Do most engineering majors go to grad school

[Anonymous]

OP, the real question is: is BME a wise choice? It requires grad school on top of undergrad to do anything in the field. Basically you get all the hassles on undergraduate engineering training with none of the benefits.

[Anonymous]

I would guess that, especially with what is happening currently, going into any biomedical field would be an excellent career path.

Most medical fields, including this one, require at least a masters degree if not a PhD. So the research to do is: can you get a job with an undergraduate biomedical engineering degree and have the company you work for pay for your graduate degree/PhD? If so, that’s awesome and what schools do those companies who pay for the higher degrees recruit out of? If Johns Hopkins is a resounding yes but a cheaper school is...maybe...that’s your answer. Invest the money in having JHU as a credential and let her employer pay for the higher degrees.

If this field requires you to have your masters or PhD before they’ll even interview you, then the answer is to go to the one of the cheapest schools that will still get you into the graduate programs they recruit out of. And save as much of the college money as you can to pay for the graduate degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would guess that, especially with what is happening currently, going into any biomedical field would be an excellent career path.

Most medical fields, including this one, require at least a masters degree if not a PhD. So the research to do is: can you get a job with an undergraduate biomedical engineering degree and have the company you work for pay for your graduate degree/PhD? If so, that’s awesome and what schools do those companies who pay for the higher degrees recruit out of? If Johns Hopkins is a resounding yes but a cheaper school is...maybe...that’s your answer. Invest the money in having JHU as a credential and let her employer pay for the higher degrees.

If this field requires you to have your masters or PhD before they’ll even interview you, then the answer is to go to the one of the cheapest schools that will still get you into the graduate programs they recruit out of. And save as much of the college money as you can to pay for the graduate degree.

Again, companies do not pay for biomedical phds. The federal government does that. It covers tuition and a living stipend. I don’t know what it is at the moment but I’d guess $25-$30k per year. Masters students do pay tuition so make sure you can get admitted to a PhD program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior interested in bio or biomedical engineering. I see a lot of posts saying “go to state school and save money for grad school”, but do most engineers go to grad school? DD really likes JHU (if she can get in), but wondering if it’s worth the money instead if state school.

If you're in MD, UMD is a great engineering school. If your kid gets in, s/he should go. My DS didn't get in. She did well as an undergrad elsewhere, and is now in a top grad engineering program. But I think she might have been working now and skipped grad school if she'd gotten into UMD. Her undergrad college didn't offer engineering.

Wasn't aware you could go to graduate engineering school without having studied engineering as an undergrad. What did your DS study in college?

Not PP. But, a physics major can easily handle engineering for grad school.

I doubt that. LOL.

My son is in year 3 of a PhD program in engineering at University of Michigan after majoring in physics at a SLAC and it has been pretty seamless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior interested in bio or biomedical engineering. I see a lot of posts saying “go to state school and save money for grad school”, but do most engineers go to grad school? DD really likes JHU (if she can get in), but wondering if it’s worth the money instead if state school.

If you're in MD, UMD is a great engineering school. If your kid gets in, s/he should go. My DS didn't get in. She did well as an undergrad elsewhere, and is now in a top grad engineering program. But I think she might have been working now and skipped grad school if she'd gotten into UMD. Her undergrad college didn't offer engineering.

Wasn't aware you could go to graduate engineering school without having studied engineering as an undergrad. What did your DS study in college?

Not PP. But, a physics major can easily handle engineering for grad school.

I doubt that. LOL.

My son is in year 3 of a PhD program in engineering at University of Michigan after majoring in physics at a SLAC and it has been pretty seamless.

Burn. Where LOL? Come back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior interested in bio or biomedical engineering. I see a lot of posts saying “go to state school and save money for grad school”, but do most engineers go to grad school? DD really likes JHU (if she can get in), but wondering if it’s worth the money instead if state school.

If you're in MD, UMD is a great engineering school. If your kid gets in, s/he should go. My DS didn't get in. She did well as an undergrad elsewhere, and is now in a top grad engineering program. But I think she might have been working now and skipped grad school if she'd gotten into UMD. Her undergrad college didn't offer engineering.

Wasn't aware you could go to graduate engineering school without having studied engineering as an undergrad. What did your DS study in college?

Not PP. But, a physics major can easily handle engineering for grad school.

I doubt that. LOL.

My son is in year 3 of a PhD program in engineering at University of Michigan after majoring in physics at a SLAC and it has been pretty seamless.

Burn. Where LOL? Come back!

Huh? Why do you assume I was trying to “burn” you?

[Anonymous]

Don't major in BME:

https://www.medicaldevicesgroup.net/medical-devices/biomedical-engineering/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can go to law school and become a patent attorney

This is not the lucrative route that it was 25 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can go to law school and become a patent attorney

This is not the lucrative route that it was 25 years ago.

+1. There are some patent attorneys in my unfashionable subdivision. They either save a ton or are not earning what they used to.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would guess that, especially with what is happening currently, going into any biomedical field would be an excellent career path.

Most medical fields, including this one, require at least a masters degree if not a PhD. So the research to do is: can you get a job with an undergraduate biomedical engineering degree and have the company you work for pay for your graduate degree/PhD? If so, that’s awesome and what schools do those companies who pay for the higher degrees recruit out of? If Johns Hopkins is a resounding yes but a cheaper school is...maybe...that’s your answer. Invest the money in having JHU as a credential and let her employer pay for the higher degrees.

If this field requires you to have your masters or PhD before they’ll even interview you, then the answer is to go to the one of the cheapest schools that will still get you into the graduate programs they recruit out of. And save as much of the college money as you can to pay for the graduate degree.[/quote]

Again, companies do not pay for biomedical phds. The federal government does that. It covers tuition and a living stipend. I don’t know what it is at the moment but I’d guess $25-$30k per year. Masters students do pay tuition so make sure you can get admitted to a PhD program.[/quote]
The government does not pay for phds unless you earn a competitive fellowship like the nsf grad research fellowship. A biomes grad student typically gets free tuition and a stipend FROM THE SCHOOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior interested in bio or biomedical engineering. I see a lot of posts saying “go to state school and save money for grad school”, but do most engineers go to grad school? DD really likes JHU (if she can get in), but wondering if it’s worth the money instead if state school.

If you're in MD, UMD is a great engineering school. If your kid gets in, s/he should go. My DS didn't get in. She did well as an undergrad elsewhere, and is now in a top grad engineering program. But I think she might have been working now and skipped grad school if she'd gotten into UMD. Her undergrad college didn't offer engineering.

Wasn't aware you could go to graduate engineering school without having studied engineering as an undergrad. What did your DS study in college?

Not PP. But, a physics major can easily handle engineering for grad school.

I doubt that. LOL.

My son is in year 3 of a PhD program in engineering at University of Michigan after majoring in physics at a SLAC and it has been pretty seamless.

What type of engineering? What prerequisites were required?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every engineer I know save one has gone to grad school.

+1. At least half the ones I know got masters right after bachelors.

[Anonymous]

Most of the engineers I know do a BS/MS combo degree. That gets them into the work force at 23 or 24 at a very good salary for their age.

The ones who really want the brass ring then supplement with an MBA or JD after a few years of working.

[Anonymous]

For engineers generally (without knowing anything about bioengineering): the main advantage of a prestigious undergraduate over a high quality state school is that the snooty degree makes one a competitive candidate for certain non-engineering jobs, especially in banking/finance and consulting. If your daughter is confident that she wants to work in her chosen field, this isn't as much of a consideration.

[Anonymous]

My husband got his bachelors in civil. He topped out at 110 but we live in an area of New England where wages depressed.