EPISODE SUMMARY

Do you know the difference between engineering science and engineering technology? Are you aware of the variety of majors and careers available in these fields? What kind of GPA is required to qualify for these often competitive programs? Dr. Matt Franchetti joins the podcast to answer these questions for us and more, as he shares his insight and experience as Associate Dean of the Engineering College at the University of Toledo.

EPISODE NOTES

If you have a teen who loves math and has an aptitude for it, chances are they may be considering engineering as a possible major. And while students may be familiar with this field, I’ve found most parents often don’t know much about a similar field, engineering TECHNOLOGY which is different than engineering (science). That’s why I invited Dr. Franchetti to help us understand some of the ins and outs of engineering education and careers so that your teen can be better equipped to make good decisions about their future.

Dr. Franchetti serves as the Associate Dean of the Engineering College at the University of Toledo, where they take a more open, collaborative approach to admission into the program. We spend quite a bit of time discussing the differences between this model as well as the more competitive approach taken by many colleges. The traditional selective model can work well for students with a high school GPA and ACT or SAT score that fits stringent criteria, who know exactly what they want and how to get there. But this model isn’t ideal for students who may be undecided as to which field of engineering or engineering technology they want to pursue, or whose GPA and test scores don’t meet the higher standards standards.

Often, colleges will not tell you which model they follow if you ask them outright, so it’s important to ask the right questions when looking into admissions to engineering or engineering technology programs. Matt has some great tips on what to look for and which questions to ask. I believe that there is a place for every student, it’s just a matter of finding that program that will be the right fit for yours, if engineering is aligned with their wiring.

I always encourage students with an interest in STEM to consider engineering & engineering technology as a possible fields, so I’ve included some resources below to dive into with more information on available programs and careers, as well as some great engineering colleges to visit, either online or in person. 

Highlights 

• The differences between studying engineering and engineering technology
• Questions to ask of engineering college programs to find your fit
• How selective, non-selective, and pre-engineering programs work
• Careers in both engineering and engineering technology
• Tips for students to be successful in an engineering program

Meet Our Guest

Dr. Franchetti is a Professor and the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies for the College of Engineering.  He is also the Principal Investigator of the Business Waste Reduction Assistance Program, a joint effort with the Lucas County Solid Waste Management District.  

Dr. Franchetti received his Ph.D. in 2003 and MBA in 2000 from The University of Toledo.  He has worked as an industrial engineer and technical manager for the U.S. Postal Service in Washington DC, Pittsburgh, PA, and Columbus, OH.  He is Certified Six-Sigma Black Belt from the American Society of Quality (ASQ) and has consulting and research experience with over 25 companies across the country.  

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Links mentioned in this episode

ABET.org

Field of degree: Engineering technologies from the Department of Labor

Launch College & Career Clarity Course

Launch College and Career Clarity Facebook Community

The University of Toledo College of Engineering

University of Cincinnati, College of Computer, Engineering, and Applied Science

Ohio State University, College of Engineering

Purdue University, School of Engineering Technology 

Timeline

[3:35] The difference between engineering science and engineering technology

[4:47] It’s not just about math aptitude, it’s also about knowing what you love to do

[5:39] Matt shares his personal journey of discovering which direction he wanted to take

[7:44] The difference between schools with selective programs and open schools

[11:39] Minimum criteria for admission into University of Toledo Engineering School

[12:55] Matt explains the difference between a competitive model versus an open collaborative

[15:11] How to ask the right questions of a prospective college to determine which model they use

[18:51] Matt explains how pre engineering admissions works at many colleges

[22:54] 3.0 GPA is pretty good for college, even if a student had a higher GPA in high school

[25:24] What are the differences in jobs for computer science and engineering, and computer science and engineering technology

[27:40] Some tips for how to be successful in any college engineering program

Access the episode transcript here.