Engineering, Robotics, Physical Sciences, Medical Devices

Concentrating in engineering or scientific disciplines at Harvard can lead to a diversity of career opportunities. You may choose to pursue graduate study to become more specialized in your chosen field, or to focus on teaching or research. Opportunities can be found in government laboratories and research centers, as well as agencies and political institutions. From an industry perspective, both scientific and non-scientific organizations value the quantitative, analytical, and logical reasoning skills developed as an undergraduate in the College.

Finding Internships

Plan on completing both a research and internship experience during your undergraduate education. Along with your coursework, the best way to explore a career in science or engineering is by finding laboratory work in your field with a potential mentor during the school terms or over the summer. In addition, internships (ideally in your junior summer) provide real-world industry experience, which is directly applicable to future career paths. Consider organizations as varied as engineering firms, government agencies, biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, the energy industry, technology companies, or scientific consulting firms.

Finding Jobs

The junior internship is an ideal stepping stone to a full-time job in engineering or physical science. Employers also like to see hands-on or competition experiences (e.g. completing a design project, or participating in a robotics club). Plan to attend events in the fall, and look for a majority of job postings and interview opportunities in late fall and the spring of senior year.

Graduate and Professional Programs

Deciding whether to pursue a research-based Ph.D. program versus a professional master’s degree hinges on your ultimate goals. In addition to speaking with an adviser at our office, discuss this decision with trusted members of the faculty who have advised or taught you in a related discipline. Faculty are often in the best position to describe the academic and research components of graduate education and may even connect you to their colleagues in departments and schools across the country for further information.

Featured Articles

Filter Clear

Filter:

6 Tips for Attending a Career Fair

Published on August 24, 2023

Below are the top MCS tips for attending career fairs:

Explore which organizations will be attending by logging into Crimson Careers > Events > Type=”Career Fairs & Expos.” Search and filter on things like who is looking for Master’s students …

By Deb Carroll

…But How Do I Make The Right Choice?

Published on April 7, 2023

It’s that time of year – you’re starting to hear back from volunteer sites, research opportunities, graduate schools, or internship/job applications. Now that you know what your possibilities are, how do you decide which one to pursue?

Making big decisions …

By Katie Fell

How to Get Into Artificial Intelligence

Published on March 22, 2023

Artificial intelligence can be an elusive but exciting technological field. If you’re interested in working on creative, new technology that can impact how people solve everyday problems, the AI field might be right for you. This guide will teach you …

By uConnect External Content