I did BME for my undergrad and completely screwed it up. My degree is from a brand name engineering school (top 5), but my GPA is super low (<2.5). After graduation, I’ve been working in a BME related job. I desperately want a masters degree and want to do it online. I looked into online masters degrees in BME, but I don’t think I will be able to get in to those programs. Do you have any ideas for BME related masters programs that are not actually BME? That way my undergrad and job experience thus far wouldn’t be a total waste. Any help//thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
What do you want to do? Why do you want the Masters?
I want to stick with the medical device engineering field…maybe even move into the clinical device research side. I know that I won’t be able to move up or anywhere at all from my current position without a masters. I’m looking for a masters that is technical and still somehow related to the biomed field. I just want some ideas on what masters programs are out there… I’m hoping to hear about some that I haven’t considered yet.
Considered an MBA (part-time) from a top b-school like Booth/Kellogg/Haas?
Likely would not help you move up the engineering side, but could help you move up on the business side.
Many colleges offer free or low-cost access to their career center for grads only a few years out of school. And they usually have peer relationships with other colleges so that if you’re not in their area after graduation and don’t want to work by phone you can meet with someone local. If you graduated from a top-5 school then it is likely they have such a program.
@PurpleTitan (re post#3): The OP has an undergraduate <2.5 GPA, albeit from a first-tier institution. Even if his GMAT results are excellent, he is very unlikely to be admitted to a top MBA program (full-time or part-time); however, a third- or fourth-tier evening/weekend program (depending upon where one segments the tiers) is a real – and a wise – possibility.
@TopTier, I say he should try his luck with even the top PT programs (assuming that he does get a good GMAT score). It’s close to 2 decades ago now, but back then, a co-worker got in to a top 10 FT MBA program with a undergrad GPA of under 2 (obviously, he was rather accomplished career-wise; also went to an elite university for undergrad; don’t know how he talked his undergrad college in to allowing him to graduate, though).
There are are also various masters programs that are essentially cash cows. If an elite MBA (or other degree) is the goal and the GPA does turn out to be a hindrance, you could sign up for one of those, do well grades-wise in them and then apply again while talking about how you have turned your life around, seen the light, etc.
Preferably pick one which your company will pay for. BTW, it doesn’t have to be a BME masters; it could be a program that is different but slightly related (biostats/bioinformatics/etc.).
Thank you all for your replies! I need all the help I can get…
@mikemac That is an interesting idea - I haven’t looked into such programs before. Are you suggesting meeting with career counselors of nearby colleges? Or are you suggesting meeting with alumni of those colleges? What would be the endpoint?
@PurpleTitan @TopTier MBA is definitely an option, but I would like to reserve that for later if no other possibilities open up.
@PurpleTitan What you suggested at the end of your post is an interesting plan. I’ve actually looked into Biostats and Bioinformatics. Do you have any other ideas of majors along the same lines?
Not really my industry so I can’t really say. It depends on what you want to do, however. For instance, if you want to move in to medical instrument sales/marketing, even a marketing or communications masters could be useful as it would complement your BME background.