years I’d only average 10.66 credits a semester so I NEED to find more classes to take. Outside of those engineering courses, I can take whatever I want.</p>

<p>I think I’ll ask some advisors what the common MBA requirements are and just take some of those classes during my time here. That way if I am ever hired and my company wants me to get one I have the luxary/selling point of already being a little ahead.</p>

10

<p>Probably any of them. I will say that of the people I know who are the most succesful in business they had Industrial Engineering Degrees. I think they tend to get less wrapped up in technology for technology’s sake and tend to focus on a bigger picture. Two of my friends woked at large companies for 3-4 years and went back and got an MBA from Wharton. They have done extremely well. You are in a good spot at Michigan as you can go back there or your degree will be looked at with relevance from some of the top B-Schools. </p>

<p>Also, why not go over to Ross Business School and ask them? They are one of the best. Good luck.</p>

11

<p>I have an MBA and I can tell you that at my school (Stanford), any undergrad business courses you take will not give you any kind of “head start” on the MBA. Would not count for anything, credit-wise. YMMV at other schools.</p>

<p>But, again, I think you should take business courses which interest you/fit your schedule. A lot of time (as in any field) which course is best depends on who is teaching it… so ask around.</p>

12

<p>Alright, thanks. I plan on asking advisors and such in the coming weeks anyway.</p>

<p>The only thing I don’t like about IoE is it jyst doesn’t “feel” like engineering. I mean, I know I don’t want to be in R&D or anything but to me it just has this negative connotation around it, as dumb as that may sound.</p>

13

<p>Just take what you are interested in. You have to like it. Industrial engineers typically start out in some type of management role, at least at some big companies I have worked at… Lots of options really.</p>

14

<p>So I’ve been looking into it… does anyone know of anyone that got a dual ME IoE degree? I am wondering if it can make a big difference or not</p>

15

<p>MLDWoody</p>

<p>My son is a year behind you. He’s in early at Michigan with plans to do IOE and Ross and hopefully Honors Global Engineering Leadership. He did have a nice talk with the EGL folks when he was back in Ann Arbor to visit and they told him that one can do the BSE portion in one aspect of engineering and the MSE in another. As such, you could do ME for your BSE and IOE for your MSE. As the business class portion of the program comes towards the end, they may dovetail quite well for you. </p>

<p>How is your first year going? Are you finding it about the difficulty of what you expected, easier or harder? While in at Michigan, we are out of state, so money is going to be an issue as to whether or not my son can attend. He’s also in at Georgia Tech and waiting on 4 others, but is really impressed with EGL.</p>

16

<p>IOE is bad don’t do it.</p>

17

<p>hey Yakyu, any reason?</p>

18

<p>I think IOE is a great degree.</p>