Prospective Graduate Students
Prospective Graduate Students
Prospective Graduate Students
Things to come: Unlimited application
Ultimately, acquiring a degree in engineering and applied sciences from Harvard can be both fulfilling and fun, even with all those problem sets. (1)
The degree is also very practical—which, given the cost of college these days as well as the cost of living, matters. (2)
Further, science and engineering increasingly shape our society and our world. (3) Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat (4), has said, “I’m not saying that every politician needs to be an engineer, but it would be helpful if they had a basic understanding of the forces that are flattening the world.”
Most important, our curriculum offers excellent preparation, whether you are intending to practice as an engineer, researcher, or physician; are planning for a career in business, education, government, law, or medicine; or have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. (5)
We want our passion for discovery and innovation to attract the curious, inspire a future generation of globally educated leaders, and help improve society and the world.
To put this into perspective…
| Primary Occupation Post Harvard * |
% |
|---|---|
| Computer Software, Hardware, Systems | 23 |
| Banking, Finance, Communications | 11 |
| Engineering & Science | 11 |
| Education | 8 |
| Full-time student | 7 |
| Law | 6 |
| Consulting | 6 |
| Medicine, Healthcare, Public Health | 5 |
| Arts, Government, Politics | 5 |
| Other | 18 |
Banker, Baker, CGI-maker
What do engineering and applied sciences graduates go on to do ...Banker
Gary Schermerhorn ’85 (Computer Science), CFO-COO at Goldman Sachs Tech Division paved a path that combined a foundational approach with a practical one.
“While I wrestled with philosophy or abstract computing theories, I was concerned that students at other universities were receiving a more practical, technical education,” he says. “But I gained a much broader perspective on technology.”
Baker
Given that surveys predict most individuals will have several careers during their working lives, not all those who earn technical degrees will limit themselves to technical fields—at least in the traditional sense.
Joanne Chang '91 (Applied Math/Economics) went from consulting at the Monitor Group to being the pastry chef/owner of Flour Bakery in Boston (famed for making its own pop tarts and sticky buns).
CGI-maker
Danielle Feinberg ’96 (Computer Science), lead lighting artist at Pixar Animation Studios, found inspiration in class for her future career.
“It was fall of 1994 in my junior year,” she recalls. “I was sitting in Professor Joe Marks’s computer graphics class. He showed a couple of the Pixar short films one day, and I absolutely fell in love with computer animation. It was like everything I had ever tried to do, taken 10 million levels up.”
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Footnotes
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(1) To get the full picture visit the campus. |
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(2) "The top 15 highest-earning college degrees all have one thing in common -- math skills. That's according to a recent survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, which tracks college graduates' job offers ... Specifically, engineering diplomas account for 12 of the 15 the top-paying majors. NACE collects its data by surveying 200 college career centers." (CNN/Money). |
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(3) “Engineering and applied sciences are everywhere and underlie everything, from commerce to quantum |
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(4) A book widely discussed by engineering deans. |
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(5) Steven Ballmer ’77 (Applied Math/Economics), chief executive officer of Microsoft, successfully blended technology with management. |
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(6) Taken from the strategic vision document for engineering and applied sciences. |
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(7) Some alumni like to keep everyone guessing. |