BS in Chemical Engineering, MS in EE

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the viability of pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering followed by a Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering. Participants explore the implications of such a pathway, considering career goals and educational flexibility.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the logic of switching fields from Chemical Engineering to Electrical Engineering for graduate studies, suggesting it may limit options in EE.
  • One participant proposes that a focus on electrochemistry could bridge the two fields, particularly in applications like fuel cell design.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of aligning undergraduate studies with long-term career goals, suggesting that if one intends to pursue EE, it may be more beneficial to study EE from the start.
  • There is a suggestion that a degree in Chemical Engineering offers broader options in various engineering fields, including potential pathways to medical school.
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about their own direction, advocating for a flexible approach that keeps multiple options open.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the proposed educational pathway is sensible. Multiple competing views are presented regarding the benefits and limitations of such a transition.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying assumptions about career goals and the relevance of undergraduate studies to future academic pursuits. There are also differing opinions on the necessity of aligning undergraduate education with intended graduate studies.

EngineerHead
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Does it make sense to pursue a BS in Chemical Engineering, and then go into graduate school for a MS or PhD in EE? Or does that pathway make little sense.
 
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EngineerHead said:
Does it make sense to pursue a BS in Chemical Engineering, and then go into graduate school for a MS or PhD in EE? Or does that pathway make little sense.

Well what is your goal? Why would you purposely aim to study something for 4 years then change field completely for post-graduate? You would also be very limited in the EE things you could study at post-graduate being a chemical engineer.
 
I think if you studied a lot of electro chemistry you could probably do a lot of work involving fuel cell design for autos. By the way, I am a CHBE major at Georgia Tech, which I totally recommend as a major.
 
EngineerHead said:
Or does that pathway make little sense.

Pathway to where exactly?
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Pathway to where exactly?

I believe that he is referring to the pathway to his graduate school.
 
I'll be frank with you; if you want to be an EE then do EE in your undergraduate years. Now if you want more options, and you're not sure yet, I would say chemical engineering. Chemical Engineers can go into chemical engineering, bioengineering, biomolecular engineering, electrical engineering (might want to take a couple EE courses just to get the feel), Environmental engineering, engineering management, engineering planning, yadda yadda yadda. It would also be a lot easier to fill out your premed requirements than electrical engineering.

Look, I'm a damn hypocrite for saying this, but let's say you had a billion dollars. What would you want to do on a daily basis? Would you want to play golf every day? Would you want to sit around and watch tv everyday? Would you want to be engineering or seeing your patients? Whatever it is, take the classes that push you in that direction. If you don't know yet, like myself, I'd stick with engineering (that degree will open up a lot of options after school) and take your premed requirements just in case you want to go to med school.

haha sorry for parenting, I'm still a college student XD
 

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