Quick engineering question

[Melissa B]

I'm not an engineering type person and do not want to mislead my child.

 

Is a bachelor's degree in Mechanics Engineering with a concentration in Materials fairly similar to a degree in Materials Science and Engineering? The course lists look similar to me, but again - not familiar with engineering or really any STEM field.

[Mama Geek]

Don't know about the differences but a degree in mechanical engineering will make finding a job easier than a materials science and engineering degree.

[Arcadia]

Is it for U of Florida? I'll pick BSc Mechanical Engineering over BSc in MSE. The MSE course seems not as broad based. Is she looking at Combined B.S./M.S. (4/1) in MSE?

 

MSE

http://www.mse.ufl.edu/students/prospective-students-2/undergraduate/combined-bsms/

 

ME in pdf

http://www.mae.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/PDF/ME-Curriculum.pdf

[Melissa B]

Is it for U of Florida? I'll pick BSc Mechanical Engineering over BSc in MSE. The MSE course seems not as broad based. Is she looking at Combined B.S./M.S. (4/1) in MSE?

 

MSE

http://www.mse.ufl.edu/students/prospective-students-2/undergraduate/combined-bsms/

 

ME in pdf

http://www.mae.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/PDF/ME-Curriculum.pdf

 

 

We were comparing the Materials Science degree at UF to Mechanical Engineering, some with Materials concentrations, at a few other universities. Dd (not my eldest, already at UF) is interested in Materials Science, but that does not seem to be a common degree and isn't offered at any of the colleges at the top of her list. Most do offer Mechanical Engineering which seems similar to me. As a career, she specifically wants to work in a lab situation doing materials research. She has had some basic experience in this area already. She is young to be making these types of decisions, but plans to continue her competitive (NCAA) sport in college and can soon officially begin unofficial college visits. :) I want to narrow her recruitment options to colleges that would also be a strong academic fit. If Mechanical Engineering is fairly similar, it looks like she could go with any college that has a strong STEM program. Nearly all of them seem to offer some sort of Mechanical Engineering degree. And yes, she would prefer a college that offers combined BS/MS degrees as she can compete in college for at least four years (barring injury) and won't need that long to earn a B.S. degree.

[Arcadia]

Is it for your 13 year old? :)

 

If she specifically wants to work in a lab situation doing materials research, then it would not matter as much if it is a Material Science or Mechanical Engineering degree.

 

I look at Dept of Energy Berkeley Lab Materials Sciences Division investigators page. The researchers have varied bachelors and postgrad degrees in chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanical engineering. http://www2.lbl.gov/msd/people/investigators.html

 

Is she aware of GLAM (Girls Learning About Materials) camp in UIUC? http://www.grad.illinois.edu/news/girls-learn-about-materials-science-2016-glam-games-camp

"Two of the many role models the participants were exposed to all week long were GLAM's co-coordinators: MatSE Ph.D. student Kaitlin Tyler, whose research involves working on manipulating eutectic material microstructures for optical applications, and MatSE Assistant Professor Jessica Krogstad, whose research focuses on material performance in extreme environments (like gas turbine engines and nuclear reactors). While 2016 was Krogstad’s first year as GLAM coordinator, she's not new to GAMES; she served as a GAMES counselor as an Illinois undergrad when she got her BS degree in MatSE in 2007."

[Lanny]

Don't know about the differences but a degree in mechanical engineering will make finding a job easier than a materials science and engineering degree.

 

This.  +1

[Nan in Mass]

In a somewhat similar situation, my ME husband (with input from other engineers) pushed our youngest towards a ME degree. He felt it would provide more flexibility and a better basic engineering grounding. He said to specialize later.

 

Don't let anyone discourage you from planning ahead. Both a passion for sports and an engineering personality both work best with advance planning. Just make lots of exit points in the early part of your plan in case of injury or a shift in interests.

 

Nan

[Gwen in VA]

Many Mat Sci graduate programs accept students with a wide variety of undergraduate majors.

 

My dd just earned a Ph.D. in Mat Sci from the #2 Mat Sci graduate program with undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Art History from a LAC. BTW, there was only one other student out of 26 her year that had a degree from a LAC, so that is definitely a riskier route. (My dd started her college career as a history major -- she fell in love with engineering late in her college career!) 

 

Many of her fellow grad students had undergrad majors in physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering as well as Mat Sci.

 

Most of the Ph.D. students at her school attended MIT, Cal Tech, or U of Illinois as undergrads, but there was a student who attended St. Mary's in Maryland, so obviously a degree from one of those schools wasn't even close to a requirement!

 

I have an SM and an SB in Mat Sci from a tippy-top program, and many students in my grad program had majored in Mech E as undergrads. Other popular undergrad majors for Mat Sci grad students were chemistry and chemical engineering. (I never met a grad student with a physics undergrad major -- that seems to be a new thing.)

Edited December 7, 2016 by Gwen in VA

[Sunshine State Sue]

... plans to continue her competitive (NCAA) sport in college and can soon officially begin unofficial college visits. :) I want to narrow her recruitment options to colleges that would also be a strong academic fit.

Can't contribute to the original question, but I'll put in my vote for Colorado School of Mines for a strong combination of STEM and athletics.  :thumbup1:

 

Edited December 8, 2016 by Sue in St Pete

[skimomma]

I have degrees in both and I teach at a STEM university.  While the very basic building blocks are going to be the same in the two programs, the coursework in the 3rd and 4th year are going to be quite different, even with a materials concentration.  Both have very high and varied employment prospects so I would not limit based on that.  In fact, if anything, MSE might be in higher demand, if that is even possible. If she is indeed interested in research of materials, an MSE degree will be a better fit.  Those programs also tend to be a great deal smaller than ME programs which on one hand limit the choice of schools but on the other hand often means more undergraduate research opportunities and smaller classes, which I think is invaluable.  It is also true that most MSE graduate programs take students from other BS programs.  ME to MSE is very common.  Not so much the other way, but certainly not unheard of.  

[Melissa B]

Thanks for the help. We are making a list of colleges with either an ME or MSE degree that also offer graduate level classes. And dd is looking into GLAM camp!