Discuss your interest in combining management and technology. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in business and engineering help you to meet your goals? Please be sure to address the nature and extent of your interests in both business and engineering.
In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith discusses at great length the fact that the division of labor is "the greatest improvement in the productive powers" ever achieved. In 1776 this fact held true, a growing capitalist market and many promising routes for industry made it so. The world of 2010 is vastly different however; and it sets new specifications for how laborers should be qualified. While Smith stated one person should know one trade to work effectively, modern society demands that a qualified laborer be skilled in multiple trades. Two of the most prevalent industries in the contemporary world are engineering and business; one creates the world while the other manages it, a truly symbiotic duo.
The prospect of engineering and business combining first occurred to me when I was perusing through an article about delays in F-35 jet orders. Deadlines that were set for their production to be complete were years overdue, and progress seemed unlikely. It then occurred to me that the problem could very well be a lack of fluid communication and cooperation between the engineers and business administrators in the company. Almost every business that produces and sells a tangible product has engineers and business administrators who operate under the same roof; this creates a need for the two factions to work together. The issue at hand appears to be lack of ability of the two groups to diplomatically interact. Engineers speak one language while business men and women speak another. I have enough experience in both fields to understand some of the problems that both sides have to grapple with. Engineering must create a product or enhance it to the highest quality possible, while business administrators must market and sell it. Either faction can put strains on another, engineering demanding resources for production, and business setting deadlines. It is vital to the survival of any company to have clear and concise lines of communication between the two very different but essential groups. The demand for such ability has me searching for specifications to do such a task; because it is clear that a smoothly running company needs such employees.
Serving as the facilitator between engineering and business is very appealing to me because of my interest in both fields. Technology has fascinated me since I was a child, and I seek to continue this interest into the field of engineering. Engineers have been working since the early days of civilization, and are a requirement for any organization to run well. From crunching numbers to understanding global economy, I find business fascinating because it is the main medium in which the world operates today. It has proven to be the industry of the last few centuries, and since its rise to the top, it shows no signs of slowing. Being able to operate in the competitive capitalist society of today is a crucial skill, and a degree in business is the premier way to achieve this. Penn's dual-degree program appears to be the solution for the problems that plague many companies. Having the ability to boast degrees in both engineering and business from Penn would be a powerful ally when it came to applying for any position. The preparation the Wharton school of business can give is unparalleled; the ranking of the school as best undergraduate business program in the country for seventeen years straight proves that no other business degree could compliment my résumé in such a booming fashion. In addition to a degree from Wharton, earning an a bachelor of science in engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science would provide me with the ability to take on any engineering task. The school's high ranking proves to me that the privilege of earning degrees from both divisions of Penn would prepare me for the job market in a way that no other university can match.
The new challenges of the world are numerous and metastasizing, but well qualified individuals must step up and take the reins instead of waiting for someone else to do so. The qualifications that Penn can provide me would give me the ability to take a position as leader in the world of engineering and business that is in dire need of direction.
In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith discusses at great length the fact that the division of labor is "the greatest improvement in the productive powers" ever achieved. In 1776 this fact held true, a growing capitalist market and many promising routes for industry made it so. The world of 2010 is vastly different however; and it sets new specifications for how laborers should be qualified. While Smith stated one person should know one trade to work effectively, modern society demands that a qualified laborer be skilled in multiple trades. Two of the most prevalent industries in the contemporary world are engineering and business; one creates the world while the other manages it, a truly symbiotic duo.
The prospect of engineering and business combining first occurred to me when I was perusing through an article about delays in F-35 jet orders. Deadlines that were set for their production to be complete were years overdue, and progress seemed unlikely. It then occurred to me that the problem could very well be a lack of fluid communication and cooperation between the engineers and business administrators in the company. Almost every business that produces and sells a tangible product has engineers and business administrators who operate under the same roof; this creates a need for the two factions to work together. The issue at hand appears to be lack of ability of the two groups to diplomatically interact. Engineers speak one language while business men and women speak another. I have enough experience in both fields to understand some of the problems that both sides have to grapple with. Engineering must create a product or enhance it to the highest quality possible, while business administrators must market and sell it. Either faction can put strains on another, engineering demanding resources for production, and business setting deadlines. It is vital to the survival of any company to have clear and concise lines of communication between the two very different but essential groups. The demand for such ability has me searching for specifications to do such a task; because it is clear that a smoothly running company needs such employees.
Serving as the facilitator between engineering and business is very appealing to me because of my interest in both fields. Technology has fascinated me since I was a child, and I seek to continue this interest into the field of engineering. Engineers have been working since the early days of civilization, and are a requirement for any organization to run well. From crunching numbers to understanding global economy, I find business fascinating because it is the main medium in which the world operates today. It has proven to be the industry of the last few centuries, and since its rise to the top, it shows no signs of slowing. Being able to operate in the competitive capitalist society of today is a crucial skill, and a degree in business is the premier way to achieve this. Penn's dual-degree program appears to be the solution for the problems that plague many companies. Having the ability to boast degrees in both engineering and business from Penn would be a powerful ally when it came to applying for any position. The preparation the Wharton school of business can give is unparalleled; the ranking of the school as best undergraduate business program in the country for seventeen years straight proves that no other business degree could compliment my résumé in such a booming fashion. In addition to a degree from Wharton, earning an a bachelor of science in engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science would provide me with the ability to take on any engineering task. The school's high ranking proves to me that the privilege of earning degrees from both divisions of Penn would prepare me for the job market in a way that no other university can match.
The new challenges of the world are numerous and metastasizing, but well qualified individuals must step up and take the reins instead of waiting for someone else to do so. The qualifications that Penn can provide me would give me the ability to take a position as leader in the world of engineering and business that is in dire need of direction.