Engineering major top ranked school vs. lower rank but masters in 5

College Search & Selection
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Hello,
Our youngest is applying to colleges this month. He plans on majoring in engineering and really likes Alabama and the option to get his ms/bs in engineering within 5 years. Alabama is not as highly ranked as some of the other schools he will be applying to but is it important? Would it serve him better to go to a top 30 school but just get his bachelor degree?
He has a good GPA 4.2/4.0, 32ACT, taking the most rigorous course load in school. This year he is taking 4 APS included AP calc and AP Physics C.
He will retake the ACT in September for the second time.

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Many schools offer 5 year engineering Masters program. It’s not unique to Alabama. It doesn’t have to be an either or.

That said, Alabama has a great engineering program and I would encourage your child to search for the right fit.

I would also ask why a masters? What is your child’s end goal? A masters is usually unnecessary in engineering careers.

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“lower” and “higher” in engineering is different: not all the “top 30” universities are tops for engineering, and hiring in engineering is not particularly impressed with the sort of “prestige” that has parents putting bumper stickers on cars.

@momofboiler1 is also right that the “why” a Masters is relevant- there is not the same degree inflation in engineering that there is in, say, public policy/policsci/IR.

There are, however, important differences between engineering programs, including: how/when you choose what area of engineering, how traditional or innovative the learning approaches, and what sort of toys / equipment they have (state universities with the word “Tech” in them often have some of the best ‘big’ stuff). And, of course there are differences between universities that will make some of them happier places than others for your son to spend four years!

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Agree with the posters above.

What area of engineering is your son interested in?

What’s your budget?

Answers to these two questions will help us suggest other schools to look into.

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I guess it depends on the field, but I found a master’s in structural engineering to be very useful. There is SO much to learn that it’s hard to fit into a four-year curriculum. I took classes like long spam design, finite elements, and prestressed concrete design that proved very useful.

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I think it comes down to fit and where he can succeed and shine. For some students, a smaller engineering program in a school with a great reputation is a better overall fit, for others a large tech-focused program suits them best

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With respect to the acquired skills and career potential, I see little difference between a 5 year masters from Alabama or a T30 bachelors.

But a masters can be a differentiator that leads to the more desirable positions in the profession quicker than a bachelors can do.

So, if the choice is only between those two, I would lean toward the 5 year masters
 if the fit is right.

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My daughter did a five year BS+ME in program at Illinois Tech (IIT). Her degree is architectural/structural engineering. At IIT her full tuition scholarship covered the fifth year. Not the case at every school but really nice! It also allowed her to add the structural masters when she developed that interest. It worked well for her. There were no concerns about finding internships or jobs. Many lower “ranked” schools are still well respected in engineering and put out excellent grads who don’t have trouble finding jobs.

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This is the answer to @momofboiler1’s great question.

A MS is not necessary in most disciplines to land a good job. A MS, especially a thesis based MS, will make a student deeper in the area that interests them most. As a result, they become more employable, which is met with a nice salary bump. The first job salary sets the foundation for a career of earnings.

There are very few schools where this is actually true (Caltech
maybe, based on their notorious high pace). There are only so many hours in a semester/quarter. What can and is covered at Georgia Tech is extremely similar to any random, low ranked school.

At any school that offers this, and there are many, look at the fine details. A 4+1 generally means the double count a few hours towards both degrees, but doesn’t guarantee a student will get out in 5 years.

It’s a nice option to have, but at the end of the day it should be one of the many factors that goes into determining fit. For us, rank got very little emphasis.

Best of luck to your student.

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What other schools is he looking at? Are you sure they don’t offer a five year masters program? Many do.

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That was my degree! Architectural engineering with an emphasis on structures. I loved not having to study civil engineering subjects I had no interest in.

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The reason many go to Bama 
many smart kids 
is the $. You max merit and get the extra $2500 for the 30+ ACT.

Many programs have a 5 year Masters. My son believes the rank is lower at Bama bcuz the grad school isn’t as robust. He would not do the Masters after going. Engineering is hard. The school has nice facilities. If he had any complaints it would be that it’s theory, not hands on although he has senior design this year. He’s interned twice at a major auto OEM. They had kids from Ga Tech, Wisconsin, Purdue, UTK, Tn Tech and even an OLIN.

Also had an offer for more money from Corning this past Summer. So many do fine from there. He’s not taken advantage of the career center but One of the publications rates it best in the SEC for internships. They also have a STEM to MBA, a 5 year MBA which I would not recommend
one should work first to maximize pay opportunities from grad school.

Before doing a 5 year Master (his girlfriend plans to), I’d check outcomes. She has done research over the past two Summers instead of an internship. Do you make more $$ or substantially more ? I’d check for that b4 spending that extra year unecessarily.

You just need to find an ABET school
forget the rank. Short of a tippy top school, that’s all employers are looking for Is ABET. They don’t know which is ranked 28 or 98.

Bama draws from all over due to merit. Visit. Make sure it’s the right fit.

Whether Bama, Ohio State or a smaller school, it won’t matter. What will matter is that they are at the right school for them.

Good luck.

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https://amspub.abet.org/aps/category-search

You can look for ABET programs here and define by the type of engineering. This would be a good start.

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Something to think about if you are looking for a 5 year masters is that many company have policies that require that employees with masters get a higher salary. This is not good news for 5 year masters graduates, since these companies are looking for people with masters who also have a few years of work experience.

As a rule, a masters in engineering is one of the most, if not the most, cost-effective degrees out there. So I usually recommend that any engineer who has the energy and the will to go back and do their masters after a few years should do so.

However, unless there are specific careers that require a masters for lowest-level positions (biosciences has a bunch of those), it’s generally a better choice to first finish your BS, work for a few years, and then go back to do your MS later.

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Thanks for the insight. He has two siblings, both mechanical engineers, but they only got their BS. His sister went to a public university and his brother a private top 15 school. Both are working in aerospace. He wants to get his MS in mechanical or aerospace because he wants to be more competitive, if at some point he wants to work for NASA. And he thinks with the amount of hours he has earned in high school/summer college getting everything done in 5 years would be doable. Alabama offers a lot of scholarship money
 although he has the option to choose any school he would like. We have his college money banked
 his sister had money left-over
 she got to keep it and his older brother used everything a then some. He is applying to Texas, SMU, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.

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You can def get to Nasa with Bama ? Or UAH which is in rocket city if you like smaller - just as cheap.

I didn’t catch your in-state.

Only issue with those others are if you get into one. Then you’ll be like - it it worth another $80, 100k+, etc. but it’s not the worst problem to have.

Last Summer my son roomed with two Ga Tech kids at his auto OEM. He was invited back this summer. They weren’t.

I do agree some schools have more cache than others. No question. But in the end it’s still up to the kid to deliver, not the school.

One has to decide - is $50k, $$60k worth it Vs $18k etc. times 4. Even if you have it saved it’s still a lot of $.

Ultimately only your family can decide its importance to you.

You said your son liked Bama but you had concerns. Mine got into Purdue + $10k merit which is rare for them. He chose Bama
so he could have his own dorm room. That’s literally why vs a possible bad housing situation at Purdue

I didn’t like it. In some ways other than the savings I still don’t. But in the end, it’s his life and he is in the company (intern wise) he liked. So In that sense so far so good.

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Biomedical engineering is probably the one that a masters is helpful in.

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This is a fantastic example of finding a great regional school with excellent outcomes. This program is known for their master program in this area around the United States.

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If you can graduate in engineering from anywhere, academically you are no slacker. I can’t imagine there are any ABET programs that are easy. That’s why nationally the drop out / change major rate is half or above.

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I have a close relative, now retired, who worked in civil/structural engineering. His firm did high level design work: retractable roof stadiums, elaborate bridges, arenas and stadiums all over the country, airport terminals, along with high rises and other civil engineering work. They only hire students with MS or PhD degrees.

I have another relative with his BS in civil engineering. He designs the parking lots around the stadiums.

It’s hard to go back to school after entering the work force. People do it, but there are lots of barriers.

If I were this family, I’d get in touch with academic and career advisors at the engineering departments being considered and ask them about outcomes for their students who do or do not pursue the MS route. If possible, set up visits with advisors or student ambassadors during college visits and ask lots of questions. That’s the approach I’ve taken with my S23 future engineer.

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