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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If the school matters to an employer, they are not going to hire someone from JMU or Pitt.  For most employers, engineers are assumed to be competent because engineering programs are very rigorous (failing out large percentage of students) and have to comply with professional requirements.[/quote]
JMU bills itself as a large liberal arts school. This was communicated to me and DD on a campus visit earlier this year. [b]It is primarily a bachelors level university.[/b] Nothing wrong with that. I guess you could say that the engineering department at JMU is maybe a fledgling program that provides a well rounded engineering education that is closest to traditional mechanical engineering. Throw in some sustainability courses for good measure. Pitt is a PdD granting research university with a college of engineering with multiple departments. I suppose if one is interested in mechanical engineering then it could be a valid comparison. Otherwise Pitt would be the clear choice and yes employers know Pitt.[/quote]

DP.  Just wanted to comment re: the bolded.  JMU offers plenty of graduate degrees.  
https://www.jmu.edu/grad/programs/areas-of-study.shtml[/quote]
Thank you. I didn't phrase that well at all. JMU does have a number of master's programs, but the number (and types) of programs combined with the relatively small percentage of the student body that is in graduate school, led to my poor wording. The main point is that JMU is a regional university vs. a university that is concerned with PhD level research (e.g., Pitt).[/quote]

MY DC is considering JMU and it being primarily undergrad in several STEM areas had me concerned.  We went and visited the campus and it was quite enlightening.  Because they are only undergrad in engineering the undergrads have a LOT more opportunity for and access to funded research options.  They are a general degree but if your student wants to focus on an area of study they have more flexibility and support to do so.  Because the college is not fuding graduate students most of the grants are allocated to the undergrads for capstone or even funded summer internships and research.  If you rchild is planning on graduate school, participating in, or even publishing research makdes for a very strong application.  My DC is still deciding but after speaking with current students and staff it rose dramatically in my estimation.  [/quote]

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