getting second bachelor's degree? 2

[mechmama]

I'm curious if anyone on the forum has two bachelor's degrees in engineering?

If yes, anyone get a second degree many years after the first? What was your reason?

I'm toying with the idea of taking some EE classes via a distance program, although I don't know if I'd go for the full degree.

For me, the reason is because it's starting to look like having me manage & develop my spouse's growning electrical service business might be more financially lucrative than staying on my mechanical engineering career path. I don't NEED an EE degree to manage electricians, but as a typical engineer I just need to know things about what I do. I could see growing the business in a direction where we might want an EE on staff someday, and I'd like to be able to talk the talk.

This is all in the pipe dream stage for me right now, but I'd love to hear if anyone else has made a discipline switch.

Thanks!

 

[NCCaryME]

I haven't made the change you're thinking about, but I have a couple of thoughts...

Unless you intend to use your EE degree to help market the company, you probably don't need it. I'm guessing that getting a full degree is going to be more expensive and time consuming than taking classes on your own for the knowledge you need.

Are you a PE? If so, taking the EE classes could also qualify for your continuing education credits in addition to moving you down the new career path.

 

[MechEng2005]

I have only a single (mechanical) engineering degree. However, I also have toyed with the idea of taking electrical classes. My reason is that my career progression would include becoming a project manager, and it's hard to oversee the electical side if you don't understand it.

I'd say if you are really willing to put in the work and have the dedication/time/money to learn, go for it. I think even if you don't move into you wife's business, any employer would certainly value a "double-threat" in mechanical and electrical.

-- MechEng2005

 

[KENAT]

Would it be easier/possible to get an electromechanical degree? Perhaps you'd have to do less to get the degree?

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[AMN4]

I seriously considered going back for a second engineering degree. My degree is in ChemE, but a degree in CivE would be more in line with what I do nowadays.

After checking with a local college, for me another degree wasn't worth the cost or trouble. Tuition has skyrocketed, and many of the courses in the program were not even related to my work and wouldn't have been very useful. Most classes were held during the day, which meant taking off time from work. It would also take away more time from being with family, which was unacceptable. So I learned CivE on the job by jumping right in, getting dirty with field work, reading journals, manuals, books, attending seminars, taking an occasional college course, etc.

On the other hand, I don't want to discourage you from pursuing your dream! What does your spouse say about it? Maybe an MBA would be more appropriate if management is in your future?

 

[HgTX]

My first bachelor's degree was in linguistics (but I'd started out in an engineering program). When I decided to go back to engineering school, I considered going straight for a master's degree, but for reasons that I've discussed at length in other threads, I did the bachelor's first.

Hg

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[cvg]

it seems to me that taking EE classes or getting a EE degree to manage an installation business / electricians is a bit of overkill. Being an engineer isn't even required. Wouldn't it be better to understand the work they are doing which (I assume) is installation and wiring and knowing the NEC inside and out? In addition, you should probably get some general business education (accounting, finance, economics, marketing etc.) as most engineers I know don't have a clue about the business side of things. For this, you could take some classes at a community college / trade school.

 

[IAAWVU05]

I hold a BS in engineering/physics. I remember going to a career fair focusing on engineering jobs. Since the program wasn't ABET accredited, I might as well been holding a sack of crap in my hands (some employers even called it a "fake engineering degree", which angered me). I just went for my MSME. There's no point in re-earning a BS once you have the basic courses (3 semesters calc, 2 semesters physics, 2 semesters chemistry, 2 semesters differential equations). Half of your BS will be dedicated to that anyways. I am not trying to discourage you, but just give you an idea that your current degree is worth much more than you think. If you live near a college town, ask if you could sit in on the lectures. If not, look up an EE department from your alma matter or other university. Some professors post an online cyllabus. Get a few books on the courses you're interested in and read through them. If you had the basic courses mentioned above, you can teach yourself to a certain degree (enough to pass for competence in the subject material) and post any problems you have on the engineering forums.

Hope this helps.

IAA

 

[HgTX]

Depending on the program, you shouldn't have to repeat all the calculus, etc. for a second BS.

Hg

P.S.

you can teach yourself to a certain degree (enough to pass for competence in the subject material) and post any problems you have on the engineering forums

Please tell me you were kidding.





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[IAAWVU05]

Not really kidding. You just have to put a lot of effort into learning. From my limited experiences in college/grad school, if you follow the math and science, the concepts will come.

I picked up just about every upper level mechanical engineering course that I had to take as prerequisites to earn my MSME. If I didn't understand something, I would dig a little deeper. In fact, after I had graduated with engineering/physics, I picked up books for 200-400 level classes for mechanical engineering and read through most of them without any problems, also, schaum's outlines to those topics helped tremendously for me. A lot of people get frustrated at the textbooks as if they are too confusing. If they are, just get the 200 level textbook. Anyone with an understanding of the fundamentals (i.e. math & science) should read through them and follow through the formulas and equations (I never said it would be easy or fun, but if you do this, you are learning)

As far as discussing problems and concepts, there are other engineering forums that encourage working out problems.

 

[HgTX]

This forum is NOT for people who are trying to make up for being dangerously undereducated.

Hg

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[IAAWVU05]

Hg-

This forum IS for career advice. That's all my posts are. Advice. get over it. Studying my rear end off in college and grad school and spending hours pouring though 200 level textbooks to understand the 400+ level text books is how I did it, and I have 2 degrees to prove I did it. Dangerously undereducated... not likely. Dangerous... hardly. Undereducated, not with this much effort.

Back to the ORIGINAL post.

Since EE is a totally different ballgame, it will be very difficult to make the transition. I wouldn't go for the degree. I would go to a local university or your alma matter and talk with profs, asking them what the key courses are. Just like statics and mechanics of materials were key components in machine design, they might have key components in EE, depending on which area you want to go into. Check those out, and take the classes as continuing education for your PE credit, as naygoo suggested.

star for naygoo

 

[HgTX]

I didn't say YOU were dangerously undereducated. But you're telling someone else that it's okay to learn just barely enough technical material to "pass for competence" and then try to get the rest through an online discussion forum. That is NOT okay.

Hg

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[vc66]

I think for the OP's stated purpose, going for a second BS is a little overboard, and doing as IAAWVU05 is my advice. Read through what you need to know, and know it well. However, if you're planning on doing EE work (design, specifically), then I agree with HgTX, you definitely need to go back to get your second degree.

Good luck in your decision, either way!

V

Mechanical Engineer
"When I am working on a problem, I do not think of beauty, but when I've finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."

- R. Buckminster Fuller

 

[IAAWVU05]

Hg
I think we have a communication problem on the issue of competence. Passing the fundamentals of engineering exam demonstrates and earning the EIT is the MINIMUM level of competence in which to begin to study the practice engineering. Passing the principles and practices of engineering and earning licensure is the MINIMUM level of competence for which to practice engineering in any given state. I was talking about THAT level of minimum competence. To "pass for competence" means a lot more that what you think I am saying (note that I NEVER said BARELY). For example, I cannot claim competence in engineering yet, though I have 2 degrees in it. I can only claim competence in studying and gaining experience to be eligible to for minimum competence. I hope this clears things up.

Respectfully

IAA

 

[Ashereng]

Two bachelor degrees is very rare. Two engineering bachelor degrees is even rarer.

I do not know of anyone with two engineering bachelor degrees. Masters, Ph Ds, yes.

If you are going to run a business, maybe a small business course at your local college? If the buisiness is larger, maybe a management/accounting/MBA type of courses?

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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[Senselessticker]

An EE degree to manage a group of electricians is major overkill. In fact, only a fractional percentage (way less than 1%) of what you will learn in an EE program will be useful in the electrical contracting world.

I would recommend simply learning the info required to get an electrical contractors license for your state, learn your local codes, and spend a good deal of time out in the field with licensed and experienced journeymen electricians. There's really very little theorical knowledge required in basic electrical service installation (assuming commercial/residental low/medium voltage).

 

[Sid7]

A degree for electrical service business? I do echo above its a overkill.

And jokes apart. Even the plumber/fitter who fixed my bathroom is called a plumbing engineer and the electrical heater technician a heating engineer in UK.

And the degree course wont teach you all the specifics of the service you will be doing. On the job training would do much more good plus some trade course?

cheers and good luck for you venture.

Siddharth
These are my personal views/opinions and not of my employer's.

 

[mechmama]

I don't remember asking if anyone thought it was overkill to have an EE degree to run an electrical contracting business, more just curious if others had done a second BS degree. I'm well aware of that fact that it's not necessary. My original post said, "I don't NEED an EE degree to manage electricians." My spouse is doing it now with a high school degree. You don't even need an electrical contractor's license or a master electrician certification in my city, unless you pull permits. You can do most residential service work without pulling permits.

However, from what I know about large electrical contractors, they do have at least one EE on staff. My point was if I wanted to have certain business goals, it might not hurt to have a little electrical background. Have you ever had a manager or company president who wasn't an engineer, or was in a different discipline? It's frustrating if the person running the business doesn't know much about the company's core compentencies. I'm not really worried about knowing enough to schedule a couple electricians to wire up a basement, but if I'm looking forward as we grow the business & to having a crew wire up a total commercial complex, I'd like to know what I was looking at when I read the schematics. Yeah, I could get something out of an electrician course too if I wanted, I'm just weighing some options. I'm thinking I probaby would not go for the degree even if I did take a few undergrad electrical classes. I don't need the paper for anything.

Also, FYI, I already have an MBA and PE, so taking business courses is not necessary & coursework could count towards continuing education credits.

 

[msquared48]

I have a batchelors in Civil, and an MBA. They work well together in managing an engineering business.

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering