I am planning on applying to Yale for transfer as an engineering student. I was curious when I saw the three types of engineering degrees they offer (ABET BS in Engineering, BS in Engineering Science, BA in Engineering).
I wanted to know, apart from the depth and accreditation of the programs, how do these three programs differ? What are the ups and downs of each? And most importantly, what could one end up doing with an ABET BS in Engineering that I could not be able to do with a BS in Engineering Sciences or a BA in Engineering?
If you need more specificity, assume I am talking about Mechanical engineering.
Completing an ABET accredited degree is important if you want to go for Professional Engineer (PE) licensing. PE licensing is most important for civil engineering (where engineers commonly sign off on designs of things to be used directly by the general public, as opposed to designs of things used by one’s employer), although some engineers in other areas get it.
An ABET accredited degree is also useful in fulfilling the educational prerequisite for the patent exam, if that is of interest.
Beyond those specific situations, if you want to work as a mechanical engineer, it is best to get the ABET accredited degree, since it will assure employers that your college work includes the minimum expected college work for an engineering degree (of course, it may contain more). Employers’ assumptions about the non-ABET-accredited degrees may vary… The non-ABET-accredited degrees are probably best for those who want to work in other fields (e.g. finance, consulting) but want some engineering knowledge that may be applicable to work in those fields.
https://seas.yale.edu/undergraduate-study/degrees describes the differences.
That’s good to know, thanks !
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