I want to apply to School of Mines but I’d like to get an idea of how good their electrical engineering degree is since that’s what I plan to major in. As far as I know, it’s one of the best engineering schools in the US, but I’d like to get your opinions as well. How good is it? More importantly, how good is the electrical engineering undergraduate degree in terms of courses and such?
They are ABET accredited which is the important answer.
http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=375&ProgramIDs=
At a tech school where you may be in a less popular major, fewer sections of the courses specific to that major may be offered. It doesn’t mean they will be lower quality. A friend went to Mines for applied math, and only a handful of students graduated with that degree with her, but many of her courses were needed by those in other majors too. Same with engineering. The math, physics, chemistry are going to be taken by everyone, and when the upper classmen split off into their majors, only one section might be offered.
@Erin’s dad That’s not the important answer, the degree programs reputation and the overall reputation of the school are far more important.
Are you in state, from Colorado?
Mines is weaker in EE than some midwestern, west coast and east coast public engineering programs such as UIUC, Purdue,Wisconsin or Iowa State. The only reason it may be a bit better than U of Colorado is that the standards are much higher, so the students are better at Mines, but the faculty in EE is stronger at U of Colorado by far. Mines is a very small place and does not do a lot of research in areas that may interest you like optics, which is strong at U of Colorado, or power electronics, also strong at CU Boulder.
Mines is best for : mechanical engineering, geophysics, geochemistry, chemical engineering, petroluem engineering, and applied physics. Applied math is strong.
But, I would say that Mines is well known locally and aerospace companies in particular love Mines grads.
Only a few MInes graduates will be recruited to other industries like Semiconductors at Broadcom in Fort Collins, or digital design at Intel, there is no pipeline from Mines up to the great careers in EE up in Fort Collins, unfortunately, but you certainly can try to find a job on your own up there, after a bachelors at MInes in EE.
(ABET is not important, its bar, and of course all the good public schools in Colorado pass that bar)
What field are you hoping to get into? You may be OK as an undergrad at Mines if you do a masters at a better EE department, then you will find a job.
Its hard to find a job from Colorado School of Mines if you are not planning on aerospace career or a petroleum career.
That is the one down side to Mines that its so super specialized in geology, mechanical engineering and chemical processing.
I might choose CU Boulder over Mines for EE majors.(if you are in state) But visit both, to be sure.
Mines has is excellent teaching because they hire professors specifically to teach, unlike other large pubic engineering colleges. So this means there is less research work going on, because the teaching faculty do not need to perform research work, thus the rank is lower for MInes, when compared to larger public programs, but it is a good thorough program in EE, to prepare you for a masters degree, and may work out well if you are wiling to join the aerospace industry.
compare the faculty to other college choices you are considering. Also visit Mines and be sure you like Golden.
well I’m international student so I’m just looking for the best university I can find since I’m going out of the country anyway, so it doesn’t matter where in the states. My friend wants to study civil engineering at the School of Mines and she told me to look it up. Since it’s not as good in the EE department, I’m probably going to pass and look for a better university. Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!