<p>The reason I knew that the BA discussion involved Rice (without being told) was because, as a hiring manager, I was aware of that degree. I wouldn’t even interview BA engineering students right out of college. Why would I? There are students with BS degrees that are more qualified coming out of the same exact school, not to mention all of the other schools in the area that are ranked higher in engineering.</p>
<p>I, too, have seen people without engineering degrees, or any degree at all, end up in engineering positions after demonstrating competency and with experience. But the fact remains, that’s the exception not the rule. The extra 12-15 hours to get the BS makes it worth it, unless you are certain to not go into an engineering field (e.g. law, medicine, business). Go to Rice and ask. Pre-law (especially pre-patent law) and pre-med are basically the only reasons that degree exists. </p>
<p>Even if you could get an engineering job with a BA, unless it’s in a support position (sales, management, etc), you’d be starting off with a weaker skill set than your peers. That’s not a good starting point for a successful career.</p>