<p>for an engineering major in CA, would it be better to stick to a technical school, such as Cal Poly SLO, or would a degree from a UC, such as LA or Cal, be more honorable?</p>
<p>I got into all three and go to Poly, however this was primarily a decision to preserve my GPA. In retrospect I still think it's a good decision. Better teaching, better labs, more labs, and a good chance of leaving with a higher GPA (however I believe Poly is harder than comparable UCs such as Davis/UCSB).</p>
<p>For civ, at least, I've found that Poly has a tendency to teach to the design code very, very closely. For some engineers, they're able to fluorish there, learn the code, and understand the concepts behind the code. Some engineers just learn the code, and learning the code means that the only things they'll ever understand how to design are the simple things that can be designed to code, rather than the more complex things.</p>
<p>UCLA and Berkeley may have more infuriating professors, but the infuriating ones are typically the brilliant ones. Their engineering students are forced to figure stuff out for themselves, and the ones who fluorish there learn the code and learn the science behind the code, and seem to have a better chance of landing the really stellar jobs, where you get to do cool stuff all day long. The ones who don't fluorish don't become engineers.</p>
<p>One's not necessarily better than the other... Both have their pros and cons. It's not necessarily the same in every field... But it's something I've observed in my work so far, and it's a thought that's shared by a number of my colleagues.</p>
<p>My (entirely subjective) impression is that Cal Poly engineering degrees are less prestigious than engineering degrees from UC Berkeley or UCLA, roughly equivalent to engineering degrees from other UC campuses, and more prestigious than engineering degrees from other CSU campuses. </p>
<p>I have also heard, as aibarr suggested, that Cal Poly puts more emphasis on current practices and applications, with less emphasis on the underlying theory. In the short run, this approach may help you to hit the ground running in your first job. But in the long run, this approach may leave you less prepared if current practices become obsolete or inapplicable (and with time, they inevitably will). I've heard critics put it like this: the Cal Poly approach makes it easier to get your first job, but harder to get promoted.</p>
<p>Now that is hilarious. How much of that is related to the person, and not the degree? When are dealing UCB and Cal Poly you are talking about two schools that roughly have a SAT score of 200 points (CR/M) apart. Now, when you compare a student that got into both schools and chose Cal Poly - I think you'll find the difference very minimal in career opportunities.</p>
<p>Corbett, perhaps you can provide an example of not learning the 'theory' behind a topic. I'm quite interested in how this happens, when we use pretty much the same textbooks as other engineering schools.</p>
<p>Cal Poly engineering vs UCB engineering... I can't believe this question is being asked...</p>
<p>I don't claim to have first-hand knowledge of either the Berkeley or Cal Poly programs. However, I note that the Cal Poly engineering home pagestates quite explicitly that:
[quote]
Cal Poly's College of Engineering is strongly oriented toward preparing students for immediate entry into professional practice upon graduation from one of its bachelor's degree programs.
[/quote]
If Cal Poly puts a greater emphasis on entry-level job placement, relative to (say) Berkeley or Davis, that's fine. But the strong emphasis on applied practice implies that there must be de-emphasis in other respects. Perhaps you can tell us where the de-emphasis lies.</p>
<p>I've actually wondered that myself, I can't find where the de-emphasis is. Comparing the required curriculum between UCSB & Cal Poly didn't really showcase any differences. When I was a senior I was deciding between Cal Poly and UCLA for ME. I eventually chose Cal Poly for two reasons, I thought I would get a better GPA and therefore preserve my chances for grad school if I wanted to go and because there were more labs. I'm still trying to figure out a school being more theoretical affects the classroom environment.</p>