<p>I see some schools, especially some higher end ones (Swarthmore, for example) offer a BS in Engineering without any particular specialty. Sometimes I have seen a BS Engineering with a concentration in something (Civil, Mech, etc). </p>
<p>Are these degrees worth anything to an employer, like someone who wants a jack of all trades, or are they designed for someone who knows they want to go to graduate school and just need an broad engineering background before choosing a specialty?</p>
<p>Since I knew of Harvey Mudd off the top of my head, I went to check out their website for what their engineering majors went on to study. Technically they just distribute B.S. of Engineering degrees, but they are ranked (for what it's worth) at the top of the charts for undergraduate schools with a master as the highest degree granted. </p>
<p>They say half of their graduates go onto graduate school, which is way more then in schools that grant individual degrees from what I have seen. This could be said to be because of the "general" degree, or the high caliber student that chooses a university like Harvey Mudd. Either way, the students who go right into the workforce can still gather a hefty salary at reputable companies.</p>
<p>"About 50% or Engineering Graduates decided to go on to Grad School. 49% of the graduates of 2005 went to Grad School. The others accept positions at top companies. Recent graduates have accepted positions at Google, Ebay, Microsoft and many other companies. Some of the Grad Schools they have been accepted to are Harvard, Yale, and Brown." Harvey Mudd Website</p>
<p>Sure they might be biased, but I think it shows that BS Engineering isn't purely a pre-grad school degree. At HM they have various tracks leading in different directions of engineering in a broader sense then just the civil, mech, etc. I haven't looked at it until now, but I rather like the idea.</p>
<p>Mudd's an outlier of epic proportions in this regard. I was the <em>biggest skeptic in the world</em> when my brother first started their "general engineering" program, but I had to seriously eat my words.</p>
<p>I'm unconvinced that any place aside from revolutionary Harvey Mudd could pull off a general engineering curriculum with similar results.</p>
<p>Granted, Harvey Mudd is something of an outlier, but Dartmouth and Swarthmore have them as well. Dartmouth claims to have a similar 50/50 ratio for grad school and work, with an avg salary just short of Harvey Mudd's. I couldn't find anything on Swarthmore.</p>
<p>I think that as long as the school is reputable then it's not going to be much of a problem. Look to see if they allow "concentrations" of some sort, for sure. From what i can tell these programs were accredited back in the 30's and 40's(for Mudd, S, and D I mean), so they have been around a long time and I am sure that the university has ironed out any real issues. If you don't go to grad school I would imagine it would be a little bit harder to find a job since it at least sounds broader, but if you like the fit of the program then I'm sure you could work past that problem.</p>
<p>"rom what i can tell these programs were accredited back in the 30's and 40's(for Mudd, S, and D I mean), so they have been around a long time and I am sure that the university has ironed out any real issues."</p>
<p>Mudd first opened its doors in 1955... I'm not sure when it was accredited...</p>
<p>Ohh goodness... I need more sleep. I guess Harvey Mudd was in the 60's, Swarthmore in the 30's, not sure about Dartmouth. Sorry about that.</p>
<p>Swarthmore was founded in 1864, I dunno about its engineering program tho</p>
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I think that as long as the school is reputable then it's not going to be much of a problem.
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<p>I'd be very careful of this, depending upon which field you're leaning towards. A general engineering degree might be good if you want to go for something more interdisciplinary, but I know that with a lot of employers, if you don't have a degree in the field that they're looking for, your resume gets canned. You may get a job, but you're definitely going to have to look for it.</p>
<p>DEFINITELY don't go for a general engineering degree if you want to do civil structures... I spent an hour on the phone with the HR manager of my last firm, trying to talk her into at least <em>interviewing</em> Harvey Mudd students... We did forensic structural stuff, which is <em>so</em> well-suited to Mudd grads. It's diagnostic in nature, it requires a broad knowledge base, it requires very little steel and concrete design knowledge... I still don't think they've even interviewed any Mudd grads. It frustrated the heck out of me.</p>
<p>I'd say that unless you have a <em>specific</em> reason for why you need a broad-spectrum engineering degree, that it'd be a better idea to decide whether you like mechanical-ish or electric-ish engineering better, and then go for either a mech degree or an elec degree. From what I've seen, it seems like it's a lot easier to show that you're qualified for a lot of different things from one of those two basic degrees than to elbow and shove your way into a lot of good companies who don't want to be bothered with listening to why your degree is perfectly suited to their needs when there's a ton of applicants with degrees that they're accustomed to who are willing to work for them.</p>
<p>Or unless you're planning to go to grad school for a more specific masters degree, in which case you'll probably be okay.</p>
<p>How would you go about deciding if you would be more 'mechanical engineer' or 'electrical engineer' suited, aibarr?</p>
<p>You simply decide which one you like more.</p>
<p>Would a BS in Engineering Science with a concentration (ABET accredited) in one of the deciplines fall in the same category as the General Engineering BS mentioned above?</p>
<p>I've done some researching over the past few days. Many of the top schools offer just the general engineering BS, with or without the concentration, but so do many second and third tiers, including some LACs. All of them have ABET accreditation for general engineering. Most of them too have concentrations in area like mechanical or industrial. Opinions on something like this BSE with Mechanical Concentration from say a third tier with ABET accreditation as opposed to an actual BSME?</p>
<p>^Melbymom, they are listed together on the ABET site.</p>
<p>i'm a sophomore in EE right now at UIUC. I want to transfer out of EE, and one option that I was considering was General Engineering. In UIUC atleast, they let you choose a SFC(Secondary field of concentration). This ranges from a field like finance to mechanical or electrical engineering.</p>
<p>What are your thoughts on General engineering with a secondary focus? Would employers find it too general?</p>
<p>I think employers would probably wonder why you didn't go for the real deal.</p>
<p>ashkay, that's the resason I asked. My company, which is a Fortune 500 manufacturer often hires engineers with a variety of degrees for a given position. Mechanical, materials or chemical for some, electrical, mechanical, industial for others.</p>