<p>My son has decided to get a duo degree. Physics degree from a highly regarded but not known for science LAC, and a engineering degree from an Ivy. He spends his freshman and sophmore years at the LAC, goes to the Ivy for Junior year, returns to the LAC for senior year then back to the Ivy for a fifth year. His engineering degree will be from the Ivy. I have not heard much about this type of Duo degree programs, does he have a decent shot for employment after completion as compared to students who get straight 4 year engineering degrees? I don't even think he wants to be an engineer but said this degrees give him a better shot at getting into a good grad school or getting employment right out of school. His love is physics.</p>
<p>I don’t think there is any problem with the plan. He may change his mind and decide to focus on either engineering or physics at some point along the way. Students often go from one to the other. Engineering is really applied physics. The most important thing is his grades.</p>
<p>THat sounds really interesting. I know a lot of kids have this type of double major (at least at my old schools), although they don’t switch back and forth between schools. I’m sure he probably knows what he’s doing.</p>
<p>It’s funny how times have changed, I guess. I never would have thought an engineering degree would necessarily make you more employable than a Physics degree. When I graduated with a Physics degree almost 30 years ago I got a job in aerospace, doing pretty much the same thing as engineers did. My dad had done the same.</p>
<p>But around the late 80s, early 90’s when aerospace started getting hit, I started looking at the want ads and noticed that so many of them specifically said BSEE or BSME. So I went back and got the BSEE. At my current job I wouldn’t have even been able to apply without an ABET accredited Engineering degree.</p>
<p>Is this a program in place between the two schools? Is he in love with the LAC for some particular reason? Because I guess I don’t understand why someone who wants a physics degree would go to a “highly regarded but not known for science LAC?” Unless it’s actually strong in science but just not known for it.</p>
<p>I would recommend that he arrange an interview with a physics prof at the LAC and ask that prof about grad school prospects with this program vs. a simple 4-year physics degree. Also look into the success rate of this LAC with grad school placements in physics.</p>
<p>Same question about grad school prospects after getting a physics degree from a school highly regarded in that field. I’m curious why that is not his plan if physics is his love.</p>
<p>These kinds of programs are usually called 3/2 or pre-engineering, involing transfer from an LAC to an engineering university. From what I gather from this forum, 3/2 programs are commonplace in theory but rather underutilized in practice. Apparently many 3/2 applicants eventually decide to stay with their LAC, rather than transfer. There’s a good many opinions about 3/2 programs in the CC ‘engineering major’ thread. Another option for someone who wants an LAC education and an engineering career is to major in Physics and then attend engineering school for a master’s degree. An M.S. can be earned at in one academic year at many fine engineering schools. A Physics major desiring such a career couse must choose his/her undergraduate coursework carefully. As they say, ‘your milage may vary.’</p>
<p>The “common wisdom” is that one of the reasons those 3/2 programs are underutilized is that the rising seniors don’t want to leave their peers for that last year and want to graduate from their “home” institution. This “hybrid” that the OP describes (which I hadn’t heard of before) seems like it gets around that issue.</p>
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Whether this is feasible really depends upon the engineering discipline. Some have prerequisites that would not be available at a LAC and would require at least another year of study if not more. People go from one field to the other, but a physics major is no way equal to an undergrad engineering major.</p>
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I believe op’s S is at Vassar. I wouldn’t have any concerns about grad school placement re the LAC itself. All about the grades, and the gre’s.</p>
<p>The LAC is Vassar, the Ivy is Dartmouth. He liked the feel of a small college, did not like big universities. He felt he would get more individual attention at a small LAC. He will be able to graduate from Vassar his senior year and then spend an additonal year at Dartmouth. I would image alot of his fellow students who are juniors at Vassar will spend that year studying abroad, so he could reunite with his classmates during his senior year.</p>
<p>Has he mentioned what engineering field he would be considering?</p>
<p>He’s not sure, he just finished his first semester as a freshman. He applies next year and is setting his schedule to take all the necessay courses he needs to apply. I would suspect environmental engineering, though don’t know for sure. His roommate is applying for the same program.</p>
<p>There may be a few cons to changing schools.</p>
<p>If he finds a research lab that he really loves I assume he would have to leave that lab while he goes to the other school. This would make it difficult to stay on and get published which is a nice perk for grad school applications.</p>
<p>The other con is that there may not be enough room (credits left) to take advanced coursework in either degree. That may also impact his grad school choices.</p>
<p>My physics(BS) and engineering (BSEE) son is in a top physics grad program after completeing both degrees in 4 yrs at PSU. AP credit was helpful for general education requirements.</p>
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I looked at the DC page for this, and it looks like they have fine options. My only observation would be that environmental engineering and a physics major are not exactly hand-in-glove, if you will. More compatible would be electrical, computer, or mechanical. All that is his choice, of course :)</p>