Choosing between a 3-2 Engineering program and a 5-year Master's program

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

Hey all,

I’m currently a sophomore in university, majoring in computer science and enrolled in the 3-2 engineering program with the intent to study computer engineering at Columbia University after my junior year. At the end of five years, I would receive two separate bachelor’s degrees, one in computer science and one in computer engineering (from my university and Columbia respectively).

That being said, recently I’ve been giving more thought to other potential fields of study, and which would best suit both my personal interests and my potential employability in the future. As for what other options I have, my school also offers an accelerated 5-year Master’s program for computer science. I of course wouldn’t get the two degrees, rather a deeper education in computer science theory, etc.

These aren’t my only two options, but they’re two options that are attractive to me and I’m wondering if anyone has any advice as to what the pros and cons of each would be. So far I’ve heard that the Columbia engineering degree will look good to employers, but beyond that I haven’t gotten a whole lot of advice.

Thanks in advance!

2

But you would have 2 degrees, a BS and an MS. I generally prefer the 5-year BS/MS programs because the graduate training can be very good for getting a satisfying job after graduation.

3

I would expect a masters degree to translate into a higher salary and faster career growth than a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Columbia. I will walk that back if you decide you are really more interested in CE then CS.

4

Go into whichever field you feel you are best suited for, whichever interests you most etc.

5

Also, what industries are you interested in?