Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
In a society that is becoming more technologically driven, it is important to have people to design, test, and build new things in order for society to progress. This is oftentimes the role of an engineer. However, engineering school is not easy, and engineering students don’t always make it all…
In a society that is becoming more technologically driven, it is important to have people to design, test, and build new things in order for society to progress. This is oftentimes the role of an engineer. However, engineering school is not easy, and engineering students don’t always make it all the way through school to get an engineering job. This thesis is an in-depth analysis of an engineering student’s path - from choosing engineering as a major to ultimately transitioning into a full-time engineering job. It will do this by covering (1) what engineering is and what career opportunities exist within the discipline, (2) common pitfalls that students may encounter while going through engineering school, (3) how to get an engineering job in industry, and (4) how to appropriately transition into an industry job using the skills from engineering school. While talking about what engineering is and what career opportunities exist, this thesis will discuss engineering as a profession, the ABET accreditation board, and careers in industry vs academia. As part of common pitfalls that engineering students face, this thesis will discuss tenure track, theory vs reality, cooperative learning, and misconceptions about engineering. In order to talk about how to get an industry job, this thesis will discuss the impact of grades, relevant experience, communication, personal branding, and industry options. Finally, while talking about effectively transitioning into industry, this thesis will discuss understanding the skills gained from engineering school, the different roles in industry, and how to appropriately apply those skills. Ultimately this thesis aims to be a resource for students interested in engineering so that they can understand how to successfully make it through school and move into the work force effectively.
