you would be better off doing the engineering science program though, over engineering tech anywhere
^why?
and whats the difference between the two?
Can someone actually distinguish the difference between Engineering Science and Engineering Tech? UNBIASED? I’ve really yet to get a definitive answer… it seems like all the ME people look down on the MET ones, yet I know that MET grads still do quite well for themselves.
From my understanding Engineering Science is more theory/calculation based, where Engineering Tech is more hands on and actually implementing it. Does that sound about right? To me it actually sounds like MET would be more enjoyable from an everyday job standpoint
From Wikipedia
The National Society of Professional Engineers describes the difference between engineering and engineering technology:
"The distinction between engineering and engineering technology emanates primarily from differences in their educational programs. Engineering programs are geared toward development of conceptual skills, and consist of a sequence of engineering fundamentals and design courses, built on a foundation of complex mathematics and science courses. Engineering technology programs are oriented toward application, and provide their students introductory mathematics and science courses, and only a qualitative introduction to engineering fundamentals. Thus, engineering programs provide their graduates a breadth and depth of knowledge that allows them to function as designers. Engineering technology programs prepare their graduates to apply others' designs."
You will spend your time implementing other people’s designs.
Just arguing the other side of the story, but if you have a greater understanding of the calc/theory it would be easier to do the hands on vs the other way around?
what would the tech degree teach you that the science one wouldnt? as in actual use of machinery or the like?
Not ALWAYS true… but ok…
Engineering Tech’s work for Engineers (science) FYI. Not saying they are bad, that’s just life. Both design plenty of things.
I’d vote for UB.
Think about that one year you lose in the workforce while figuring out your moneyz.
UB- For me
$2K per year on holla ship
Done in 4 years.
Total 5 year cost. (My sallary for one year minus ~10-12K if I took out loans)
Humm that is pretty much a brand new zo6
RIT:
Takes 5 years
in dept over 120K
SUCKS
I went to UB and got my Meche degree with a minor in aero while working almost full time. No loans and got a job right out of school. I actually had about 5 places to choose from. No one outside of NYS knows RIT that I talk to, way more people have heard of UB. Might be the people I talk to though, IDK.
My wife’s cousin went to RIT for engineering tech which took him 5 years. He job searched for a year and makes less then 1/2 of what I make. Smart guy too, I feel bad for him.
FYI: There really isn’t a Automotive Engineering discipline. If you want to break it down into some major ones, your talking civic, electrical, mechanical, and aerospace.
I don’t want to sell out and get an MBA because that is way too easy, but after I get my house all set up, I’m going back to school (with company paying for it at Texas A&M) for engineering project management and my MBA.
I think you might need to really look into what each school has to offer, then stop and ask yourself what you want out of life. Now give yourself a few goals on how you would be able to get into that position in life. Pick school accordingly.
(I’m 23, own a 97 C5, a 97 M3, a 08 colorado, and a 06 crown victoria, and I’m looking at buying a 06 
3K+ sq ft house on a lake with a 3.5 car garage. I hope to get my Masters degrees finished in the next 3-4 years, then move onto bigger and better things. Just focus on you goals and work your balls off to reach them.)
ME is more theory based and goes towards design and product development.
MET is more hands on and you end up doing shit for actual engineers like Josh said.
EDIT - of course this will change a bit in either direction depending on what company you work for. But that is a pretty basic rundown.
You are correct in the Calculus part. ME’s are primiarly theory and calculus based engineering; where METs are less calculus and more applied engineering.
The ME can come up with the idea for a brand new chair; and know the theory behind it, and how the spine is supported correctly, etc. The MET will take the “theory” and either tell the ME he’s nuts and it can’t be made, or take the theory and turn it into a real product.
But…
There are people out there who are life-long engineers… but most aren’t. Most move on to be “paper-pushers” as some say; and turn into more Project/Program Engineers/Managers and instead of doing the day-2-day calculations, CAD, design, trouble-shooting, and instead move more into a supervisory role in the development process.
Most people with ME or MET degrees do not use their degrees on a regular basis; they’ve moved on out of the conventional engineer role.
If you want to work in theory and develop the next state of the art engine, cylinder heads, turbine blades, etc which require a lot of state of the art theories and developing technologies then ME is the way to go, no doubt. If you’re interesting in more designing things, and working with that aspect, both degrees will work. The big difference between the two is some companies will limit a MET because they see it as a lesser degree; many others don’t though.
Also, as your career progresses, you’re the one who determines where you go with it. Personally, I don’t want to do the day-2-day design and BS work, after 6 years of it, I’m sick of it. I prefer to do more of the Project/Program Management role, and that’s what I’m moving into. In that type of role the ME Vs MET thing becomes a LOT less of an issue.
Oh, and I don’t have a Bachelors of Technology Degree… Mine is a Bachelors of Science.
I am 23, have an autobody degree Ill never use for a job (w/ 25k in loans, 2/3 is tools though). and I am making 12/hr at a shitty call center. basically starting over in life.
It sucks seeing people I graduated with and people a year behind me in HS getting bachelor degrees, real jobs, and going for masters. fuck
I go to UB for EE, im a junior and have quite a few friends for ME. I haven;t had any problems there so far and its ridiculously cheap compared to RIT not to mention the 5th year MBA is awesome becuase then you’ll have both. some classes are bigger than at other schools but i havent had a professor that wont help or wont show you were to get help. my vote is for UB all the way.
Good Luck whatever you choose
fixed
Just gotta keep slinging mud like the “professional” you are…
Didn’t know there was a college of either… :gotme:
Never heard of a college of Engineer
And hey, then at least my “Science” degree was from a “Science” college…
And it’s Applied Science and Technology… not arts dipshit.
This is what it boils down to.
We all know there are exceptions to every rule, Bill Gates didn’t have a degree when he started Microsoft, however most of us understand the difference between the exceptions and setting yourself up for the best chance of success.
Now, most METs and MEs don’t CHOSE to be one or the other, the curriculum is self-selecting. Meaning, it is harder to get in to the straight ME programs and the course work is more difficult. Many people who can not stay in the ME track fall back to the MET track.
The requirements to get in to a ME program are going to be stricter than the MET program, and many people who can’t get in to the ME degree elect to go the MET route. People in industry understand this… but we’ve all run in to the 4.0 student that couldn’t operate a screw driver. This is no more prevalent in either tract, there are plenty of morons in both. And there are plenty of people with MET degrees that I would consider “better engineers” than some people with ME degrees. To try and generalize the entire populations is a bit futile.
The differences in curriculum have been discussed. The difference in reality could be generalized as “METs work for MEs”. Which out of the box is a fairly correct statement.
METs (in general) will start slightly lower on the ladder than MEs. Typically this can mean you’ll be looking at more technician level positions, associate engineering positions, etc (regardless of title, dollar for dollar you’ll earn slightly less to start).
Engineering is all about how you solve problems and that is what the coursework teaches you, not how to do complex heat transfer problems without a book. You build a tool set that allow you to become successful. You get different tools in the tracts.
Over-generalizing in a way people could understand, looking at two people, one with an MET degree and one with an ME degree, could be likened to someone having a highschool diploma and someone having a GED, or something graduating from UB vs graduating from MCC.
All in all though, the important thing is that when you graduate you don’t know dick shit, and I’m going to have to teach you. Where you come from will dictate just how big of a job that will be. And I’m sure as shit not going to sign up for hiring some special olympics engineer that didn’t have co-op experience.
The degree, and the school help you get the first job. But like Joe said, are just pieces of the puzzle. Equally important is going to be your experience (co-op) and your ability to not come off like an engineer when you interview. Fuck up in any of these arenas and it isn’t going to matter if you went to MIT and invented the pocket pussy.
Once you’ve been out, and have had some real marketable experience, where you went to school suddenly becomes the last thing on your resume and about as important as the color tie you wear to the interview.
If you want to design jet engines and space ships you better have a masters / PhD and better plan on it being from a big time school, other than that, it doesn’t really matter.
I thought you were trying to prove you were smart. What does it say on your degree hanging on the wall? “Kate Gleason College of Engineering”? Didn’t think so :bloated:
:shrug: These don’t really apply to everyone.
At RIT your degree takes 5 calendar years but includes 5 quarters of paid co-ops. My last co-op I earned a salary equivalent to $55k/yr. I also didn’t graduate with $120k in debt, it was about a tenth of that, but obviously this is going to vary for every person. If you include your “holla ship” I should get to include mine, and it’d make the math come out the other way. From a finance stand point, you’ll need to talk to both and see what makes more sense, last I checked, we didn’t have any people that worked in the financial aide offices hanging out in this thread, I could be wrong though.
thanks for all the positive responsed guys. they have really helped.
It has been said over and over that co-ops are big time important, yet UB doesnt place much significance on them from what I have gathered. How is this addressed?
And how would someone do a full time non paid co-op and get bills paid?
Depends on where you go. RIT has Auto/Aero options for their ME programs that provide concentrations and you can get in dedicated auto programs at lots of schools. I’d recommend getting the general ME degree though to allow you the freedom to choose after.
good thing we don’t have to split paychecks, lol
I also graduated RIT with a BSME. The best thing about that school for me was the co-ops. Not because of the experience I gained, but because of the different industries and positions they exposed me to. My first 2 years at school, I still had very little idea what a mechanical engineer actually did. The co-ops kinda opened my eyes to whats out there, and with an ME degree there is a lot. At first I wanted to work in the automotive field designing cars. It didnt take long to realize thats not how it really works, but instead you will be likely be stuck in a cube in front of a computer tweaking a small component for days/weeks/months on end. After 3 co-ops at one company as a designer, I learned I did not have the patience for it…it was simply too tedious for me. That lead me to the job I have now as an applications/sales engineer. That is why I am a big fan of the co-op program.
amen. I always say that the biggest thing I got from my co-ops was leaning what I wanted in a job and how to find one. so huge, invaluable IMO
This is the #1 reason I went to RIT. I don’t know about UBs program, but many schools make it an option at the students discretion. That is what they do down here at GaTech. From what I’ve seen it makes it a bit harder to find a co-op because there isn’t as large of a network to pull from and not as many resources to help you. You can usually do the co-ops on your own time (summers or off semesters) regardless of the program. Going to RIT doesn’t guarantee you a co-op though, even though it is required it is still up to you to find one.