this is the kinda info i was despratly looking for. (senior in highschool) im planning on getting my automotive engineering degree in a community college around my way, its an associates program. Then after i would be able to get my bachelors degress in ME. Hopefully ill survive all that math....lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drchulo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">this is the kinda info i was despratly looking for. (senior in highschool) im planning on getting my automotive engineering degree in a community college around my way, its an associates program. Then after i would be able to get my bachelors degress in ME. Hopefully ill survive all that math....lol</TD></TR></TABLE>

Verify that the Automotive Engineering degree is something to do with Engineering. Many CC's use the term engineering loosely. Most of the time Automotive Engineering=wrenching and wrenching theory. Most likely what you will want to work towards is an associates degree in Engineering Science. That will be roughly 60 credits and compose most of the classes you would have taken in your first 2 years at any engineering school. These classes will be your calcs, physics, chems, and various base level engineering classes. If the community college doesn't give you a decent answer, call up your State school. Most community colleges have a decent relationship with community colleges. If they say the degree is worth a damn, go for it. Dont go to community college and waste your time. Use the time wisely. I'm going to have my associates in Engineering Science and NJIT and Rutgers Engineering both approved the course load and will accept almost every class as long as you get a C or better. Its a waste of time to take classes that wont transfer. The one thing I will say about my paticular community college experiance was that I probably didnt learn all the info I was supposed to(teachers often say, eh you dont need that. I'll see if thats the case next year) and the fact you dont apply any of the info you learn. Graduating in May I have no idea if I want to go Civil or Mech Engineering. I like both but have no idea what Id want to do for a living. You do lose somethings when you go the CC route.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by grubere &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Verify that the Automotive Engineering degree is something to do with Engineering. Many CC's use the term engineering loosely. Most of the time Automotive Engineering=wrenching and wrenching theory. Most likely what you will want to work towards is an associates degree in Engineering Science. That will be roughly 60 credits and compose most of the classes you would have taken in your first 2 years at any engineering school. These classes will be your calcs, physics, chems, and various base level engineering classes. If the community college doesn't give you a decent answer, call up your State school. Most community colleges have a decent relationship with community colleges. If they say the degree is worth a damn, go for it. Dont go to community college and waste your time. Use the time wisely. I'm going to have my associates in Engineering Science and NJIT and Rutgers Engineering both approved the course load and will accept almost every class as long as you get a C or better. Its a waste of time to take classes that wont transfer. The one thing I will say about my paticular community college experiance was that I probably didnt learn all the info I was supposed to(teachers often say, eh you dont need that. I'll see if thats the case next year) and the fact you dont apply any of the info you learn. Graduating in May I have no idea if I want to go Civil or Mech Engineering. I like both but have no idea what Id want to do for a living. You do lose somethings when you go the CC route.</TD></TR></TABLE>Well from the information i have gathered, When you take the automotive engineering program, which is a an associates program and finish it. You are able to transfer to any other suny(state university of New york; heres the website http://www.suny.edu ) college and get your bachelors in ME, Industrial technologies, automotive managment etc. But all the credits are transferable aslong as you go to a suny college, i have to find out if other colleges will except them though because i will consider going out of state.

 

if your thinking about becoming a ME and specializing in the automotive/performance field, find a school with a good SAE program and take a tour.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dfoxengr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">also you have to look at what YOUR school requires. every school doesnt have the same reqs. so dont generalize schools, only talk about yours.

you are right though, not about the 90/80% stuff, but about how sometimes another minor or major is attainable easily, and nobody just tells you that information.

a lot of the physics classes for example i could not use as tech electives. so me getting a phys minor/ major would require actual phys classtime, not dual hours.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I didn't say that mechanical engineers dont talk about patents...I was referring to undergraduate schools that do not offer masters or doctorate degrees.

What does VT hold many of their patents in? Linfield works with AP Tech to make LaB6 cathodes for the electron microscopes you use. I bet your school's scopes uses our cathodes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Full-Race Javier &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if your thinking about becoming a ME and specializing in the automotive/performance field, find a school with a good SAE program and take a tour. </TD></TR></TABLE>Can you enlighten me on what would be the benefits of going to a school that has a sae program?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drchulo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well from the information i have gathered, When you take the automotive engineering program, which is a an associates program and finish it. You are able to transfer to any other suny(state university of New york; heres the website http://www.suny.edu ) college and get your bachelors in ME, Industrial technologies, automotive managment etc. But all the credits are transferable aslong as you go to a suny college, i have to find out if other colleges will except them though because i will consider going out of state. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Try to find the course outline on the website and post it here.

This is what your program should look like: http://www.raritanval.edu/curr...e.pdf

Our Automotive program: http://www.raritanval.edu/curr...e.pdf

As you can see they are dramatically different.

You can always transfer. Thats not a big deal. The thing is transfering with the most credits possible towards your future degree. If you take a class on how brakes work or suspension theory or anything like that, most likely none of it will transfer. You need your core classes. Again, calcs, chems, physics, english, and your various engineering classes. If the program doesnt talk about calculus 1-3, physics 1-3, chem 1-2, statics, dynamics, some sort of circuits class, and various CAD classes, its not what you want. Most likely you will be stuck on the main campus in boring fundamental lab classes rather than tinkering on cars.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. Just try to find the curriculum for the program(s). Set up a meeting at the school you plan on attending. Verify your assumptions are valid. Wasting time and money just sucks.

 

I would think a BSME would start with more money. Just under 50k seems low unless thats just probation. I only hava an AAS degree in electronics/computers and I made almost 70k. I should easily make 70k this year. Maybe I should go back to school and get my BSME. I should make over 100k with that at my company. For those that are taking it is it hard? My company would pay for me to get it but I would have to get good grades.

 

ME is pretty difficult as i stated earlier.

SAE is all about cars. most schools w/ this program have minibaja and formula teams. just research what those are and youll see why theyre cool.

i am doing ind. study right now for baja, and will be doing it for my senior design as well.

 

I'm at UNC Charlotte studying Motorsports Engineering, which is based on the mechanical engineering curriculum. A minor in math is one or two more math classes here, so many people do that. And yes, ME is a TON of work, but it's worth it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drchulo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Can you enlighten me on what would be the benefits of going to a school that has a sae program?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm on the FSAE team here, which builds an open wheel formula car for the national competition. The advantage of having an SAE program is that at the competition, The Big Three are there looking at designs, talking to students, and doing recruiting. Most people in the automotive industry talk about "when I was in FSAE" and "during my time as an FSAE judge", etc. Doing the FSAE stuff is a hugantic burden on top of already hard classes, but the experience and skill it gives you, and the opportunity to meet big names at competition, makes it worthwhile.

 

Currently a BSME at UNH and in FSAE. Count on many very little sleep or sleepless nights throughout the week. Averaging about 3-4hrs a night.

 

just posting so i can read all this when i get home

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drchulo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How applicable is the material you learn in a mechnical engineering program to what you have to apply in, lets say your buisness/race team?

Interested in going into the mechnical engineering program in a college around my way.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i've noticed that running my own shop deals heavily with doing mechanic work and not so much designing.. theories, hypothesis, thinking skills from what i've learned have helped in making decisions in tuning, welding, etc.. about using proE, autoCad, etc etc.. in a race shop is really not necessary. However, if one day designing your own products come into play it wouldn't be so hard to pick up designing software since you have already touched basis with them. In addition, most CNC, Milling machine, etc. now use designing software. it's as simple as designing your part and putting it into a mill/cnc machine and waaaaLaaa comes out your cool part. studying ME touches basis with internal combustion engines in thermal dynamics which indeed helps out very much so when tuning and trying to understand engine in the real world. ME explains more theories then anything else. Helps very much even if you are a hands-on guy...gives you a better understanding of how things work!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 5STAR3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just a different perspective from the ones you have been getting. I am very mechanically inclined and can hold my own in math. I went into college as an ME and ablsolutly hated it. I switched to another division of engineering after one year in ME and soon after that transferred completely out of engineering all together.

the reason i didnt like it is because it was not hands on enough for me. Becoming and engineer is more bout learning laws and principle to figure out if something will or will not hold/work/get the job done. most of the work and engineer does is theoretical and not actually the hands on building process.

the reason i point this out is because we are obviously on an automotive forum, and you are/were a mechanic. so i am assuming that you are looking at engineering the way i did, you want to be hands on and apply it to autos. well the reality that i found out is that this most likely will not happen. can it happen? sure. but you have a better chance starting your shop/business/whatever it is you want to do.

dont get me wrong, im not knocking engineering, all i am saying is if you are looking to get into the automotive industry, ME most likely wont get you there.</TD></TR></TABLE>


many guys get into ME due to liking autos. i did and yes definitely what is said here is correct. ME is more about studying deeper into why, etc etc...and what/how can it be stopped...etc etc.. so basically what 5star mentioned!!! ME isn't about doing engineswaps, doing reg. mechanic work....

if you can implement both hands-ons(being a mechanic) and theory(being a Mechanical Engineer) together honestly i feel it's a major plus... just my opinion!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BEEYOND &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i've noticed that running my own shop deals heavily with doing mechanic work and not so much designing.. theories, hypothesis, thinking skills from what i've learned have helped in making decisions in tuning, welding, etc.. about using proE, autoCad, etc etc.. in a race shop is really not necessary. However, if one day designing your own products come into play it wouldn't be so hard to pick up designing software since you have already touched basis with them. In addition, most CNC, Milling machine, etc. now use designing software. it's as simple as designing your part and putting it into a mill/cnc machine and waaaaLaaa comes out your cool part. studying ME touches basis with internal combustion engines in thermal dynamics which indeed helps out very much so when tuning and trying to understand engine in the real world. ME explains more theories then anything else. Helps very much even if you are a hands-on guy...gives you a better understanding of how things work!!! </TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BEEYOND &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


many guys get into ME due to liking autos. i did and yes definitely what is said here is correct. ME is more about studying deeper into why, etc etc...and what/how can it be stopped...etc etc.. so basically what 5star mentioned!!! ME isn't about doing engineswaps, doing reg. mechanic work....

if you can implement both hands-ons(being a mechanic) and theory(being a Mechanical Engineer) together honestly i feel it's a major plus... just my opinion!!!
</TD></TR></TABLE> thanks for your posts. that was the information i was really looking for...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BEEYOND &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">many guys get into ME due to liking autos. i did and yes definitely what is said here is correct. ME is more about studying deeper into why, etc etc...and what/how can it be stopped...etc etc.. so basically what 5star mentioned!!! ME isn't about doing engineswaps, doing reg. mechanic work....

if you can implement both hands-ons(being a mechanic) and theory(being a Mechanical Engineer) together honestly i feel it's a major plus... just my opinion!!!
</TD></TR></TABLE>

ok so i liek working on cars obviosily, i am just tired of working in the summer,. i go home everyday around 11AM-1PM. there is no work, i got suck0ered in this place and man do i regret it. my pay is in almost in half of what it used to be. what would be a good choice in what type or eng. or what ever? what should i go to school for.

 

I'm an AE (aerospace) and I love my job. It is very similar to ME but with a little more aerodynamics. I do R&D for Lockheed Martin / NASA in the New Orleans facility. I'm not making nearly 70k but the cost of living here is rather low. If I took a job in cali I would probably be near 70k.

If I were you just go to college and get your first two years out of the way. In those two years you'll get a feel for what you like. Whatever you do just start as soon as possible. That's the important part.

This is your warning! Engineers have boring *** jobs. The majority of them are desk jockeys and paper pushers. If you can go into R&D. Lots of funds, hands on and everything is cutting edge.

 

I don't know if this has been posted but from what I understand a ME degree is very math based and theory based as stated above. If you want a more hands on degree then you may want to look for a school with a MET program or Mechanical Engineering Technology degree. I know University of Cincinnati has both types. And the school Cincinnati state I attend has the more hands on approach. This degree is more up my alley because that is how I learn best and is more applicable to what I want to learn. I plan to finish my two years at Cincinnati State and attend the MET program at UC.
Peace.

 

I can't speak for other states, but Utah has made all the schools adopt a standardized class format for a given class number. ME EN 2650 is the same in every school throughout the state. Well, as far as transfers go.

I had to enroll at the community college this semester for a materials sciences class. Honestly, the community college is a joke, but in a good way. The class is SO DAMN EASY when everybody in my classes say the same class at the university is one of the most difficult classes they have ever had. I wish I had known this a long time ago as I would have got all my 1000 and 2000 level classes at the community college before transferring to a university.

In the end, it probably doesn't matter, most engineers just use tools others have made and let the computers do the work. As long as you understand where it all comes from, it seems like you could do just fine. Even if the community college instructor spent the day getting you ready to pass their exam because they want their numbers to look good instead of actually teaching you something, you’ll still get the degree from the university in the end. Where at the university, it seems like the normal talk is “’C’s get degrees” because everybody has a hard time going through the lower level classes because they are intentionally trying to weed people out.

Oh, and the community college professor I have is 1000x cooler then any of the ***** professors I have up at the university.

I'd say go to a community college for the first two years if your state has a similar class transfer control program set up. Cheaper, considerably easier, and you’ll come out of it with better grades.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by troyk kms &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't know if this has been posted but from what I understand a ME degree is very math based and theory based as stated above. If you want a more hands on degree then you may want to look for a school with a MET program or Mechanical Engineering Technology degree. I know University of Cincinnati has both types. And the school Cincinnati state I attend has the more hands on approach. This degree is more up my alley because that is how I learn best and is more applicable to what I want to learn. I plan to finish my two years at Cincinnati State and attend the MET program at UC.
Peace.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah we have that here too. Funny thing is, most of the ME jobs (automotive industry in particular) don't require more than the knowledge learned MET programs. I co-oped at a Tier One supplier for the automotive industry this summer, and a friend I went to school with here that graduated from our MET program was making just as much as another kid who was just hired with an ME degree, and they were doing the same job.

I still have two more years, but I'll have my BS and MS in ME when I leave here, and I'll probably end up going for a PhD after that. After all my internships and co-ops I've seen how boring/repetitive the regular ME work is. Research is where its at for me.

Funny thing about the Formula SAE teams...all the kids here at my school that are on it think they're the ****. Too bad they pull C's quarter after quarter because they spend more time working on SAE stuff than on classwork.

 

My school's SAE team sucks. I think their car last year fell apart and didn't even make it to the competition.

 

I think our team actually did fairly well, within the top 20 somewhere. I don't know though I don't really pay attention to it.

 

I can tell you what ME's do..They tell the pipe fitters that, That 3" pipe over there goes through this 2 1/2" hole. SEE I drew a picture of it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RMF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I can tell you what ME's do..They tell the pipe fitters that, That 3" pipe over there goes through this 2 1/2" hole. SEE I drew a picture of it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

oh i see , thats the answer i was searching for

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Full-Race Javier &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if your thinking about becoming a ME and specializing in the automotive/performance field, find a school with a good SAE program and take a tour. </TD></TR></TABLE>

YES. SAE is the way to go. Much more hands on learning. The mini baja and F1 competetions are badass.

Looking through the SAE F1 competitor list for this year, the only SUNY school is SUNY Buffalo.
http://www.sae.org/servlets/co...=null

I will be attending Western Washington Univeristy, taking their Industrial Technology and Vehicle Research Institute programs.
http://www.etec.wwu.edu/
Learning alot of practical engineering skills, CAD/CAM modeling and CNC, composites, etc.

I'm really looking forward to getting in the lab. They have several CNC machines, engine and chassis dynos, autoclaves, wind tunnel. BADASS.

Here's an example of a SAE F1 car...(WWU's old car)
"The V8 engine and 6-speed transmission on Viking XXX are two items that make this car stand out. The engine block, crankshaft, connecting rods, and transmission case were designed and manufactured at the VRI by the FSAE team. The engine block was CNC machined out of aluminum. The heads were taken from a Kawasaki 250cc 4-stroke motorcycle engine that made peak power at 19,500 RPM. The 6-speed transmission case was machined in house out of aluminum, and features internals borrowed from a Honda 600cc F1 motorcycle. The transmission and engine are fully stressed members of the chassis and feature mounting points for the suspension."












Sorry for pic overload. I'm freaking psyched to get started with this.

I would look into what the general requirement english, humanities, history crap is and get that out of the way at CC. Also the pre-calc, calc, physics, chem, programming reqs. I highly reccomend having a plan, before you go to school. Otherwise you end up wasting alot of time and money taking classes you don't need.

I would visit SUNY Buffalo and see what their engineering program is all about
http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/Stu...s/sae/



Modified by 90wagon4wd at 1:36 AM 2/26/2006