What is the best way to switch from Business to Engineering post-grad?

Question

I've got a BA in business and am interested and changing careers into engineering, probably civil engineering. What is the best way to go about this usually? Does anyone have the experience. I dont know if I'll have to go back and finish a bachelor's or get a few core classes and do the master's. thanks.

Answer 1

Most universities will require some basic skills as per Rice in Houston (http://ceve.rice.edu/grad.cfm?doc_id=4202):
Entering graduate students, regardless of previous degree(s), are expected to have reasonable familiarity with the following basic skills:

Principles from basic sciences, Physics, Chemistry/Biology or Mechanics.

Mathematics including ordinary differential equations and basic statistics.

Computer methods including word processing, graphics, and elementary numerical methods.

Any school you apply to will require you to have taken the math, physics and mechanics. Most likely it will be two years of undergrad work if you do not have any math and science courses. Also most schools unfortunately will not consider you for a masters if you do not have a science undergrad degree. My brother had a BS in history and a JD and wanted to get a MS in electrical engineering he ended up getting a BS in electrical and is currently working on his MS. His total time to date is 5 years and he will be graduating in December with his masters. So it can be done.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Funny; I'm going the other way. I've been an engineer for a while and am back in school for an MBA.

First let me tell you that engineering standards are much harder than business; you actually have to do a lot of calculations and advanced math. No group papers or take home tests! The labs are pretty much fun but the write ups can be tedious.

To get any kind of proper educationin engineering, you will need to take some physics, electric circuit theory, chemistry, calculus, mechanics (static & dynamic), mechanics of materials, thermodynamics and solid modeling (CATIA, UG, SolidWorks, or other CAD). For civil engineering you'll need a little machine design and courses in structures. As for me, I'm in Aerospace, but any real engineering curriculum has these basic courses. And remember, it's a sciencs degree, not an arts degree, so you will likely have a lot of courses to take.

Hopefully you like calculus; you get it every semester. Soon it changes names to things like Differential Equations, Fourier Series and Linear Algebra, but there's a lot of advanced math in your future.

Answer 3

Like one person mentioned above, I am also going the other way. I got bachelors in Mechanical Engineering, but it was the most toughest, rigorous curriculum I have faced, and it's a lot of work, all-nighters in the computer lab, etc. When I hear about business people getting it so easy, I got so jealous of them!!! But to answer your question, it's best to ask your department counselor and talk to engineering adviser. You will need to know a lot of math, physics, basic theories, and you better love loooong nights and tedious lab write ups. If I had a choice, I would switch to business right now!

Answer 4

Having done a couple of transfers between colleges and changing a major after transferring, and this when some schools still used the quarter system instead of semester, you will find some incongruities in that you will get credit for courses you didn't really take and need to take to get the content and not get credit when you already know the stuff.
Since I was already inside the college when changing major, I used the counseling service for guidance in what I was supposed to do.
I would suggest you contact the counseling service of the college you attended and the admissions office of one or more of the colleges you are hoping to attend and explain the situation in each case. In the first case you are asking who you talk to and what you have to take to get an additional minor or major on your degree - I ended up with minors in engineering, math and physics when I changed from engineering to English - supposedly supporting technical writing. In the second case you are asking what you would have to take before you could begin to qualify for the advanced engineering degree. In both cases, they will probably refer you (or your case) to someone in the engineering department to specify.
My recommendation is to go with the college you hope to get the engineering degree at because of all the little quirks that occur in transferring credits although it should be easier to get things done at your old school. One other advantage of the old school is that you presumably will begin in good standing and can apply to the new college in a couple of years when you better understand your choices and have related credits under your belt.
I agree with most of what the other earlier answers said also.

Answer 5

Contact some schools and ask. You'll probably have to send some transcripts. You will have a load of courses in math, science and core engineering to make up but it's better to realize what you want to do now instead of 5 years from now.