I am going to a smaller college(Wheeling Jesuit University) to get my degree in general engineering. They do not have abet accredited program. Then I hope to get my masters degree from West Virginia University in either mechanical or electrical engineering which is an accredited program. Is this a practical plan or will the unaccredited general engineering degree hurt my prospects at a job after school?
Will a non ABET general engineering degree+a masters in an accredited program hurt my job prospects?
ABET, with very few exceptions, does not accredit master’s degrees.
I do know someone who went to Wheeling Jesuit University and is now in a larger, more typical PhD program in engineering, but she studied physics originally.
I think if you get a masters in engineering, most employers will expect that you know something. I’m pretty sure the majority of employers care most about your most recent degree. You will soon realize that once you are in college, nobody cares about anything from high school. I would expect something similar for graduate studies.
ABET especially matters if you do not plan to continue your education beyond your bachelor’s degree.
You won’t have issues with employers, who will be rightly impressed with your masters degree, especially from a top university … WVU is one of those, flagship, likely very good engineering program …
What I would spend a bit of time investigating is making sure your degree and course of study will get you into the masters program you want. General engineering is nice, but if you want a masters in mechanical engineering, make sure you take some hard junior / senior level classes in that area and that you have taken statics, dynamics, etc, etc. Similar for electrical engineering etc, etc.
Making an appointment say in junior or even sophomore year to discuss your plan to come to WVU for your masters seems prudent.
And get As in all those classes. It will impress your grad school and also help you actually do well in a masters program against students at more rigorous and focused schools.
You could also transfer during undergraduate years … best would be to have a great foundation in engineering first 2 years … then transfer and take rigorous program at say WVU in the engineering field of your choice.
General engineering degree at bachelors level may not get you the type of work you would want if you do not pursue grad school (and life can get in the way of spending another 2 years at school).