<p>I was just wondering what changes you guys would implement if you had a chance to change the traditional engineering curriculum. (Note: I'm not an administrator or a professor, anything you say here is for fun not profit and is an exercise in fantasy.)</p>
<p>I would make every engineering program a 5.5 year program that culminates in a MSE and give people the option to leave after the 4th year with a BS (which a lot of programs already do actually.)</p>
<p>How is that any different from the system that is in place now? A 4 year bachelors degree plus a 1 or 2 year master's degree.</p>
<p>That way having a masters degree becomes expected and not something beyond the minimum requirement, and only the people who really don't want to do engineering leave with a BS.</p>
<p>I think that will be dictated mainly by employers. If they are still willing to hire engineers with just a BS, many students will take those job offers and not go through another year and a half of classes when they don't have to (even if it is encouraged). Only those who really want to extend their education will stick around post-BS, because it's a $110k swing. $60k to pay for classes and losing $50k for not working.</p>
<p>For this to work, the 1 1/2 extra years have to add value to the engineer moreso than what the MS degree adds right now.</p>
<p>I second Ken. Especially when considering the debt one may acquire during 4 years as an undergrad. The pay isn't that much higher at this point. I also think that many young engineers this day would like to work in the field a few years before graduate school. A lot of engineering students at my school want an MBA as opposed to a graduate engineering degree. The salary difference is pretty much negligible , unless you have an interest in research.</p>