GeNeRaL qUeStIoN- Which Path to choose

<p>Do you need to have a B.S. in business to go two year MBA afterwards? Or can you get MBA seperate? I'm just confused what path to choose in college. What sounds better(1)Getting an engineering degree, going to work for a few years then going back to get MBA (2)Getting engineering and business bachelors olny (3) Getting engineering and business B.S. and then getting engineering M.S. after a few years (4)Getting engineering B.S. and MBA in a five year program or something like that. Please help.</p>

<p>Getting an engineering BS says "I want to be an engineer."</p>

<p>Getting an engineering BS and a business BS says "I want to be an engineer, I think... What does an engineer do again?"</p>

<p>Getting an engineering MS says "I want to be an engineer. Really, I want to be an engineer."</p>

<p>Going through one of those engineering BS/MBA programs says "I don't want to be an engineer, but I think I should be able to tell engineers what to do, even though I've never done what I need them to do."</p>

<p>Getting an engineering BS, working for a few years, and then going to get an MBA says "I wanted to be an engineer so I did that. I now want to be more, and I am not being given the opportunity to be more in my current situation. So, I am going to get an MBA so that I can apply my analytical and problem solving skills in a manner that can effectively improve the industry that I have be come knowledgable of on a grander scale."</p>

<p>What message do you want to send?</p>

<p>I also like the BS Engineering -> MS Engineering -> MBA route. MS, to me, says that they have become an expert in the technical discipline of their field and now want to move into the business side. This can be a huge advantage. Granted, it doesn't say that someone with BS isn't technically an expert too, it only credentials them.</p>

<p>How long would it take to finish the route you came up with at the end? Also how does M.S. in engineering and B.S. in business sound?
What I'm trying to get at is that I want to be an engineer but I've heard that combining it with a business degree is where money is at and will help me become sucessfull.</p>

<p>You don't need a BS in business to get an MBA. An MBA can be added to any undergraduate degree. - I think I missed that response from then OP.</p>

<p>If you want to be an engineer than focus on being an engineer and forget about business for now. Engineers are technical and focus on the nuts and bolts of a company, they answer the question "How" (how are we going to do this). Business folk, however, answer the question "What"(what is the business going to do). It is a successful path when the guy (or gal) asking the question "what" also can answer the question "how" because it will give them a better idea of the requirements for success. This is why engineers who want to stay an engineer get MS' and not MBAs. Those who get MBAs will have a difficult time getting an engineering job outside of management (which isn't engineering anymore).</p>

<p>I have a BS Chemical Engineering and focused the first 10 years of my career on the pharmaceutical industry. I have met many people with MS in ChemE doing research and development and have been very successful at what they do. I learned, however, that what they were doing wasn't what I wanted to do. I am now in an MBA program and working for a consulting company. This seems better for me. I am matching the "what's" with the "how". I am not developing any technology, but I am helping companies that know what they want to do but don't know how. </p>

<p>You ask how long the route would take. Think of it as a career path, not a progression from school to work. Get your BS and if you desire your MS than get into industry. Though the route I think is best is to get your BS go to work for a year and if you like what you are doing go to school at night/part-time to get your MS in your field. 2-3 years later you'll have about 4 years of experience and an MS in engineering. If you were able to balance your work/school/life well you should have something to show of yourself to business schools. At this time, if you don't think you want to be an engineer for the rest of your life than go get an MBA. If you like what you are doing and you have a nice career path at your work that is appealing than stick with it.</p>

<p>Business/MBA + engineering is only useful if you get to use it, most engineers won't. Probably only the elite who get pushed into management (and then executive MBA programs) and industrial engineers who are really just managers in training will use business in their everyday engineering life. Again, I stress, if you want to be an engineer be wary of getting an MBA. This says to employers that you don't want to be an engineer. I just went through a job hunt and had a hard time explaining the MBA. The only other option would be to take it off your resume, and then that would beg to question why you did it in the first place.</p>

<p>Ok great, thanks for your input but one last question. How does M.S. Engineering and B.S. business sound? One more question, sorry, What do you think would be a good area to duel major in along with engineering?</p>

<p>What engineering are you in or thinking about doing? What type of engineering do you want to do?</p>

<p>I don't think a MS Engineering and a BS in Business is worthwhile when you can just as easily get a masters in business once you have an engineering degree. I see that you just want to get a dual major because it can shorten your timeframe, that is why I am asking the above question. I think complimentary degrees exist, dependent on the field of study you want to persue. </p>

<p>Well-roundedness is not something admired by those who hire engineers. Engineers are meant to be SMEs.</p>

<p>Please, please type titles like a normal human being.</p>

<p>"Do you need to have a B.S. in business to go two year MBA afterwards?"</p>

<p>That said, you can study whatever you want. You do not have to get a "B.S. in business". In fact, some schools might prefer to accept people WITHOUT a background in business, as they view these people as truly "needing" the skills they would be taught. For instance, HBS recently launched a program called 2+2, which is not open to business-majors. So, study whatever you want--if that happens to be business, great; if not, great too.</p>

<p>My personal bias is that you should study something you would love--or at least enjoy (and preferrably go to a liberal arts college, but that's just me). You'll never get those college years back.</p>

<p>I am quite undecided on my engineering major. I think aerospace looks interesting but im only interested in the space part not airplanes. But I also think EE or CE look cool and they seem to be versatile and have good job outlooks. I kind of want to do something with military contractors as well maybe. Sorry but what does SME stand for and HBS? So yeah I am undecided.</p>

<p>Where are you going or planning to go for college?</p>

<p>Hopefully MIT but thats a reach. Most likely Penn State. Also applying to RPI and UVa(kinda far away).If you know of any other good colleges around new york let me know.</p>

<p>If you want to major in engineering, do so. You can get into MBA programs with any degree at all as long as you have work experience/achievements.</p>

<p>Engineering majors make up 15-20% of students, the third most frequent behind business subjects and economics, in most MBA class profiles.</p>