Engineering Undergrad into MBA Programs and the Corporate World

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Greetings!</p>

<p>I've recently made my decision to matriculate into engineering school for the upcoming year. I plan on either going BME or ChemE, still undecided, but am greatly looking forward to it.</p>

<p>My father works in the chemical business with a degree in entrepreneurship, and always tells me about how the majority of the people he works with (sales managers, project managers, etc.) are engineers who worked for major corporations and then jumped into MBA programs and began to move their way up the ladders in their companies. </p>

<p>So I ask you, how do both BME and ChemE B.S.'s translate into post-graduation job opportunities where one could find themselves working as an engineer, than progressing up into becoming a project manager, etc? Would I be best inclined to work towards whatever offers the best job opportunities, and then take those that allow for such a progression? </p>

<p>Additionally, I'm very uneducated on the details of an M.B.A., would a minor or even a double major in Economics/Finance/etc. be a large or small advantage in business school? For if it provides relatively useless - another area of study or focus on internships/research opportunities may be more advantageous in preparation for work as an engineer. </p>

<p>Opinions are sought and greatly appreciated,
Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Almost any engineering degree can land you a decent job after graduation, what you do from there depends on you and your skills. An engineering degree is a good choice for an MBA in the future, just keep your grades up. I would advise against a double major, it’s not needed to find a good job or for an MBA - it’s a lot of work and you will be busy enough with just an engineering major.</p>

3

<p>Engineer to Project Manager is a pretty common path, and one that I was on until I was laid off while doing evening MBA. I am now an engineer at a small company where I do everything from design to project management to office management. Not too shabby. </p>

<p>Still, it’s a job I don’t need an MBA for. An MBA teaches business, plain and simple. It doesn’t go too in depth in one area but gives a broad enough overview that it will aid you in advancing your career to the business side vs. the technical side. There is no need to take business courses in undergrad to get into an MBA program. Focus on the engineering and your career path to the MBA and you will be fine.</p>