<p><strong>posted this question in the engineering forum as well</strong></p>
<p>quick question: already having a masters in architecture and 2 years post-grad work experience in architecture firms - about to make a change to structural engineering...would going to a highly ranked structural program be a necessity to work at top structural firms such as Arup, WJ, Thornton-Tomoseti, etc. or would my non-ranked state school suffice considering my relevant industry background? - i understand there is a list of other factors envolved but just wondering if my resume would be taken seriously by these firms with an unknown school (URI is the school fyi)</p>
<p>cost and location are factors but if the consensus is that an MS-structural from URI would make working for the elite firms a very difficult than they would become relative non-factors.</p>
<p>thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I’m currently a structural engineering graduate student. i have to laugh a bit at your post as I’ve never heard of structural engineering firms being referred to as elite before…=). WJE, WPM, SOM, Thornton Tomasetti (my good friend knows Charlie Thornton on a personal basis, coincidentally), Leslie Robertson Associates, Robert Silman Associates, SGH, MKA…etc,etc,etc. are all good firms that hire people from everywhere. Especially since most of them have offices all over the country (except Robert Silman and LERA), they won’t hesitate to hire good engineers from regional schools. Coming out of a top structural engineering program, it used to be that you could have your pick amongst any of these firms. Nowadays, with the economy, it’s hard for everybody. The sure fire way to get hired at one of these places is to get an internship and do well. Go to ASCE events/job fairs to get to know higher ups at these companies to get your foot in the door. And also make sure to do well in grad school, as a MS in structural engineering is typically a prerequisite for full time employment at these types of places. You’ll be fine anywhere. Just realize not going to a certain school will not preclude you from any of the above firms, and that going to a top school will not guarantee a job at a firm of your choice.</p>
<p>blah - thanks for the reply. your comment about laughing a bit towards my use of the word “elite” in relation to some of the top structural firms is the one of the many reasons I am working my way out of architecture and into engineering - the elitism that exists in the architecture world is unwarranted especially seeing first hand, in this economy, how one dimensional a degree in architecture really is as a young architect.</p>
<p>your comments on my question reflect what I was thinking. Looking deeper into the curriculum at my local state shool revealed to me some of the reasons why it is nowhere to be found on the rankings chart, especially for structural engineering. The course offerings were lacking in the advanced classes and use of current technology has yet to be adopted. I plan on starting out there to get some of the pre-reqs out of the way but will be looking at applying to higher quality programs next fall. Have you heard anything about the program at the University of Washington (Seattle)? difficulty of admissions, quality of program? I have some connections in the area which make it an easy relocation.</p>
<p>thanks again</p>
<p>They have very detailed admissions statistics on their website. I think their average GPA was 3.4 for the civil program. In general, I’d say its a reputable program. It’s on the west coast, so expect a lot of seismic analysis/design courses. They’ve been known to place graduates in the nearby Magnesson Klemencic firm (MKA), which is pretty good.</p>