<p>I am a senior trying to choose a college and major. At this point, I know I want to go engineering and have been accepted to George Mason, Stony Brook, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Coast Guard, as well as a bunch of liberal arts schools. I think I have it narrowed down to George Mason for systems engineering or Stony Brook for civil and minor in environmental science (I decided Coast Guard isn't for me and as much as i would love to go to WPI, the debt would be crazy). The catch is if I went to George Mason for systems, I would go under the academic common market program, meaning I would pay instate tuition but I would not be able to switch my major or double major/minor. I am leaning towards GM and systems right now but I am having a hard time finding a lot of information about Systems as an undergrad major. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with systems engineering?</p>
<p>I think systems engineering is better suited as a graduate degree…not an undergraduate degree. A M.S./M.Eng degree in systems engineering is good for someone who ALREADY HAS experience in a certain engineering or CS area because it will incorporate the program management skills applied to your specialty.</p>
<p>At the B.S.-level, systems engineering is more of a “jack of few trades and not a master/specialty of any”.</p>
<p>My other option I didn’t mention above is Civil and Infrastructure Engineering at George Mason (also academic common market). The Civil program at Stony Brook is new this year, which means it hasn’t been ABET accredited. They said that they would be accredited once the first class (mine) graduated but were unclear as to whether that class would graduate accredited or if only future classes would. I emailed the director this morning and am waiting to find out. Do you think Civil and Infrastructure under grad and systems grad would be more logical? I was kind of thinking if I did Systems undergrad I would do econ grad, but I don’t really know where that would take me…</p>