<p>I'm a junior chemE who's thinking about getting a master's degree in engineering before entering industry full-time. My GPA qualifies me for many sequential degree programs at my school, but I'm having a really hard time deciding which one is best for me. Right now I'm torn between the MSE chemical engineering and the MSE industrial/operations engineering. My goal is to enter the manufacturing industry as a process engineer (chemE side) with an eye on lean production/optimization (IE/Operations side), and maybe work my way up to lead engineer/plant manager/middle management position later in my career.</p>
<p>So I guess my main question is, would getting the MSE in IE help or hurt? (I've scoured the forums for prior posts on this topic, but to no avail.) I definitely want to do the process/design stuff that chemEs do, not the ergonomics and operations research work of an industrial engineer...would getting an MSE in IE "override" my ChemE degree? Would it increase my base salary to master's level like an MSE ChemE would? Should I apply to an "elite" engineering school like MIT, Stanford, etc? </p>
<p>Or should I just hold out on getting an MBA later?</p>
<p>Thanks guys, any suggestions/insight/experience would help! especially from sakky/redbeard, since they seem to be in the know for these two areas ;)</p>
<p>If you want to get into design a masters can help, but get in ChemE. IE will be more supply chain related and resource allocation type issues. These things will be covered when you get your MBA. Another option would look into the dual MBA/MS programs.</p>
<p>Definitly apply to a top school, it is worth it at the masters level.</p>
<p>I don't think Caltech admits anyone just for a MS degree. As far as I know they only admit PhDs (also adding in that I've never met a student here that was only admitted for a master's).</p>
<p>You might want to try asking around your department as to which ChemE programs at top schools will admit MS students at an appreciable rate. Like, I know UCLA is pretty notorious in a few fields for admitting pretty much everyone as a MS student, and then you have to pass a test a year in to see if you qualify for the PhD program.</p>
<p>Yes UCLA's Mech/Civil is notorious for having a bunch of MS students. However, elixirs is a ChemE and UCLA's ChemE is far different. My year only 2 masters student in ChemE graduated, enough said.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for your feedback. I didn't really consider UCLA before...do they have a really good chemE program? The general consensus in my department seems to be that the best chem/chemE schools generally align with the USNWR rankings, which is basically what I'm going on for my picks: MIT, Caltech, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia(Fu), Rice, Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>Well, perhaps it would be helpful if I post my stats:</p>
<p>University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
BSE Chemical Engineering/BS Chemistry (dual degree)
3.76 GPA
-haven't taken GRE yet
-some work experience, including a manufacturing internship this coming summer
-zero research experience</p>
<p>So what do you think? Do I have any chance at these schools? Or should I just take my in-state tuition at Mich and run with it?</p>
<p>I realize that the schools I'm looking at are pretty up there, but since I am guaranteed admission to the masters program here I didn't really think about safeties. (As well as similar Big 10 schools like Wisconsin, UIUC, Purdue, etc.)</p>
<p>I was under the impression that Caltech took ChemE masters...and I would love to go to Stanford or Berkeley, but they seem to be PhD only...:(</p>
<p>Nice gpa, way better than mine. I think you will have a good shot at getting an acceptance from one to all of them. Get letters of recommendations and ask those recommending you what they think. They will probably give better advice than some stranger on the internet.</p>
<p>My chemE advisor actually wants me to consider a PhD (she won't let me settle for anything less than a masters, lol). But what I'm really interested in is design of reactors and coming up with new processes rather than research per se, and perhaps working for a chemical consulting firm (or starting one of my own) after some years of experience under my belt.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input though, I feel a bit better about applying to those places now. I guess I just had no idea what the bar was in terms of admission stats...</p>
<p>Just a thought that if you want to go into ChemE. U of Minnesota-Twin Cities is top 5 in the country in graduate ChemE and the weather and lifestyle might be close to U of Michigan</p>
<p>Yeah, I was definitely thinking about Minnesota along with Wisconsin and UIUC. Thing is, after five years in Ann Arbor I wouldn't mind a change of scenery (which is why I'm thinking about going to a school somewhere other than the midwest). </p>
<p>I seem to be getting the impression that there are a lot more PhDs than masters students in every program...does this mean that top schools admit fewer of them, or that most people just apply for the PhD?</p>
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does this mean that top schools admit fewer of them, or that most people just apply for the PhD?
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<p>I think it's both.</p>
<p>There are certain schools that have reputations for a lot of MS students. My friend at UCSB I was talking to today says there's tons of students there only for a MS while here at Caltech I don't know anyone that's not planning on getting a PhD (in my field UCSB is actually ranked higher than Caltech).</p>