Hi there,
I read with interest your post regarding Boston University's LEAP program. I actually have spent a considerable amount of time looking into this program over the last year. Since my move up to the Boston area last summer I’ve given serious consideration to a career move into the engineering sector and was looking extensively for an entry point without doing another bachelor’s—so LEAP naturally appealed to me. I applied to the program this spring, was accepted, and will be officially starting in two months. And so having done a fair amount of research on the program, I’m happy to share my perspective. I approach this task also as one who has spent eight of the last nine years in an academic setting (I have previous master’s degrees in humanities-related fields and comparative education), and so feel somewhat qualified to speak about the characteristics of graduate student life. Finally, I might add that part of the irony of this new journey for me is that I’m returning to a path that I started on years ago; once upon a time I was a pre-engineering major in college, but later switched my major to the humanities.
With these points said, I’ll start by giving an overview of LEAP, most of which you are probably already aware of, but that may help orient other readers in the forum to the specifics of the program . . .
Boston University’s LEAP (Late Entry Accelerated Program) is a one-of-a-kind program that enables applicants with a non-engineering Bachelor’s degree to matriculate into and complete a Master of Science degree in a specific engineering discipline of their choice within 2-4 years, depending on full or part-time status. The program originated in 1980 through a National Science Foundation grant initiative to encourage more women to participate in engineering and research related careers. Since its inception LEAP has continued to expand and currently attracts attention as an innovative approach to graduate engineering education—enhanced by BU's strong reputation in various engineering disciplines. There are a number of requirements for acceptance into the program: applicants must already have a bachelor’s degree in a non-engineering field, must have taken at least one college-level calculus course with a grade of ‘B’ or better, and must also have taken the GRE.
The financial aid package for the program is excellent. If they qualify, based on income and financial information reported on the government FAFSA, LEAP students can receive a scholarship that covers 75% of tuition throughout the duration of the program, whether studying part-time or full-time. At the present rate of $1142 per credit hour, the cost of education at BU is certainly not cheap. An outstanding feature of LEAP, however, is that every effort is made to ensure that qualified students can finance their engineering education without having to work full-time. The condition for receiving the scholarship is that full-time students must be eligible to take $8500 per academic year in the form of a subsidized Stafford loan or, for those who choose to study part-time, $4250 per year. But the trade-off of taking loans is well worth it if considering the educational benefit and financial assistance that is available in return.
There are two phases to the LEAP curriculum. Phase I encompasses 10-12 undergraduate level courses that bring students up to speed in the science, computer, math, and engineering related knowledge-bases required to enter a graduate engineering program. The Phase I courses are determined, with the help of an adviser, by the type of engineering curriculum that the student ultimately wishes to pursue. The options available at BU are computer, manufacturing, electrical, mechanical, and biomedical engineering, as well as photonics. Upon completion of Phase I a LEAP student will then proceed to enter Phase II, which is the regular 32-credit M.S. curriculum that is open to all qualified students who apply to the Boston University College of Engineering. At this juncture LEAP students will enter formally into a specific engineering concentration which they elected in the Phase I course of study, and so will be prepared to work at the same level or higher as other non-LEAP students studying in the College of Engineering. Upon completion of the two distinct phases of the LEAP program graduates are awarded an M.S. in the engineering discipline of their choice.
Now on to your specific queries . . . . I totally understand your conundrum of wanting to progress into the science/engineering sector without returning to school for another bachelor’s degree—especially since you already have a master’s degree. And I think this speaks to the very appeal of LEAP. In my estimation the program provides students with backgrounds in music, humanities, business, or education an efficient, innovative, and competitive means to position themselves for entrance into a well-paying engineering career—without reinventing the wheel. Furthermore, I believe the program’s major strengths is its commitment to the idea that the strengths and variety of experiences, skill sets, and educational backgrounds that various candidates bring to the program all serve to enhance their capital as future research engineers working in an expansive and globally diverse network of affiliations. A good number of students from the LEAP program continue into Ph.D. programs in engineering following their graduation from the M.S. degree. It is worth mentioning as well that LEAP students are eligible during their studies to participate in co-op programs with competitive engineering firms and companies in the Boston area in order to gain invaluable on-the-job experience.
As someone with a background in higher education, I think I can fairly well assess that the LEAP program represents one of the most progressive and innovative approaches to graduate engineering education available today in North America. It’s probably safe to say as well that this program has for years represented a very forward looking approach to helping non-traditional students meet their educational and professional goals in the engineering field. To my knowledge, there is no other program quite like it!--which I think is somewhat surprising, especially in this day and age when there are (at least, in the U.S.) such a large number of online/distance learning options geared to a mostly older demographic of non-traditional students who return to school to complete their degrees and/or change careers.
As far as rankings go, I’ve confirmed that the BU College of Engineering stands at 44 overall on the 2008 U.S. News & World Reports' yearly rankings of graduate engineering schools—close in rank to other reputable schools like University of Colorado Boulder, Vanderbilt, Iowa State, Yale, and Lehigh. However, the REAL pride and joy of Boston University is the Biomedical/Bioengineering Department, which is currently number 7 in the country in U.S. News & World Reports’ discipline specific rankings, and boasts one of the largest programs of its kind in the country.
Regarding specifics about LEAP, there is an information session every October and March. I attended the session last fall and it was very helpful, with talks hosted by professors and current and previous students; all the attendees received a large collection of materials and brochures about the LEAP program as well as the BU College of Engineering. The program administrator for LEAP is deeply committed to the welfare of the program and its students and will promptly and efficiently answer any of your questions.
From what I’ve gathered so far in my research and personal dealings regarding LEAP at BU, the program is excellent! In fact, I can’t wait to start this fall and am anticipating a very positive, rewarding, if not challenging, experience over the next few years. I would strongly suggest that anyone who is seriously interested in entering the engineering field as a second career, but who may feel dissuaded because of a lack of requisite undergraduate engineering background and the prohibitive costs of education, give the LEAP program at Boston University full consideration
