<p>i want to do a masters in engineering. I don't like research and find it really boring. I just want to take graduate level engineering courses/ pursue a different engineering degree(I'm a chem E undergrad)..maybe even mathematics. Is it hard to get into a top masters degree program with no research experience? Will it be hard to get into an engineering masters program with only research experience in mathematics? I can tolerate math research(If i like- absolutely HAVE to have some kind of research background to get into a top masters program) but i find chem E research pretty boring and i dont want to force myself to do it.</p>
<p>Bump…</p>
<p>If you find ChemE boring and Math tolerable I would go and see a career counciler and find out what it is you really want to do. Don’t get stuck in a career you find adequate or boring. Having a BS in ChemE means you are intelligent, obviously, but that doesn’t mean you have to do research or even work in the field. </p>
<p>I have been exploring my options lately, having been a working ChemE for some time now. I have decided go back and get an MBA and force myself into the finance world either as a risk analyst (actuary/financial eng.) or a security analyst.</p>
<p>Here’s a list I’ve been working on of CEO level engineers that are in non-tech industries or have not really risen the rank as engineers into their current position.</p>
<p>Sy Sternberg, EE - CEO NY Life Insurance
Ramani Ayer, ChemE. CEO Hartford Financial
George A. Schaefer, Jr., Eng CEO 5th 3rd Bancorp.
Cassio Casselo Lima, West Point Eng. CEO Banco de Brazil
Alston D. Correll, ChemE. CEO Georgia-Pacific Corp.
Gary D. Forsee, Civil CEO Sprint
Timothy Koogle, Mech. Yahoo!
Alan J. Lacy, ChemE. CEO Sears
Robert Nardelli, Manuf. CEO Chrysler
Sten R. Rogel, ChemE. Weyerhaeuser
Ajit Jain, Mech. B-H Reinsurance Group</p>
<p>Again, talk to an advisor. If you don’t like what you are doing, don’t do it, because you won’t be as good as you could be.</p>
<p>OP says only chemE research is boring, so I assume he/she’s happy with applications of it in industry. I got into a few top engineering grad programs without any research, but I was applying to programs where a thesis wasn’t required. Basically, I’m taking 10 courses and they give me a degree. I should mention that although I have absolutely zero research experience, I have plenty of internship experience, and that was probably a significant factor in admissions.</p>
<p>japher- read ken285’s post.</p>
<p>ken how long is it going to take you to finish? A year? So basically i have to look check if the schools i’m applying to would require theses(sp?). If they don’t then i’m fine if i stick with internships?</p>
<p>Seeing as I don’t think racnna has any application experience, Ken is a Civil engineer where research is almost non-existant, and racnna is seeing enigneering as a “back up plan” to music I would hope racnna would listen to a little wisdom and not waste their time and money applying to Master’s programs that are only going to bore the heck of them. Much of Chemical Engineering, even on the application side, is research oriented. If you don’t like it don’t do it, that’s my advice and you can take it or leave it. And that’s coming from a ChemE with almost a decade of application experience.</p>
<p>I didn’t know about how research oriented the industry is in the chemE field, so maybe OP should look into it. Ask people who have experience, because if Japher is right, you might want to reconsider chemE if it’s not too late. If you still feel it’s the right field for you, then apply to grad school only if you’re happy with the kind of stuff you’re learning in undergrad, because grad courses are just going to be that much more intense.</p>
<p>It’s going to take me a year to finish my master’s degree barring any unforeseen circumstances.</p>