Hi. I’m currently an undergrad freshman at Emory. I came to Emory thinking that I’ll be majoring in biology and possibly pursue a Ph.D upon graduation, but I’ve changed my mind and now am thinking to get a B.S. in ChemE from G tech. After doing some research, however, I found out that it could be unfavorable to go for the 5 year dual degree track. The extra tuition is an obvious one, and most of the courses which I’ll be taking in my last year at Emory (Pchem, biochem, analytical chem, inorganic chem,…) won’t be relevant to the Engineering track and my future career. I don’t think spending another year at Emory and getting a B.S. in chemistry would increase my chance of getting a CO-OP opportunity either, and having a liberal arts degree from Emory probably won’t have any more advantage for employment in the future. These are just my impressions, so please correct me if I’m wrong. Either if I do a dual degree or transfer directly, I’m thinking to do a co-op for 6 months to a full year right after leaving Emory, but I wasn’t sure if I had any chance of getting one. So my questions are:
- Will I even have a chance of landing a co-op right after graduating from Emory if I go for the dual degree program?
- Will that chance be any different if I transfer to G tech after sophomore year?
- Is Emory degree worth it?
- Will doing research while at Emory increase my chance of landing a co-op?
Thank you.
@Astantine : Not true on the B.S (just because it did not come from an engineering institute type of school does not mean it is not employable (it is actually quite easy). If you get a BSc and do the ACS requirements along with research and other internships and experiences in the field, you. Also, Pchem and analytical are often relevant for ChemE and would certainly smooth the transition. You should perhaps transfer to Tech, but keep in mind that if you are interested in a job or PhD in Chemistry or ChemE, you do not necessarily have to major in them as an undergraduate. Another method would be to do the Chemistry BS but “math it up” as this will demonstrate to graduate recruiters that you may be able to adjust to the program and you could dual enroll in courses not offered at Emory. However, if you are SURE you want to do engineering, It certainly would make sense to go to Tech, but DO NOT go because you think it will merely improve your employability.
I no longer intend to pursue graduate school and I’m confident that I’ll be pursuing a job as a chemical engineer upon graduating from an engineering school. So would you say that I would have a chance of geting into a co-op program after completing a chem b.s. degree at Emory? If the opportunity is given I’m planning on spending at least a semester in a co-op program after Emory, and I was just wondering if I would be disadvantaged since I wouldn’t have taken any introductory engineering courses by that time (chemical process principles, numerical methods in chemical engineering, etc). I’m curious as to whether research experiences and ACS certificate would put me in a better place as a co-op candidate. I’m stressing co-op a lot because I heard that a couple semester of co-op experience is a must to be eligible for competitive job opportunities after graduation, whereas I rarely heard of engineering students emphasizing research.
@Astantine : Yes, you will need to optimize any opportunities you can. In addition, keep in mind you need not actually work at Emory, but can place in a lab at Tech. I have had many friends, even NBB majors do this (an NBB friend who was computationally inclined worked for Steven(sp?) Potter lab who is more BME geared). You can leverage any skills you gain at Emory to land in research or internship positions that your degree would perhaps suggest you are mismatched for. It is up to you to do more than the bare minimum at Emory. Get the right mentoring and the right teachers for upper division courses at Emory and they will position you with great opportunities. Basically, convince employers that you got more than just a barebones chemistry experience as an undergraduate.