I am enrolled at Colgate University which is a liberal arts college. I plan to do a BA in neuroscience and foresee the possibility to go to grad school for Neural Engineering(usually a subfield in biomedical engineering).
I want to avoid doing a 3-2 program with another college as it seems like a waste of time.
I understand there could be prerequisites to fulfill…
If you are wanting to pursue an M. Eng, you are going to need to figure out how to fulfill all the engineering specific pre-reqs…and they differer school to school. Start by seeing what classes are being offered at Colgate and talking to one of the 3-2 engineering advisors. IMO, you’ve chosen a more difficult path if you know for certain you don’t want to do the 3/2 and want that M. Eng degree instead of an MS. Good luck!
Thank you for the help!
I am an incoming freshman so I should have time to transfer/plan adequately.
@inanebabbler - Top BME programs to admit non-engineers into their MEng programs. Georgia Tech/Emory’s joint program is one of the top programs in the country. http://bme.gatech.edu/bme/grad-bioid-program
They do admit non-engineers: http://mbid.bme.gatech.edu/admissions
They do offer neuro-engineering: https://www.bme.gatech.edu/bme/areas/neuroengineering
UDSD (another top-five program) has an FAQ: I have a Biology degree and have not taken engineering courses, can I still apply? You are welcome to apply, however those with engineering backgrounds would be considered more competitive. To be eligible for the review process you would need to have proficiency in mathematics including two years of college mathematics (i.e., advanced calculus and differential equations), and one year each of physics, mechanics, chemistry, and biology.
@inanebabbler - You can definitely prepare yourself without a 3+2 program (more like a 2+3 usually in engineering) by going heavy on the physical science and mathematics. You won’t have the engineering specific courses but you should be able to handle most of the course work with some remedial engineering.
@xraymancs The thing that bothers me about 3+2 is that it takes 5 years to get the degree.
Withmasterss it becomes seven years.
My college only has columbia and WUSTL as worthwhile places to do this. I don’t know if they will be able give me much aid as an international.
I’m not suggesting that a 3+2 is a good idea. Here at Illinois Tech we have these kinds of agreements with local liberal arts colleges. My general recommendation is that if you want to study engineering, then study engineering from the very beginning. As an alternative, starting in physics can get you part way to engineering but you will be lacking the more specialized courses. That is why I gave my specific advice that if you are committed to your current university for whatever reason, start with the most rigorous math and science curriculum you have available and then get a Masters to transition to engineering.
Curious as to why you chose a college without a traditional 4 year engineering program if biomedical engineering was your end game?
@momofsenior1 yeah, that’s my fault. I didn’t know I wanted to do biomedical engineering till now. I am a confused kid.
Even now it’s a potential option if my plan to get a PhD fails…
To apply for grad school for engineering you have to major in physics in my college and I will try that out I guess.
@xraymancs Yeah, that’s an option. I will major in neuroscience and try to look into an applied maths or physics double major. Double majors in colgate aren’t necessarily more difficult since you have to take 4 courses(5 with permission) every semester no matter what you’re major(s) is/are.
If I can’t do that engineering isn’t for me anyways. I was sort of confused and liked the feel of LACs and engineering wasn’t even on my mind during application season haha.
I would want a proper education into the quantitative side even if I can’t do engineering I guess.
[quote]
The thing that bothers me about 3+2 is that it takes 5 years to get the degree.
Withmasterss it becomes seven years.[/qote]
That’s the path you picked when choosing the LAC. LACs have their advantages and disadvantages. They can’t offer every major and do it well, so they have limited options with paths to move on with your education.
We looked at a few for my daughter and one school had only 5 professors in the physics dept and another 5 in math. Wasn’t the school for her. Another LAC which was larger offered only general engineering. She decided on a STEM school that was 3,500 students but had what she wanted and was very light (IMO) on humanities, languages, fine arts. If you want everything and then some, you have to go to a large university.
At some very good universities that encourage interdisciplinary research, you can end up doing ‘bioengineering’ for your PhD research even though you’re in for example the neuroscience program. As long as the professor is a faculty member in the department you’re enrolled in, you can have them act as your research advisor. In some schools, you can even go outside your department as long as you have an in-department ‘sponsor.’ So if there’s a professor who’s doing research you’re interested in, and they’re for example a professor of biomedical engineering & of systems biology, then you can still do the same research through the systems biology PhD program.
Take a close look through the grad schools you’re interested in and look through the criteria for choosing advisors, and also click through professors’ websites to see the departments they’re affiliated with and what departments their students are in. For example, one of my former advisors supervised PhD students in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials engineering; plus some mechanical engineering through sponsorship from a colleague in that department.
Once you have a PhD, employers will generally evaluate you based on your skillset as determined by the content of your PhD research. You’ll see job postings looking for some specific skill (such as experience engineering yeast strains) and under ‘education,’ they’re looking for ‘PhD in bioengineering, microbiology, chemical engineering, or related field.’ In academia, the same kind of thing happens. An acquaintance just accepted a professorship in civil engineering; her BS, MS and PhD were all in chemistry.
@geraniol Oh! That’s good to know. Glad to see there can be options to pursue engineering that ways too. Thank you for the info
@twoinanddone Yes. That’s why I am apprehensive of the 3+2 program. Not to mention the limited financial aid in the second school (especially because I am an international).