Philosophy major wants to be an engineer

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of transitioning from a philosophy undergraduate degree to a Master of Engineering (M.Eng) program. Participants explore the prerequisites, potential challenges, and the value of a philosophy background in engineering contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the necessity of a science major for M.Eng program admission and seeks information on required undergraduate courses.
  • Another participant suggests checking specific school websites for admission prerequisites and notes that provisional admission may be possible for non-engineering degrees, contingent on completing deficiency requirements.
  • A participant mentions that while an engineering degree is generally important for M.Eng programs, some Master of Science (M.S.) programs in Electrical Engineering (EE) may be more accepting of non-engineering undergraduates.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the possibility of transitioning from a B.A. in philosophy to an M.Eng program.
  • Another participant argues that analytical skills in philosophy can be beneficial for engineering and suggests that a philosophy degree may enhance an engineer's employability.
  • A specific program at Boston University is mentioned as an option for liberal arts graduates seeking a Master's in engineering.
  • There is a question raised about the value of a philosophy minor in relation to engineering.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of transitioning from philosophy to engineering, with some suggesting it is challenging while others highlight the potential advantages of a philosophy background. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific prerequisites and pathways available.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of specific math and engineering courses as prerequisites for M.Eng programs, but there is no consensus on the exact requirements or the ease of transition from philosophy to engineering.

Garfeeld
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I'm almost done with my major, but I don't have enough time to pick up another. I have about 5 semesters left. Do I need to be a science major in order to be admitted into a M.Eng program? If not, is there a general list of undergraduate courses that needs to be completed? Maybe someone can give me a link. Thanks.
 
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Go to the websites of schools you might want to attend and they'll say what the prerequisites for admission are. As far as I know for the schools I know of, if your degree isn't in the engineering field you want a master's degree in, you can still be admitted provisionally but you'll need to completely deficiency requirements before you can start the actual graduate program.
 
What I've seen is that for M.eng. a degree in engineering seems to be pretty important. I've been looking at M.S. EE programs which seem to be much more accepting of non engineering undergrads.

That said, coming from philosophy is a pretty big jump. I could not imagine applying for an M.S. in engineering without having taking linear algebra, ODE's, PDE's, upper level mechanics or statics/dynamics and electromagnetism. So if you are serious you probably would want to take action immediately.
 
B.A. philosophy -> M.Eng is impossible in my not so expert opinion.

Do you think I could get into a graduate philosophy program with an undergraduate engineering degree?
 
General_Sax said:
Do you think I could get into a graduate philosophy program with an undergraduate engineering degree?

Yes. Engineering and philosophy require surprisingly similar analytical skills. Philosophy is also a very broad field that can be as math intensive as theoretical physics.

Going from philosophy to engineering can be much more difficult, depending on the courses you've taken, due to the math prerequisites that have been mentioned.

If you can pull it off, employers love having engineers who can argue convincingly and write effectively. Having a philosophy degree can be a huge asset for an engineer - at least that's been my experience as a double major in philosophy and engineering.

I agree with the recommendation of looking at prerequisites for different programs on their websites. Some programs are a lot more open and would value some academic diversity. You'll probably also find that certain types of engineering require fewer prerequisites than others.
 
Boston University has a program for people with degrees in liberal arts who want a Masters in engineering. The link is below:

http://www.bu.edu/eng/leap/
 
kote said:
If you can pull it off, employers love having engineers who can argue convincingly and write effectively. Having a philosophy degree can be a huge asset for an engineer - at least that's been my experience as a double major in philosophy and engineering.

Interesting. Do you think a philosophy minor would be worthwhile?
 

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