There are many things that you can do now to prepare for your career post-graduation. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Plan future classes based on your interests. Many students do the following:
- Print a blank academic plan worksheet or set up a spreadsheet for schedule planning.
- Print or download the flowchart or sample schedule to use as a checklist. Cross off requirements that are completed or in-progress. Write down elective courses next to the corresponding requirement to keep track of them.
- Run your online degree audit on Banweb to make sure classes are counting where you think they should. If they are not then contact your academic advisor to find out why.
- Write down the classes you plan to take for each future semester. It usually makes the most sense to start with the major required classes, then minor classes if you are doing a minor, and finally remaining elective classes.
Then review your plan with your academic advisor.
Get involved on campus. There are lots of different campus activities and student organizations. Try a mix of social and professional organizations to help you develop both personally and professionally and have some fun.
Student organizations are a great way to meet people who are interested in the same things you are, and start developing your communication and leadership skills. Taking on even a small project within the organization will help you start to build the skills you’ll need after graduation and also give you some meaningful experiences to talk about during job interviews.
Check out our chemical engineering professional organizations and programs.
The number one thing you can do for getting a great job when you graduate is to go on co-op or do an internship. These are paid work experiences where you work with engineers in industry for a semester or longer. About 90% of our students complete a co-op or internship before graduating.
- What is the difference between a co-op and internship?
- How do I fit in a co-op?
- Can I do a co-op and still graduate in four years?
- How do I register for the co-op class?
See more co-op and internship FAQs on our advising blog.
Enterprise is an opportunity for you to work with students from other majors on real-world projects. There are many Enterprise teams to choose from. Students participating in Enterprise can incorporate their Enterprise project into their capstone senior design project.
Learn more:
- Which Enterprise team should I join?
- Do Enterprise credits count towards my degree?
- Which Enterprise class should I take?
- How does doing Enterprise for senior design work?
See more Enterprise FAQs on our advising blog.
Many of our faculty conduct research to further our understanding of the world and develop new technologies. You can work with them and their graduate students on a research project. This experience is especially valuable if you are interested in working in research and development in industry or thinking about going to graduate school.
Learn more:
- How can I get involved in research?
- Do research credits count towards my degree?
- How do I sign up for the undergraduate research course?
- What opportunities are there to do undergrad research off campus?
See more undergraduate research FAQs on our advising blog.
A minor is a great way to showcase your interests. Minors are focus areas that can be added to your degree program. Depending on what you choose, some classes may be able to double count for both your major and minor. Browse through the list of minors available at Michigan Tech by looking at the minor audits.
Learn more:
- What should I minor in?
- Can credits double count for a major and minor?
- Can I earn more than one minor?
- How do I add a minor?
See more minor FAQs on our advising blog.
The Pavlis Honors College has a unique pathways program to help you more formally plan out your path from university to career. There is no GPA requirement and it’s worth checking out if you’d like additional guidance and structure to help you reach beyond classroom experiences.
They are also a great resource for information on entrepreneurialism and business development, undergraduate research, and global outreach opportunities.
If you are interested in a research or teaching career then you should consider going to graduate school after completing your undergraduate degree.
Learn more:
- What is graduate school?
- What can I do to prepare myself for graduate school in engineering?
- How much does it cost to go to grad school in chemical engineering?
- Can I take graduate courses while still an undergrad?
See more graduate school FAQs on our advising blog.