Colorado School of Mines vs University of Colorado

[comtns]

I'm considering getting my MS in engineering at either Mines or CU. While Mines has a great reputation for engineering, it will also cost me more to attend. Since I'll be doing a night program while working and my employer only contributes a litte toward tuition, I'd be paying for most of it out my own pocket. Does anyone have any opinions about whether I should go for the reputation of Mines or for the lower cost of CU, while still a respectable school?

 

[Mr168]

I don't think the prestige will play any part unless you're looking at some really top tier schools, especially for an MS.

 

[bf109g]

Depends on what you want to focus your studies on. As the name implies, Mines will be geared toward geological applications of engineering while CU is more diverse.

Boulder or Golden? Each has its attractions, ie Coors, The Sink & The Dark Horse Saloon. Wish I was you...

 

[cvg]

1) mines is harder to get into - I know because I ended up at Colorado State instead of mines - but is an excellent school

2) If you aren't focusing in mining, than CSU might be better

3) If you plan to focus in water resources, than CSU is way better than CU (and not just because I am an alumni). I can't comment on the other degrees, but had friends in undergrad mechanical and electrical.

4) CSU has a top notch Engineering Research Laboratory

5) I always thought that CU was a party school (although my brother in-law graduated from CU and has done ok).

note that you can go to school in Fort Collins and live near Boulder. I went to school in Fort Collins and worked part time in Boulder, just had a commute...

 

[zdas04]

For MBA's the name of the school matters a lot (e.g., a "Harvard MBA" has a lot of glitz in job interviews), for most technical Master's programs employers don't see enough of them to discriminate.

I had to make the same decision you're making in 1991 and ended up at CU Denver and never regretted it. My diploma says University of Colorado and the education at night school was excellent. The ME Department Head had a worldwide reputation and his faculty was pretty good too.

I don't know anything about either school's CE department, but I sure can't see any reason to pay School of Mimes prices for a Masters (there are fields such as Oil & Gas where an undergraduate degree from the School of Mimes really improves opportunities and starting salary, but I wouldn't bet that that would carry over to a graduate degree).

Good Luck

David

 

[sundale]

I was not terribly happy with my my MSCE program in structures at CU, Boulder. Most of the professors did not have a PE license and many professors I had there in the early 90's looked at engineering practice as a trade, like plumbing. This may or may not still be the case. I do not know anything about Mines.

I have to agree with zdaso4 that the classes I took at the CU, Denver campus (or "UCLA" : The University of Colorado between Larimer and Arapahoe") were quite good and they are at night. At CU, Denver, the professors were cogniscent that most of the students had already put in an 8 hour day in the "real world" and so would give you practical engineering stuff in lieu of higher esoteric mathematics with little real use in a design office. I would consider the Denver campus before the Boulder campus although you can attend both since they are so close (I took about 1/4 of my classes at the Denver campus)

My $0.02

 

[rday]

Well, being a Mines grad my opinion is certainly bias.

Mines is an excellent school and I have certainly observed the repsonse I get when I tell someone my degree is from there. I will whole-heartedly endorse my alma mater.

cvg makes some good points, your field will make a difference. If I were looking at mining or tunnel boring it would Mines hands down.

For your MS, while working full time; I have to agree sundale. Look at the Denver campus, it seems to be a better fit for working professionals.

In closing, I really think you get out of an education what you put in to it. I have worked with graduates from all three schools, some good and some bad.

 

[swivel63]

do many professors even have PEs? most of the ones i see, either don't put it or don't have one.

 

[rday]

Depends on the school.

It also varies with discipline, civils seem more likely to obtain licensure.

I know four of the profs I had at Mines are licensed somewhere in the US and a couple are chartered in the UK (one had both). One of the profs even had an engineering consulting business as well.