Prospective Students - Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: In choosing the engineering design elective courses in
my program of study, will I benefit my career most by trying to
specialize in one specific area or by spreading the electives
through several areas?
ANSWER: The answer to this question depends upon your
interests, future plans for employment and/or graduate study, and
the philosophy by which you choose to approach your program of
study. Basically, there is no need for you to become highly
specialized at the undergraduate level. In fact, most
professionals agree that specialization can only be obtained with
post-baccalaureate study. Many of you may go on to graduate school
and this would provide ample opportunity to focus in one area. We
believe there are advantages to making sure your background is
general in your undergraduate work. Let's look at both sides of
this issue.
First, what are the merits of following a general track at the
undergraduate level?
1. You have a chance to see more of what each area is about
before you choose to specialize.
2. Many of the projects you will see in the "real" world will
require you to communicate with numerous types of specialists, and
having a general background will facilitate this interaction.
3. If you go into general practice, you will encounter a
variety of problems, and a broad background will be of benefit.
4. Few people follow a single track focus throughout their
careers, and change to new areas is common. A broad education will
help you adopt to changing conditions.
Having made the points for a general background, let's look at
the advantages of specialization. Specialization fits well under
the following circumstances:
1. You have been able to clearly define you career goals, and
you feel that having a sharp focus for your courses is
appropriate.
2. Graduate school is not in the picture for you in either the
short or long term, and the only opportunity for you to specialize
will be at the undergraduate level.
The choice of general or specialized electives should be made
following careful consideration of all of your options, and
discussions with your advisor. Keep in mind too, that no one
advocates that you take a random hodge-podge of courses. Some
focus is desirable, and it should be based on rational choices.
QUESTION: How do I go about getting a summer job in civil
and environmental engineering and preparing a resume?
ANSWER: Announcement for summer jobs in civil engineering and
closely related fields, as well as permanent jobs, are posted on
the bulletin board outside of the Civil and Environmental
Engineering Office (105 Boardman Hall) and also on FirstClass in
the CE folder. Professor Thomas Sandford, 308 Boardman Hall (Civil
Engineering Co-op Director) may be of help. The office of Career
Planning and Placement in Chadbourne Hall may Also be helpful.
They provide materials and free workshops on such topics as "How
to Find a Summer Job", "Resume Writing", "Interviewing
Techniques", "Job Seeking Strategies", and several others. The
ASCE Student Chapter also holds a resume preparation meeting with
a speaker from the Career Center.
QUESTION: Where can I get an up-to-date transcript of all my
courses and grades?
ANSWER: Student copies of transcripts may be obtained from
either of the civil and environmental engineering's offices;
official transcripts can only be obtained from the Office of
Student Records in Wingate Hall.
QUESTION: What are the benefits to be gained by going to
graduate school? How do I apply?
ANSWER: As a general rule, people with graduate degrees tend to
move up faster in private industry and in government than those
without them. They tend to become leaders in the firms they are
associated with and generally have more challenging and
interesting careers. Further, the lifetime earnings of an engineer
with a masters' degree is far greater than those with bachelors'
degrees.
Most graduate programs require the graduate record exam (GRE)
in order to be admitted. Information on the GRE and applications
for graduate school at the University of Maine may be obtained in
103 Boardman Hall or at the graduate school. Applications for
graduate school should be submitted before January if at all
possible.
For students completing their junior year with a GPA of 3.0 or
better, the Department will offer early admission to the graduate
program. This will enable you to start taking graduate courses
during your senior year so that you can obtain both your BS and MS
at the end of five years.
Jean MacRae is the Graduate Coordinator for the Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering. If you have any questions
regarding graduate school, please feel free to contact him in 313B
Boardman Hall.
See also:
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