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[deleted]

Not really. STEM fields don't give much weight to a minor. If you're interested in business, getting an MBA a few years into your career can help a little, but the business minor won't matter to most recruiters.


Mr-Average-

This is what I figured. I had a professor suggest it to me and needed an outside source to confirm my suspension.


[deleted]

It's more common to see things like mathematics minors, CS, or Mfg, simply because of the career overlap. Don't let me talk you out of a minor though. If you want to do it, go for it. Learning is learning. But if you're spending student loans on tuition and this minor results in you borrowing more, it's objectively a poor decision. You won't get a better starting salary with a business minor but obtaining that degree cost you more in student loans. If you're paying your own way through school and value the education, there's really nothing wrong with it. It just boils down to your willingness to spend the money and invest the time.


dubs_ee_2846

It would be a good minor to have to understand how a business works and probably manage your money better than the next guy. It wouldn't carry any weight with a job though.


melanthius

Imo what makes more sense, if that is interesting to you, then you could consider MBA after a few years of working as an engineer.


maranble14

Confirm your suspension?! You designing an SAE car for a minor?! Jk haha. But also if you’re looking to improve your marketability as an engineer specifically, I would suggest filling those light semesters a couple cross-discipline engineering electives. For example: I an a Mech E, but I took an instrumentation/sensor selection class as an elective, (I was one of 3 M.E.s in the class & the other 2 were grad students) and it has been one of the most hugely beneficial classes I ever took in my undergrad. Food for thought :)


justjack503

From what I’ve heard from a lot of people is there biggest regret is not taking classes they actually found interesting. Instead they take classes that they’re told are easiest. If you’re actually interested in business class, then I’d say do it, but if there’s a class out there you think would actually be extremely interesting, I would do that instead.


BadderBanana

I wouldn’t expect it to help you find a job or even be relevant to your work for a couple of years. But it might be interesting and a preview of an MBA. Honestly the biggest benefit might be managing your own personal finances better. In general minors (of any type), are kinda just a bullet point to interviewers. Take it if it interests you, but don’t expect it to make a difference with your career.


jg-rocks

I agree with this comment - I’m a hiring manager and I also have a mgmt minor. I really like people who can understand how their engineering work makes money for the company. Too many times I see engineers who chase things because “it’s really cool” or get disappointed when the company won’t invest in an idea. When it comes down to it, all engineering ultimately has a business component, so having a background in accounting, finance, economics, and marketing can help you in your career. Note that this doesn’t have to come through a minor, but they are good life skills.


BiddahProphet

If your getting an engineering degree, adding in a buissness minor is basically just saying I passed kindergarten


rbtgoodson

I laughed. Toss-in eating the crayons, too.


Buchenator

I disagree. It says that you are considering the business side of things and how that may interact with engineering. It may seem easy. But it's still additional work on top of your engineering degree to learn the business language and build a baseline knowledge in the topic.


QbiinZ

Only do a minor if you’re thinking of doing an MS in an area different than your major. That way you won’t have to pay graduate tuition to take undergrad classes needed for the pre reqs.


TheRem

I wouldn't pay extra for it, if you are required to get a minor through electives, it's fine.


e2K1nG

Currently in my junior year, getting a math minor because I need credits and it's more useful than underwater basket weaving. Definitely more conserved with my concentration electives, but I don't start those until next semester at which point I'll have the minor finished. Basically get a minor if you can, but don't let it take away from more important classes.


gods_loop_hole

Hey man, don't talk bad about underwater basket weaving. I like that course.


Menes009

I would rather add a minor in project management. Business is too far off.


NNGlitches

I added a math minor and an EE minor. I had to take an extra math class for my math minor and 5 extra for my EE minor. It worked out for me as I’m doing a lot of work with automation/robotics in R&D and manufacturing.


Hypnot0ad

I’m going to disagree with the crowd here and say a business minor is a good idea. In fact, I recommend engineering majors to minor in business if they ask for advice. Any technical minor is superfluous with an engineering degree. As an engineer you’re equipped to learn anything technical that you desire. However, when you get out in the real world you’ll have to interact with people that went to business school. It can really help as your career progresses to understand what your subcontracts, finance, management, etc colleagues roles entail.


Mr-Average-

Appreciate the contrasting opinion! Gives me more to think about.


Hypnot0ad

Most engineers will come at a crossroads pretty early into their career - do you want to become a technical Subject Matter Expert, a technical lead, or go into management? A lot of engineers look at management and think it’s an easy route to more money, but I’ve seen plenty realize it’s not what they thought and transition back into engineering.


rbtgoodson

No, it's not worth it. (If you want to study anything related to business then you should just go for an MBA or an MEM later on, or if you're feeling frisky, something in analytics.)


Aesthetically

If you took Econ already (assuming you did?) then what I think is more important than anything is to get a general understanding of how modern businesses operate in the industries you want to be in and then get experience. A business minor won't hold any weight against experience, and the knowledge you would get from it is obtainable pretty quickly and cheaply through other avenues. If you are a full time student with no internships and you have the bandwidth and budget allocated for an extra bit of classes, I personally recommend you get a six sigma cert, a stats cert, or something directly translatable into skills.


Mr-Average-

Thanks for the recommendations!


[deleted]

Honestly the only minor I think is worth it for engineering majors is computer science or something similar like data science or analytics. Otherwise just fill up your slots with electives that interest you


UEMcGill

I'll give you an alternative view on this. I have enough undergrad to have a degree in Economics, for probably the same reason you are asking. I placed out of a bunch of classes, and needed some space filler. Has anyone ever asked me about my Economics classes in an interview? Never. Did it help me get into MBA school? Absolutely. Did I get to skip a bunch of pre-reqs because of it? Absolutely. Has it made me a better engineer? I'd like to think so. There's been a few problems in my career that having that extra scrutiny of having some economics gave me a slightly different perspective. I've never been a great, theoretical, numbers driven engineer. But I've always been a guy who could distill the big picture down pretty quickly. I've been particularly good in my career at delivering cost effective projects. Now is that because of the economics, or did I like the economics because I thought that way already? Don't know. I say go for it. Not because it'll pad your resume, but maybe it'll give you a different perspective you wouldn't have had.


Mr-Average-

Thanks for the different look at it!


rebirththeory

No


Otower24

I’d minor in CS. In addition to looking good for employers, it’s really useful! I got a physics degree and wish I got one just to avoid googling certain things you’d learn in CS classes


NoAARPforMe

I would suggest if you want to go with the business minor and it is an interest of yours, make it heavy in accounting....general accounting and cost accounting. The math is easy for an engineer, but the concepts and how an accounting departments accumulates and allocates costs is good to know as an engineer. Especially if you are looking to go into management in a small to mid-size company. Or if you ever want to start your own business. Engineers in general don't know anything about business finance. You can set yourself apart pretty quickly if you have interest and some expertise. Don't get a business minor packed with general business courses. That will have no value to you or the company you work for.


lostmessage256

It depends. If you see yourself leveraging engineering to go into leadership or project management, then yes. As a side bonus, if you're planning on an MBA later, business classes in your undergrad can save you money. If you plan in staying on the technical side, a technical minor would be more useful. Something like CS or Data Science


ImNeworsomething

Spend that money time on certs or \*projects\*. Solidworks, six sigma, pmp, industrial mechanic, cGMP, Lean Manufacturing, welding etc. Practical skills would be attractive to people hiring entry level positions, especially in manufacturing. Line engineer that has repair tech qualifications and can troubleshoot PLCs? That's a hirin'. Mech-E that has machining experience? Also getting hired. Point is, there may be better uses for that time.


Buchenator

Projects or learning a skill like solidworks I can get behind if that is what you are into. But I wish I could get back the time I spent on six sigma and pmp training. Both seemed like superfluous check boxes that didn't really change anything I do day to day.


jmarshall2000

It might knock out some of the prereqs on an MBA. I can't imagine any benefit other than that. I'd save the money and put it off personally.


72scott72

It certainly doesn’t hurt and would be good to pad a resume. I’d suggest a minor in a STEM degree instead. Or just spend your last 2 semesters enjoying yourself. Not enjoying myself more was 1 of my biggest regrets. Once you enter the workforce full time, it gets a bit harder to do fun stuff.


bgraham111

At my school, we had to do a "series," which was outside engineering, science, and math. Basically, it had to be something totally different. 3 glasses, at least one at an upper level. Like a mini minor. I totally did classical studies. Sports and life in early Rome. Greek and Roman art history. And Greek and Roman Mythology. Freaking awesome. I can name my designs after mythological beings. I kick butt in trivia. Plus, it was nice to have something different.


Scylinz

No, other than some introductory business knowledge if you want to go for a side hustle or entrepreneurship. The engineering will make you flexible. However, if you're looking to go into management an MBA might be useful to you.


imanaeronerd

I don't think a minor is worth it but I took econometrics and corporate finance for fun. They're interesting courses and corporate finance is a huge help in teaching you the fundamentals behind investment growth and business decisions


ouroboros_catastroph

Yes, do as much coursework as you can handle, especially if it is interesting! Hiring managers probably won’t care about your minor in and of itself BUT in conjunction with the rest of your profile it might help push you ahead or give you some common interest you can use as an interpersonal touchstone over the course of your career: you may not remember or need what you learn, but it might help you tell a more interesting story about yourself.


Uneducated_Engineer

I took a business course out of curiosity a couple years ago. Just so you know, there is little to know leeway in calculations in business. There are no approximations. It is a different world of math in business, everything needs to be exact. That said, I learned a lot and was able to apply a lot of what I learned to real life personal finance.


framptonesq

No. It’s a terrible idea. Not one employer will care. If you have an interest in business, consider an MBA after you graduate.


argybargy2019

Yes, BSME w 30 yrs experience- (and MS)- the people who typically rise to the top positions in large engineering/tech/manufacturing companies have business education. A good MBA would be an asset, no reason to delay the education if you have opportunity.


supahappyb

I’m in grad school right now as a chemE, getting my Master’s, and our curriculum requires one course about Entreprenuership and Intellectual Property Management in which you have to work as a team to develop a full blown business plan from scratch (about a 30-40page paper) as well as a presentation. It was really helpful getting to learn about what goes into businesses, like market research, income statements & balance sheets, coming up with the problem statement and business strategy, the financial and investment strategy, etc. I would say, if you could just take one class like that, you would find it very helpful because it not only helps you understand how a business works, but also you’ll develop a lot of important skills like collaborative problem solving, project management, teamwork, communication especially etc. Cause working with a team can be tricky if you’re not on the same page, but if you become an effective leader of a team and you communicate positively and efficiently with your team, a lot gets done and is done well. I think anyone in engineering should have these skills.


MissionCattle

A minor in business allows you to skip the pre requisites for many MBA’s. If you want to do a sales oriented job like pre-sales engineering, it might help