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Architectural Engineering... BS or MS?
So I have a BS that is unrelated to architecture or engineering. I work in architectural drafting and my goal is to design buildings. I have been considering getting a MArch to become an architect, or getting a MS in Architectural Engineering to become an architectural engineer. I learned from this forum and my subsequent research that in the AE case I would need to follow the Professional Engineer pathway in my state to get licensed to work as an engineer. This involves an education requirement which for my state I can either do an accredited Bachelors, or a Masters from a university that offers an accredited Bachelors of the same topic.
The two programs I'm considering are the BS in AE, or the MS in AE, both at U of CO Boulder. According to my state, either would fulfill the education requirement since the BS is accredited and the MS is from the same school and in the same topic (AE).
Since I already have a BS, if I were to do the BS in AE, I would be able to transfer some credits and complete it in less than 4 years. Or for the MS, I would have to complete a few pre-reqs, and could finish in 1-2 years.
My question is: which pathway is better? Is it smarter to get an accredited BS? Or to get a more advanced degree, the MS? Which will put me in a better position for licensing and employment? WHat factors should I consider to help me figure this out and make this decision?
Thank you!
You posted this already . . . .
This is a different question... My first question was about MArch vs AE. This question is within AE: BS or MS.
As long as the MS is an accredited degree that will satisfy licensing requirements, I don't see an advantage to the bachelor route. It will take less time to get the MS, result in an advanced degree, and for many people a masters turns out to be less expensive than a 2nd bachelor's degree, even if the annual tuition is higher for the masters, because of the way that financial aid is allocated for graduate degrees, and because some types of aid aren't available at all for a 2nd bachelors. You should talk to grads of both of those specific degree programs though, as there are some engineering departments where the undergrad programs are much more the focus of their universities' attention and funding, or where they tend to attract a better caliber student and so are more highly respected.
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