Industrial engineers in the house?

[Ghery]

What? They need engineers to grow cows?

Ever heard of Agricultural Engineering? Guess not.

 

[X3 Skier]

I offer two pieces of advice.

IMHO, ME's have the broadest span of topics covered in an undergraduate degree program. Materials, Controls, Dynamics, Machine Design, etc. That makes for the largest potential employment pool. In my case, it allowed me to choose from a number of opportunities in different fields of work when I graduated. A concentrated specialty can be great if you hit the right niche at the right time or you could wind up at McDonalds with the Arts History majors.

Secondly, I can't recommend strongly enough picking a school that offers a Co-Op program. You get real hands on experience and make a good wage. Myself, I graduated as a ME and a journeyman machinist. My Alma Mater, Cincinnati started the Co-Op program back in 1906 (shameless plug) but a number of schools offer it currently.

Cheers

 

[ScottM]

At UW you have to first have a mechanical or civil engineering degree before you can get an industrial engineering degree.

I think you are mistaken.

That is not what UW's web page states:

http://depts.washington.edu/ie/prospective/ugrad/prereq

You enter your IE undergrad curriculum without any other college degrees. That is same way where I did my BS and where I did my MS, that is to say no prerequisite degree for a BS in IE.

Typically for any undergraduate engineering degree the first two years are pretty much the same. Lots of math and science.

 

[cirrusmx]

I would recommend getting an actual engineering degree(mech, electrical, chem, aerospace). Work in industry doing and understanding the actual job. Afterwards, get an engineering management master or quant intensive mba. Only then, you will be well versed in the optimization and operation of a a production line, engineering team, etc. You need to be among the working ranks before being a manager or trying to change methods. .02

 

[Seanaldinho]

Typically for any undergraduate engineering degree the first two years are pretty much the same. Lots of math and science.

As a freshman college student in Mechanical I can attest to this.

Math: College Algebra, Pre-Calc, Trig, Calc 1, Calc 2, Calc 3, and Diffy Q

Science: Chem 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Biology

 

[Henning]

I should add about my industry.... It's a perfect place to practice "buy low, sell high" economics. Not many places out there where a common COGS is 0.45 with 4 to 4.5 turns per year, and a recession is welcomed.

Yep, I love junkyards. Not only all the above, but you get the occasional treasure that comes through that cause inspiration. Nothing like taking a bunch of tossed away stuff and building something totally cool and useable out of it. It's ecologically friendly as well as economically too.

 

[Ken Ibold]

These topics seem interesting in process as well as have ramifications for the near future of manufacturing in US.

I wish it was that easy. It turns out it needs to be an argumentative topic. Some examples she gave us were:

Preserving endangered species -- increasing public interest and influence
Whether the internet is impacting academics negatively
Long-term affect of genetic engineering on crops
Prescription vs natural medicine
Violence in the media
Consumerism on the environment
Flaws in and fixes for the healthcare system

These are what "previous students" did. I'm considering doing something like "does the media's presentation effect bias?" How I can relate that to engineering I have yet to see. But considering how in one of the writing presentations we had to attend had a panel where someone discussed western influences on zombies (cowboys and zombies), I might not have to worry about relating it to my major.

-Steven

 

[X3 Skier]

I wish it was that easy. It turns out it needs to be an argumentative topic.

-Steven

How about "The insular nature of Liberal Arts Faculty and the resulting negative effects on education."

Cheers

 

[alaskaflyer]

How about "The insular nature of Liberal Arts Faculty and the resulting negative effects on education."

Cheers

Meh. If you want insular thinking consult an engineer or other scientific disciplinarian.

What Steven described as "argumentative" topic examples others might call a debate, which trains students to consider other viewpoints than their own. Something most engineers are not fond of doing - in a work environment at least.

My home is bordered by the Michigan Tech campus and in the off season I walk to work every day using campus paths and sidewalks. Gives me plenty of opportunities to consider whether this trait is natured or nurtured in engineers

 

[X3 Skier]

What Steven described as "argumentative" topic examples others might call a debate, which trains students to consider other viewpoints than their own. Something most engineers are not fond of doing - in a work environment at least.

I've had some like that who worked for me. They "resigned to pursue other interests". The others who were the very large majority, prospered when given the latitude to solve the design or other problem the most effective AND efficient practical way. Takes some guts to be mostly hands off, but since we kept the end requirement in focus and not get excited about the sometimes messy process, it was the best way to get the jobs done.

Cheers

 

[Ken Ibold]

I've ended up doing my paper comparing nuclear energy to fossil fuels, with the focus on benefits. I figure if I'm going to do something like a debate, might as well do it on a topic that I already know something about and I actually have some interest in

-Steven

 

[denverpilot]

I think "Does modern media manufacture crises to report on, and ignore real risks killing millions a year?", would be fun.

Compare the top ten things that kill Americans on the CDC website vs the rhetoric about how everyone is dying in the streets from gunfire theme in the media right now, for example.

The number one murder weapon in the U.S. is the double cheeseburger and it's self-administered, even. Firearms are way, way, WAY down the list.

You're three times more likely to die from falling down your own stairs at home than be killed by a firearm, and the firearm number includes all deaths, including accidental.

The FBI website shows that violent crime is down 50% in my lifetime with a significant population growth also throughout that timeframe. You don't hear that one on the idiot box with the talking heads.