Ready to pivot
to Engineering?
Download our fact sheet to find out how BU’s Late Entry Accelerated Program for non-Engineers gets you started on a career in Engineering.
Pivot to a career in Engineering through BU’s Late Entry Accelerated Program (LEAP)—a Master’s degree program for non-Engineers.
Do you have a bachelor’s degree in the natural sciences, math, liberal arts, business, fine arts, or education and want to switch to a career in Engineering? The Late Entry Accelerated Program (LEAP) makes it possible for students with non-engineering backgrounds to earn a master’s degree in engineering.
A Customized Path to Earn a Master’s Degree in Engineering
#34 Best Engineering Schools
Designed for individuals who seek new career paths but may lack the required background in engineering, Boston University’s one-of-a-kind LEAP provides an opportunity for those with a bachelor’s degree in the natural sciences, math, liberal arts, business, fine arts, or education to earn a master’s degree in engineering.
As a LEAP student, you’ll build a foundation in engineering with a core customized set of undergraduate courses before you begin your master’s degree program—you only take the courses you need.
Once your core courses are finished, you’ll be ready to enter 1 of 6 master’s degree programs in: Biomedical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design & Manufacture, and Systems Engineering.
So go ahead and dream. You can switch careers and earn a master’s degree in engineering through LEAP. We know, because we’ve been helping students make the switch for over 30 years.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
LEAP produces great engineers. Here are a few reasons why:
Accelerate with Confidence
Accelerate with Confidence
Graduate with a master’s degree in as little as 2 years—and have the confidence knowing you have the same skill set as masters grads who have an undergraduate engineering degree.
Flexible
Flexible
Start in fall—or spring. Choose the start time that works best for you.
Active Learning Environment
Active Learning Environment
Acquire critical engineering skills through theoretical and project-based coursework. Gain practical experience & prepare for an engineering career through internships during graduate study.
Affordability
Affordability
BU LEAP offers merit scholarships to help finance your degree.
Academic Support
Academic Support
Personalized academic advising and career counseling ensures you stay on track and reach your goals.
The LEAP Cohort
The LEAP Cohort
Build personal and professional connections with other LEAP students. Experience the support that comes from a close-knit community that works and plays together.
Extensive Network
Extensive Network
Tap the extensive and impressive LEAP alumni community who can connect you to your new professional network.
Career Support & Professional Development
Career Support & Professional Development
Engage with the Engineering Career Office to leverage your background and new technical skills for internships and permanent employment.
30+ years of experience
30+ years of experience
For over 30 years, BU’s LEAP has provided employers with highly qualified engineers. You’ll find LEAP graduates at many of the country’s top tech companies.
Engaged, connected faculty
Over the course of your Engineering program, you’ll study and work with expert faculty who draw from state-of-the-art research and substantial professional engineering careers.
The Boston University reputation
A degree from BU inspires confidence. Named to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), BU is one of the top research universities in the United States and Canada.
A city unlike any other
There’s a reason we’re called Boston University. Hip neighborhoods, soaring skyscrapers, championship sports teams, and rich history and culture. When you’re at BU, you’re at the heart of it all. And because we’re right in Boston, you’ll have a wealth of opportunities to consider for your field of study or area of special interest.
PROGRAMS
Which Masters Degree Program is Right for You?
Once you complete your foundational courses, you’ll be ready to enter one of BU’s Masters in Engineering programs.
Biomedical Engineering
A top 10 program, our Biomedical Engineering faculty and students are transforming human health. This is the elite research enterprise you’ll join when you launch your future at BU, in Boston, at the worldwide intersection of the biomedical device and biotechnology industries.
Our masters programs build your technical skills through advanced coursework, state-of-the-art research, or hands-on clinical immersion.
Mechanical Engineering
Engineered heart tissue. Driverless cars. Precision agriculture. Rockets. Are you in? These advancements and countless others are part of the tidal wave of progress happening here and now at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
With a focus on interdisciplinary thinking, our MS program in Mechanical Engineering prepares students for a range of careers at the cutting-edge of research and industry. You’ll be at the forefront exploring new areas, such as nanotechnology, autonomous systems, additive manufacturing, sustainability and cube satellites.
Electrical & Computing Engineering
Computational methods to decode the human brain. Safe and secure autonomous navigation. Breakthrough machine learning. Automated bio-design. Energy-lean data centers. Nanophotonics. Want to design the future, right now? BU ECE is where you get started.
The 21st-century workplace has seen a significant overlapping of the boundaries between electrical engineering (EE) and computer engineering (CE). Newly emerging subfields, such as data science, computational imaging, virtual reality, smart cities and environments, and the Internet-of-Things, require skills from both EE and CE for success.
The MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering provides training, skills, and expertise across these traditionally separated domains. More importantly, It gives you the flexibility to design your program of study around your interests.i
Materials Science & Engineering
From applications of new materials to modifications of existing ones, the world demands your talents to shape metals, semiconductors and biopolymers. Materials is education, it’s inspiration, and it’s leading to a future that’s waiting for you.
Our masters programs in Materials Science & Engineering build expertise through advanced coursework, collaborative projects, and research. Students can prepare for their professional careers with a focus on biomaterials, electronic and photonic materials, nanomaterials, or materials for energy and environment.
Product Design & Manufacture
We’re driving the next generation of skilled minds for this exciting field, where everything from fuel cells and robotic systems to green manufacturing is waiting for your hands-on expertise.
And yes, your hands will get busy in our 15,000–square–foot Engineering Product Innovation Center, where experienced practitioners and a host of advanced technology and machinery let you take your idea from paper to prototype.
The 21st century requires engineers capable of designing new products and quickly getting them to customers. The MS in Product Design and Manufacture is designed to train modern engineers to generate compelling new ideas and translate them into practical design and mass production of innovative and cost-effective new products with passion.
Gain the skills necessary to develop your compelling ideas into innovative and cost-effective new products.
Systems Engineering
We are the pioneers of a new model for true interdisciplinary thinking, guided by world-class faculty from different backgrounds in engineering, arts and sciences, medicine, and business. Informed and inspired by the best and brightest minds in research, we’re creating the next generation of systems engineers to chart the future of complex systems.
Masters programs in Systems Engineering equip students with the breadth of knowledge supplied through courses and projects spanning the faculty’s wide range of expertise. Our graduates pursue careers in a multitude of academic disciplines and industry sectors taking advantage of their unparalleled versatility
CAREER OUTLOOK
LEAP Students Get Great Jobs
LEAP graduates have highly successful employment outcomes and land jobs in top companies around the country. Just take a look.
Recent graduates have established their careers at:
- Apple
- Microsoft
- Tesla
- Shark Ninja
- NASA
- General Motors
- Philips
- Boston Scientific
- Johnson & Johnson
- Space X
- GE Aviation
- Intel
- Raytheon
- Draeger Medical
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory
- The Mathworks
- Medtronic
- Wayfair
- Mass General Hospital
Outlook:
Employment of bioengineers and biomedical engineers is projected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
As demand for new materials and manufacturing processes continues to increase, more materials engineers are expected to be needed to help develop these products and systems.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
$95,300 per year
Median annual wage for mechanical engineers, May 2021
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Join us at a LEAP Webinar
Connect with us online, and hear how you can leverage your current background and experience into an exciting career in engineering.
- Learn about the program and curriculum
- Hear about our admitted students
- Get details on academic support programs
- Find out about the outcomes our graduates experience
Next Session:
Wednesday, June 12; 5:00pm ET
I am so amazed at the things I’ve learned in the past couple years. It was a scary decision to change to engineering, but once I did, nothing could stop me! Now I’m loving what I do at SharkNinja. It’s the perfect blend of my background and mechanical engineering.”
Rebekah Tsang, MS Mechanical Engineering
BS Family & Consumer Sciences
I applied to LEAP hoping to switch careers and join any company working in renewable energy. During my time at BU, I focused on battery technology. Two years later, I’m working for Tesla, the industry leader and my dream company.”
Justin Turley, MS Materials Science & Engineering
BS Accounting