How Multidisciplinary Engineering Studies Can Accelerate Your Career

A multidisciplinary engineering degree is a great option for those seeking flexibility and opportunities in multiple fields, even giving you a competitive edge.

Nader Mowlaee
How Multidisciplinary Engineering Studies Can Accelerate Your Career

It’s no secret that an engineering career can offer some of the highest paying, in-demand jobs in the United States and countries around the world. But if you want more than a specific engineering role or need an educational approach that allows you to pursue more than one field, it can be limiting to pursue a degree that only specializes in one engineering subject.

That’s where multidisciplinary engineering degrees can help. They can help drive your engineering career forward by preparing you with a broader set of skills.

Here are some essential factors to consider when pursuing a degree in multidisciplinary engineering studies.

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What is a Multidisciplinary Engineering degree?

If you’re looking for a degree that offers you the flexibility to pursue multiple engineering disciplines or offers a customized, experiential approach to your engineering studies, then a multidisciplinary engineering degree may be what you need.

This type of engineering degree provides the benefit of a cross-disciplinary approach, where you can customize your curriculum so that you learn from multiple departments and various subjects.

For instance, students at Purdue University can create individual study plans that integrate courses from its general engineering plans of study with its educational engineering plan of study for a customized degree plan. This approach allows you the convenience of exploring various engineering fields that may overlap with other industries that you may not have considered, such as the music or education industry.

Moreover, a degree in multidisciplinary studies does not restrict you to a specialization that you may only be able to apply to one role. Instead, you get to design your studies so that you can be more competitive and attractive to companies that are looking for engineering candidates with a well-rounded set of skills.

How much can you make with Multidisciplinary Engineering degrees?

Whether you opt for bachelors or masters of engineering degree, your earning potential is high.

Thanks to the flexibility of multidisciplinary engineering degrees, you can take on various roles with high earning potential.

According to PayScale, U.S.-based engineers with a bachelors in engineering, focusing on a multidisciplinary approach earn an average of $75,000 per year. Some of the engineering roles they work in achieve high-earning annual salaries, such as a project manager ($79,000), an electrical engineer ($74,000) and a mechanical engineer ($69,000).

Where can you get your Bachelors of engineering in Multidisciplinary Engineering studies?

Most engineers require at least a bachelor’s degree to get a job in various engineering careers, including mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, petroleum engineering, computer engineering, and industrial engineering. But if you want a unique approach to help develop your engineering skills in multiple areas, then it’s ideal to pursue a bachelor’s of engineering degree with a multidisciplinary approach.

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Luckily, several high-quality schools around the world offer multidisciplinary engineering degrees. Here are two U.S.-based programs that provide a unique approach to multidisciplinary engineering studies:

  • Purdue University (United States). Purdue provides students the opportunity to pursue a bachelors of engineering with its multidisciplinary engineering program.
    • The program is also ABET-accredited, which is beneficial if you plan to apply to engineer careers or roles in the military that require a bachelor of engineering degree from a program that has this prestigious accreditation.
    • The program allows future engineers to focus on a broad set of subjects and custom their degree program to fit their need that leads to engineering careers in various areas, such as nanoengineering, general engineering, and engineering management.
    • As a student at Purdue, you’ll gain a solid understanding of the engineering fundamentals, and you will be prepared to pursue the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certification in preparation for a career as a professional engineer and gain the Professional Engineer (PE) license.
  • Texas A&M University. (United States). At Texas A & M University, aspiring engineers can take advantage of its Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology (MXET) program to earn a bachelors of engineering while gaining a well-rounded education in electronics, embedded systems, and mechanics.
    • This ABET-accredited program takes on an experiential approach to learning and offers research opportunities you can apply in the private and public sectors.
    • The MXET program also helps students gain a clear understanding of the communications and control of complex systems.
    • You can choose to study mechatronics, where you’ll focus on various industries, such as the aerospace and automotive industry.
    • The MXET program also offers a second area of study as a STEM Educator, where you prepare for your teaching certification to teach secondary-level math, engineering, and physical science.

What top schools offer a masters of engineering in multidisciplinary engineering studies?

Some of the best general engineering schools worldwide offer a masters of engineering degree that provides a multidisciplinary approach to your engineering studies, including U.S.-based schools like Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

For instance, Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering offers a multidisciplinary engineering degree at the masters level in engineering technology and innovation that’s ideal for future engineers who plan to create their own companies.

You can also pursue a masters of engineering with a multidisciplinary approach at schools around the world like the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

For instance, the Delft University of Technology offers a master of science in construction, management, and engineering that provides a unique approach to gaining extensive insight to work as an engineer in the construction industry. The school also collaborates with four other universities to enhance research and education opportunities in their program.

Final thoughts

Multidisciplinary engineering degrees offer a wide range of choices for enhancing your engineering studies and the convenience of exploring various engineering fields at once. With such a broad degree program, you’ll have the benefit of pursuing various types of engineering roles. But it’s still crucial to do your research when you’re searching for an engineering program that embraces a multidisciplinary approach.