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Masters in Engineering: ORIE, Mechanical or Systems

JonJT

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So my last year of undergraduate study (mechanical engineering) is encroaching upon me and it is now time to consider furthering the beratement at the hands of higher education!

Studying engineering at Cornell University has been a tumultuous process and I'm approaching the end with different ideas than those I came into the program with. As far as application is concerned, I've been heavily spoiled and yet tempered by experiences with FSAE so now a desk job at some firm seems very unappealing. My experiences at the internships I've had just reinforce this sentiment. Originally I had planned to go straight to grad school for an Meng in Mechanical engineering but now engineering has become simply an an exercise in personal improvement and enlightenment instead of being a means to a monetary end like it was when I applied. There are two basic criteria I need to be met by this degree, those being:

  • To continue my education in the hard sciences
  • And to allow me to move off of the engineering career path ASAP, unless I happen to land a kick ass job where I'm a race engineer or something else......kick ass

The depth and breath of my knowledge on the details of a Mechanical Masters is the largest for obvious reasons. Honestly I'm fascinated by many topics I've studied as an undergrad and I'd love to keep studying. I feel this degree would confine me to a design job as an Meng degree is specifically designed to do just that. So I'm not positive I want to do this.

Systems caught my attention because it can be completed at a distance via online classes at some universities. Cornell offers the program to students at its Ithaca campus, its Manhattan campus (I believe) possibly in Qatar(!) and online. And also because it seems to be a good way to move into management or a job outside of the field. Admittedly I do not know much about what a systems engineer actually does so I was hoping TypeC would be able to help out here.


ORIE or Operations Research and Industrial Engineering seems like it's just a business degree from the engineering college. Anyone here have an ORIE or equivalent degree?

I've also considered slapping a minor in Engineering Management in at the Masters lever for good measure.

I'd like to stay at Cornell because I would not have to take the GREs and because I have connections with some long tenured professors in the Mechanical and System departments. Thought, I will be at least looking into applying to other programs.


Basically I'm looking for input from anyone who has or had similar goals, has 1 or more of these degrees or has any kind of useful input. Lots of decisions to be made in the next few months. I'm reminiscent of senior year of high school all over again. *sigh*

Thanks!
 

Scott N Denver

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I moved 1200 miles for my grad school. If you feel comfortable at your school and want to stay there by all means do so. My second grad schools dept chair told us "you don't get looked down for being at the same school for grad and undergrad, but you do get looked down on for doing a postdoc and your grad school."

fwiw, I went to grad school for physics. Took a bunch of EE and mat sci as well.
 

JonJT

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Well, the masters is where it stops. I do not have the patience to attempt a PhD. I consider myself a good engineer but I'm a poor student. I do design work far better than I take tests.

Anyway, I'm assuming you did a 2 year masters in physics?
 

Scott N Denver

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Hah hah hah, I think it was a 6.5 years Masters since I didnt get a PhD. I got the Masters in 3, two is typical. I extended it for a year because I transferring to another school and that needed me to wait ayear to have an open TA slot. My classmate took 4 or 4.5 years to get her master's.
 
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