<p>I'm a semester from graduating in Engineering, however, I kind of had a change of heart for the field and would like to get involved in economics and finance. I've been thinking about it for the last few months, but never wanted to switch degrees seeing as how I'm only a semester from graduating, it wouldn't be economical (lol) to start over.</p>
<p>Do you guys know of any engineers that crossed over? </p>
<p>Is there any way of doing this?</p>
<p>Well, I’ve posed a similar question about a combination of CS and Economics, although it isn’t economical for me to spend 50k more for a degree in Economics, nonetheless spend my time out of the job market for so long after having earned my degree in CS. </p>
<p>Do you want to go to graduate school? Or are you asking about getting a job in Econ/Finance? </p>
<p>If you’re asking about graduate school, your application probably won’t be as “appealing” compared to others, but they usually have few exceptions. For instance, some institutitions require you to take a hand full of courses in Economics and Mathematics before starting graduate school, i.e. Intermediate Macro and Micro, Calc I, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis. You’d definitely have to check each institution’s requirements, and of course, if this was what you’re asking here.</p>
<p>In case you’re asking about job prospects, there have been “stories” that networking matters a lot more in business fields. I don’t think you’d be at a very large disadvantage trying to get a job in Econ/Finance, unless you want to have a specific position at J.P. Morgan, for instance. Besides, engineers are needed almost everywhere, i.e. in information technology, software engineering, statistics, etc. If you have the analytic skills, you shouldn’t have problems.</p>
<p>How do you do it? Well, try looking for internships, any summer programs, volunteering projects, research, and/or start preparing for graduate school, if that’s what you want. There are many Ph.D. programs where funding is provided if you fulfill certain requirements, e.g. teaching assistance, fellowships, and whatever else.</p>
<p>It should not be too difficult to find a job in the field with an engineering degree. We have had these kinds of companies come to the IIT campus looking for engineers and physics majors to intern. These students usually do very well.</p>