@Engineer80
I only put that quote in so the OP could see that the school is ABET accredited. I agree the honor society has no real relevance…but the school IS ABET accredited.
I never…never suggested that this student NOT start in engineering. I agree…start IN engineering. Easier to transfer out and sometimes impossible to transfer IN.
My point was…this poster is NOT positive about engineering…but thinks it might be a good career in terms of earning good money. While this can be true…the kid may find that engineering isn’t his cup of tea. Lots of engineering wannabes actually find…it’s not their cup of tea.
@thumper1 - Yes, you are correct. Engineering actually has a high attrition rate. Quite a few folks who start out in engineering end up finishing in other fields. Of course that varies with the school, but in the US overall it averages 45-50%. No doubt about it, engineering is among the most challenging of undergraduate majors.
Trinity is ABET accredited for general engineering only. Most engineering schools have ABET accreditation individually for each of their engineering specialties (EE, ME, CE, CompE, etc). From what I read of their curriculum, it doesn’t have the depth courses that dedicated engineering schools have, so again, IMO that is a disadvantage.
The ABET accreditation is essential. Accreditation by specialty is better IMO. The general engineering accreditation is not unusual for smaller programs that cannot maintain the number of specialized courses and faculty to have discipline specfic accreditation. My alma mater Stevens Institute of Technology for example is ABET accredited both in general engineering and individually for the specialties (which is uncommon).
Yes…@engineer80
I agree…and read what I wrote…the student would have a concentration within the general engineering major…but might find it beneficial to then get a masters.
But the fact is…having the undergrad program ABET accredited allows this student to pursue a PE.
Right?
@thumper1 - Agree with you 100%. Their concentrations however are not as deep as the discipline-specific major at a dedicated engineering school. Trinity BSE graduates are eligible to sit for the EIT exam as seniors and the PE exam after three years of PE
@Skippy00
So there you go…assuming you can sift through the last bunch of posts.
I think Alabama would be a better option than trinity…great engineering programs. And great guaranteed merit aid.
(Continuation) supervised work experience, as all ABET engineering degree holders are so entitled.
HI everyone…thanks for all this great info although it is all still in foreign language to me ha ha. I am definitely learning still and hope to pass this info all to my son. Is there a College book for Dummies? Anyway, we will stick to schools that have College’s specific to Engineering. What about Central Connecticut College? Can you explain to me what a PE test is and EIT? I do not know any of the abbreviations at all. I don’t even know about minor, major, double major etc.
You are right though…he may hate engineering and find something else. I sure hope not though because I’d hate for him to lose credits.
CT resident here. Central is one of our four directional colleges here. I can’t imagine they will provide aid for an OOS student.
@Skippy- The PE (Professional Engineer) license is a professional license granted by US states to practice engineering. Many nations too have similar licensure and registrstion in engineering.
A PE is required for engineers who design and approve (seal drawings) for public works projects such as bridges, highways, earth supporting structures, water/power/gas utilities, large buildings, etc. PEs are most comon in civil engineering, but other specialties such as EEs, MEs, ChemEs, etc are also represented among PEs. Most engineering positions in public agencies and utilities (railroads, transit authorities, ports, etc) often require PEs. A PE is required if one advertises or “holds out” as an engineer offering engineering services to the public (as consulting civil engineers frequently do for example).
A PE isn’t required for engineering positions in industry where the engineer’s work is internal to a company and for producing the company’s product and not offering engineering services to the general public. The engineers for example who design automobiles for Ford, aircraft for Boeing, microprocessors for Intel, etc., aren’t required to have a PE. The majority of engineers in the US do not have PEs.
The PE exam consists of two parts. The first part which deals with the principles and practice of engineering and underlying science is called Engineer In Training or EIT. One can take the EIT as a fourth year student in engineering school. After 3 years of work experience supervised by a PE he/she can take the second part (PE exam) which deals with the specifics of ME, CE, EE, etc. The PE is most relevant to civil/structural engineering (which is its origin, to protect the public by making sure only competent, properly trained individuals can design public works that impact public safety, similarly to the training and licensing requirement for physicians, attorneys, architects, accountants, etc.).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentals_of_Engineering_Examination
You may see the EIT referred to now as the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. I believe that change was made a few years ago. It’s the EIT with a new name.
@thumper1 - Yes, that is true. It is called FE now. When I was in school it was EIT.
Thanks to all the active posters in this thread, as it has been incredibly helpful. As a parent, I find it so difficult to imagine that as a junior in high school students would a) know with much certainly that they want to be an engineering major, and b) have a feel for the specific discipline that might interest him (maybe that is because I didn’t figure that out until Junior year in college). As we really dig into the college search, talk to people, read (thank you parents forum on CC!) I realized how important it can be to have a clearer vision. As business majors and business people, my husband and I really have no background or exposure to engineering.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
I’ve edited this sentence out. It only hijacks the thread, and in considered rude to the original poster. Additionally, multiple conversations within one thread make the conversations hard to follow. It is better to start a new thread when a different user has a new question. That way the user can get dedicated answers to hopefully help in the search. Thank you for your understanding.
Thanks everyone you are all so helpful!