How to return for an Engineering Undergraduate Degree

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Looking to see if anyone has experience with admissions into the Engineering department.</p>

<p>Graduated in 2005 at Cal Poly SLO with a business degree. Currently working. I been wanting to return to school to study Structural or Civil Engineering.</p>

<p>Cal State Los Angeles is the closest campus and I don't mind attending their undergraduate Engineering program. But I could commute to Cal Poly Pomona if that school is recommended more.</p>

<p>1) The questions once I do get into their undergraduate program is, do you only take the Engineering courses/units to graduate? Took the GE courses for the business undegrad.</p>

<p>2) Would I pay the standard undergraduate tuition or will they charge me Graduate tuition fee since I finished the bachelors?</p>

<p>Graduate program in engineering is out because I have absolutely no knowledge and background in this field. I appreciate your inputs, thanks!</p>

<p>I would check whether or not you are even able to get a second bachelor’s degree in the cal state system, because I heard you can’t do this after you already graduated with the first bachelor’s. If this is the case you might be able to get a masters while still having to take undergrad courses in engineering.</p>

<p>First off, you’ll need to lower your standards. A lot of schools, especially public schools in CA, admit very few if any second degree Bachelor’s students. So, apply to a wide swath of places and don’t be picky. As far as your curriculum, you’ll probably have most or all your general ed. stuff taken care of. Along with the CivE courses in the curriculum, you probably will have to take any basic science and math courses that you didn’t cover in your first degree. </p>

<p>After you’re admitted, you’ll be considered an undergraduate transfer student and pay undergraduate tuition.</p>

<p>I’m currently a second bachelor’s student who came back for a degree in engineering. If you want to know more about what I’ve been through feel free to send me a private message. Good luck.</p>

<p>Most engineering majors do not have many electives (meaning your general courses won’t count for much). You’re probably looking at 2-3 years of full-time undergraduate work to earn a second BS in Civil. Since you don’t have basically any background in engineering, most schools would admit you as an undergraduate.</p>

<p>I would look into some kind of a post-bacc program that would just fill the prereqs for getting into a good MS program.</p>

<p>TakeCareOfYou, </p>

<p>I’m doing the same thing. Every school has a different policy on second bachelor’s degrees; you need to contact each school you’re interested in individually. Some don’t allow it period, while others allow it within certain schools (nursing, architecture, engineering) but not the general college of arts and sciences. </p>

<p>You will most likely be applying as an undergraduate transfer student. Thus, you will be paying undergraduate tuition and fees. You will not be eligible for federal grants, though (these are off limits to 2nd Bachelors candidates), and you probably won’t get any institutional scholarships (because priority goes to first timers).</p>

<p>Have you looked into the LEAP program at Boston University? To the best of my knowledge, it is the only program that is designed for people with a non-engineering background who want to go into engineering. It’s a Masters program.</p>