<p>I have a question. I applied early to a school that is a four-year university with a liberal arts slant - but there is no engineering program. I recently discovered a passion for designing and creating things - where as a liberal arts education focuses primarily on the theoretical, I would like to learn more about using this information to create and manipulate things.</p>
<p>My question is, I realize that I should have applied to a school with an engineering program. Is it possible that I could still get a theoretical background first, and then go to some graduate engineering program, and still have the same employment opportunities?</p>
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<li><p>if you are applying to a LACs, you can transfer to columbia’s engr program after 3 years (google it)</p></li>
<li><p>it is possible to get a graduate degree in engr, assuming your undergrad degree is in a relevant field (math –> comp sci engr, phys –> mech e, chem –> chem engr).
i dont know if you necessarily have to major in the scientific field, as opposed to taking a bunch of classes in it and getting a minor or something, but i would assume so.</p></li>
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<p>Thank you so much, this clarifies a lot for me. I feel better now knowing that I haven’t locked myself in. I didn’t think it were possible to major in comp. sci or physics and do some sort of systems engineering in grad school, but it’s a relief to know that I can!</p>
<p>Yes you can get a graduate degree in an engineering. Try and get some undergrad research experience in engineering by applying to summer research experience for undergraduates program in engineering. You can do an REU in engineering even if you are majoring in math, csc, physics, etc. This can help you prepare for engineering graduate school and give you good experience.</p>
<p>EDIT: Also see if your college has a 3 + 2 program for getting a second bachelor’s in engineering.</p>
<p>You can declare a major in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry, math) and go to grad school for engineering </p>
<p>You can also meet with an advisor at a nearby engineering school and identify appropriate classes to take at your liberal arts school (calc, LAS req’s) and transfer out after a year. </p>
<p>In any case if your serious about possibly studying engineering I would suggest talking with an advisor at a local engineering school first</p>
<p>I want to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. I have a B.S. degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle (no it’s not an engineering degree). I have already taken a pre-calculus and Cal I course. I have decided on the University of Central Florida. They do have a program for a second bachelor’s degree. My only issue is that I already have loans I owe and I have to find out if my loan company will in fact defer my loans if I go back for a second bachelor’s degree. Has anyone had this same situation when pusuing a second bachelor’s degree?</p>
<p>cgoetz, why don’t you just apply for a master’s in AeroEng? I’m sure you’ll only have to take some prerequisite engineering classes, though I’m not exactly sure what aeronautics really is… but I’m pretty positive that you can still get a graduate degree in AeroEng.</p>
<p>I’d have to disagree. cgoetz has taken pre-calc and calc I. I don’t see how you could jump into a graduate degree in engineering without calc 2, 3, diffeq, even linear algebra. This is not to mention all of the fundamental engineering courses. </p>
<p>Trust me, the mathematics in graduate classes can get pretty heavy. Most graduate programs will require several graduate level math classes and I just don’t see how someone could succeed in a graduate level math course without the calc sequence, an elementary class in ODEs, or linear algebra first.</p>
<p>It seems there are a hundred threads about this on college confidential. People are wondering if they can get a graduate engineering degree without a background in engineering. I know it is doable especially with an undergrad in physics or math but I just don’t see how a liberal arts undergrad could get a graduate engineering degree without having to take a hundred credits in fundamental engineering and math classes. I’m sure requirements vary by program. </p>
<p>For me, graduate engineering classes were challenging enough with an engineering undergrad and math minor and they all build upon the core undergrad courses. I’m not sure how non-engineers comprehend the material in these courses without learning the fundamentals first.</p>
<p>I think if I was interviewing someone with a liberal arts undergrad and an engineering graduate degree, I would really think twice about hiring them. Think about how many undergraduate classes they didn’t have to take. Thats not to say there aren’t brilliant engineers out there that fit into this category.</p>
<p>If it’s a federally subsidized loan, you will only need to prove that you are in school at least half-time (that depends on the school, but usually 6 hours/semester) to keep the loans deferred. If it’s not a federally subsidized loan, you will want to contact the lender. Even if the loan is subsidized, you’ll want to contact them to find out where you need to send your enrollment verification. </p>
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<p>This is very common in lower tier engineering schools (and I’m not talking about bad schools - just the 25+ schools). In general, schools are more accommodating with non-thesis MS programs if you’re paying full price.</p>
<p>Higher ranked schools will still admit non-engineers, but usually in specialty programs (e.g. Math majors pursuing control theory or CS majors pursuing operations research).</p>
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<p>Engineering programs tend to be theoretical, as well, just less abstract. If your goal is to physically make things, you might want to consider an ET program.</p>
<p>Just to clarify for the federally subsidized loans that are in my name does it matter that I’m going back for a second bachelor’s degree or do they just to see that I’m back in school?</p>
<p>Don’t graduate programs for engineering let students take undergrad-level classes for 1-2 years to prepare in case they don’t have undergraduate experience in engineering?</p>
<p>They have to really like you to let you spend an extra 1-2 years taking classes (essentially doubling the amount of coursework you’d be doing). I imagine schools are typically more lenient if you’re missing one or two classes, or maybe you’re changing fields within engineering so you have a lot of the fundamentals done, but you need to be brought up to speed on the specifics.</p>
<p>I’d say yg7s7 is pretty correct as far as the extra year goes. As a specific example, to get a MSE in ChemE from Upenn without a BSE, you’d have to take the following undergraduate classes in the first year:
CBE 231 Thermodynamics of Fluids
CBE 350 Fluid Mechanics
CBE 351 Heat and Mass Transport
CBE 371 Separation Processes
CBE 451 Chemical Reactor Design</p>
<p>[Penn</a> Engineering > Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering [CBE] > Graduate Program > MSE](<a href=“http://www.seas.upenn.edu/cbe/mast-prog.html]Penn”>http://www.seas.upenn.edu/cbe/mast-prog.html)
before beginning the 10 class requirement of the actual degree. So you complete a condensed version of the undergraduate degree. You also have to get a B or above in all undergraduate courses or you are forced to withdraw from the program.
Overall it’s possible if you are willing to work, although I’m not sure of how easy it is to be accepted into the program, or the likelihood of receiving a fellowship for a PhD (I’d assume it is low.)</p>
<p>I’m was looking at the undergrad catalogue for UCF and it says that in order to receive a second bachelor’s degree I am only allowed a maximum of 60 credit hours attempted at the university. I’m not sure what this means. Can anyone clarify for me what this means? I’m not sure if it means if it means I can’t have more than 60 credits left to complete for the degree.</p>
<p>Well I just want to know what it means by attempted credit hours. Because I thought it meant that if I had fewer than a certain number of credits then I wouldn’t be able to get a degree from there. I think I need about 90 credits to complete the second deegree I don’t know if that will be enough to actually receive a degree from UCF.</p>
<p>Well, let me put it to you this way. I know one (admittedly extreme) case of a guy who majored in biology as an undergrad without ever having taken a single undergrad engineering course, and then got his MS in Civil Engineering at MIT without having to take any foundational coursework or taking any extra time to graduate.</p>
<p>Systems Engineering at MIT is taught as part of the ‘Engineering Systems Division’ (ESD) program, and many of the master’s students did not major in engineering as undergrads. Heck, even some of the ESD PhD students did not major in engineering: Judith Maro majored in poli-sci & economics, Jennifer Morris majored in public policy, and Nidhi Santen majored in geography. Yet, if all goes well, they will all eventually receive PhD’s in engineering from arguably the best engineering school in the world. </p>