Is it important to get an undergraduate degree in engineering or would a liberal arts degree and masters in engineering be just as good? I am faced with the possibility of attending a non liberal arts school with a prominent engineering department or a small liberal arts college that does not have any majors specific to engineering but they have a pre engineering track that partners with Columbia and other prestigious grad programs, which one would be better for my career?
It might limit your choices of colleges as some have requirements that might include engineering courses… if you plan on a masters degree you should (to me on the safe side) enroll in the college with engineering dept … look at a few programs and contact the schools to get a better feeling on their requirements… or google them
IMO, if know you want to be an engineer, go for the school that gives you the undergrad engineering degree. It will open up more opportunities for internships/co-ops which will better position you for a career.
“pre engineering track that partners with Columbia …” - Is it a 3/2 (3-2) program? If so, look at the many other threads on that. In most cases, this group advises against.
Do an undergraduate engineering program not a liberal arts 3/2 program if you have the choice. With a lot of the 3/2, programs you have to meet some thresholds like a minimum GPA. Even if they give a low one it’s very tough with engineering. Many never go on and do something else. It’s also not a 100% guaranteed to get accepted by said program. If you want to be an engineer then become one with an undergraduate degree. Many schools have BS /MS programs in 5 years also.
You also need the background and classes for the engineering classes that you might not get as part of a 3/2 program.
I have a non-engineering (science) undergraduate degree and an engineering Master’s degree. Not having an engineering undergraduate degree can absolutely hurt you when looking for jobs, in large part because you will have missed out on a lot of practical stuff like projects, internships, and co-ops (not to mention foundational coursework). This disadvantage is not insurmountable, by any means, but if your goal is to be an engineer, get the engineering degree.