<p>For some engineering field in some states at least, having an advanced degree in engineering without an UNDERGRADUATE degree in engineering will not qualify you as a practicing engineer. This is only true in the field of engineering which requires a license.</p>
<p>This is likely because the training for a MS/PhD program in engineering may be very different from that for a BS program, in the eyes of those who control the licensing procedure. A similar phenomenon actually happens between a BS degree and an AA degree from a community college. At least a few years ago, in some area, as long as you get a BS degree, you are no longer qualified for a “chip layout” technician job. This is because there is a union-like organization which controls the job market in that segment, and most companies do not want to get on the nerve of this union (which actually has some political power) by hiring an “over-qualified” applicant.</p>
<p>A lesson here: Depending on your career goal, more education may not always be good. You just need to receive a right level of education, and do very well at that level.</p>
<p>Think about a similar issue for a premed: is it somewhat also true that you mostly need to do well in INTRODUCTORY science classes, and doing well in the more advanced level classes is just icing on the cake but not an essential one. (i.e., an extreme case: the graduate-level GPA is not very useful for applying to medical schools.)</p>