<p>What are the prospects for a bioengineering or biomedical engineering undergraduates after graduation?</p>
<p>I'm not talking about med school. I'm just seriously ready to throw up my hands. What's out there that has a big salary that involves science?</p>
<p>And yeah, money doesn't buy happiness, but destitution is pretty sucky depressing.</p>
<p>I might be overstressing all this crud, but I'd like to be wealthy. It's the American dream. And law/medicine is obvious. What careers are there that will make a person wealthy while taking advantage of a love of science?</p>
<p>Define "big salary"? Engineers can break low 6 figures but to be a millionaire/multi you'll either have to be a banker, lawyer, executive, doctor or entrepreneur.</p>
<p>I was an undergrad BME, and while talking to some people from biotech companies (as well as some upper classmen), it's better NOT to go for undergrad BME, but instead choose another discipline (chemical, mechanical, electrical,...etc). The undergrad BME degree is the jack of all trades, master of none.</p>
<p>If you're heart is set on biotech, so something else undergrad, and then pursue a graduate degree in BME. </p>
<p>If you want lots of money without too much schooling, look no further than investment banking.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm just seriously ready to throw up my hands. What's out there that has a big salary that involves science?</p>
<p>And yeah, money doesn't buy happiness, but destitution is pretty sucky depressing.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Haha, I feel your pain. I'm torn between med school and engineering. It's either I do something that I really want to do and make a decent amount of money or make a lot of money and do something that I would probably get bored of. Some days I'm sure I want to be a doctor because I deserve to cash in on my greatness. Other days I'm sure I want to be an engineer because it's my calling and the world deserves my greatness. </p>
<p>Engineers make good money. But will you be rich? No. Nobody is going to be rich unless you invent something, become famous, win the lottery, be a genius in stock market, or become CEO of a big corporation. </p>
<p>As a biomedical engineer you'll probably make the same as any other engineer. In my area (midwest) engineers start off at around 50k and can go up to over 100k after several years.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What is the best prospective major in engineering,
[/quote]
If by "prospective" you mean salary, then it most likely will be petroleum. </p>
<p>
[quote]
and how many courses do different engineering majors share?
[/quote]
Typically it's the first year courses and some second year courses. This includes any courses in the humanities and social sciences, the math sequence (for me it was Calc I-III, DiffEq, Probability, Linear Algebra), the sciences (for me it was Mechanics, E&M, Modern Physics, Chemistry and Physical Chemistry). There were also some courses that multiple majors take, but at least in my school, they were taught in sections based on your major, so it was geared towards you and not a general course (fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, circuits).</p>
<p>
[quote]
How different are the different engineering professions?
[/quote]
They all design something. I think that's where the similarities end.</p>
<p>As a SWE the classes I share with other engineers are Calc1-4, DiffEq, Linear algebra, discrete math, stats & probs, physics of mechanics/e-m/heat & optics, humanities, comp, tech comp, speech, org psych and probably a few others...</p>
<p>And depending on your major you may share technical classes as well. For example, CompE and SWE both take embedded system software 1-2.</p>
<p>As for the "best prospective" engineering field, I was more asking about a combination of salary, job security, and promotability to management.</p>
<p>Would some sort of business classes aid in management prospects?</p>
<p>
[quote]
As for the "best prospective" engineering field, I was more asking about a combination of salary, job security, and promotability to management.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you find that golden answer, let me know!</p>
<p>Overall engineering is a very stable field, especially the EE/ChemE/ME/CivilE Some of the more specialized fields such as Petroleum, Nuclear or Aerospace might have boom/bust cycles but they are usually compensated much higher than the EE/ME/ChemE /Civil majors.</p>
<p>I don't really think promotion options vary from one degree to another. Granted, your odds are better if you have a major related to your industry, like a PetroE at an Oil company, but overall no degree is more marketable towards management. </p>
<p>Business classes won't hurt you but keep in mind that when you get hired at an engineering firm, it is more for your technical skills rather than business acumen. You'll most likely develop management skills or go towards an advanced degree.</p>
<p>Promotability to management: civil engineering, but I only say that because of licensing requirements. If I remember correctly, there's also a regulation that states the percentage of board members/officers of the company that must be professional engineers. In other fields, you can have a non-engineer in management (provided that they are competent).</p>
<p>The best combination: Neither petroleum nor civil. There probably isn't a best combination. You can't have the best of everything; there must be a tradeoff somewhere.</p>
<p>Business classes won't hurt, but you won't get any immediate benefits from it either.</p>
<p>Since biomed is a booming field, there should be an abundce of jobs in the industry for those who qualifiy. "They" say that you need at least a Masters to be competitive; with a bachelors you wont really get to do much of the fun stuff.</p>
<p>I guess to make a bit of money, you should get your PhD, work in industry doing research for a few years, and slowly advance to upper level management where the big money is. Then the sky is the limit to the amount of money you can make.</p>
<p>I'm not entirely sure how I feel about having to pursue a master's degree to make money and have an engaging career. I have no problem with doing so, but I do have a problem with committing to 6+ yrs of school NOW. </p>
<p>That being said, would it be easy to pursue a biomed engineering or bioengineering masters degree after attaining an undergraduate degree in a different concentration? If so, which?</p>