Master's degrees

N Sperlo wrote: The bosses out here. The ones that own me via contract. They have their masters or higher (in engineering). If you can afford it, get motivated.

+1

This is from the perspective of someone who's training is biology, not engineering, but here's my $.02 worth: Additional schooling is not cheap, and I hated grad school, but I'm glad I stuck it out for the masters. I would not have my current job without it.

I wish I had toughed it out long enough to get my Ph.D. I recently interviewed for a different job, and I'm certain that only having a masters is one of the reasons I will be passed over.

<- B.S. in Engineering

I find that with only a B.S. you are pushed more toward management as you move upward. Design Engineering -> Project Engineering -> Worse. Each step involves more paperwork/bureaucracy/bullE36 M3. From searching for new jobs recently, I have found that a Masters seems to allow one to stay in the design world, yet work on more advanced stuff/collect more pay. There are options out there to do this with just a B.S. but they are just less common.

Unfortunately, it seems the industries with the most bullE36 M3 surrounding design also pay the most :(

Cliffs: Typical Choices

1) Keep B.S. Continue with Design. Don't Make a lot of money.
2) Keep B.S. Move toward management. It sucks.
3) Get M.S. Do advanced design. Make a lot of money.
4) Keep B.S. Carefully select employer (and you'd better be willing to move) Do design. Make a lot of money.

GrantMLS wrote: yeah I see no point in a masters in Engineering....

In your venue, perhaps. In mine we have no use for MBAs; design, stresses, failure analysis and materials are what keeps the train on the track.

Dan

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: But, if you are worth a E36 M3, you are going to be a manager in a few years and never be hands-on again.

How to avoid that?

Well unfortunately, you have to be content with being a bottom feeder like me. Actually I'm joking a bit. I will never be a manager at this company and realized I did not want to be one very very soon after coming here. But, I'm not an engineer either.

PHeller wrote: In order to make more money you've gotta have more responsibility. Simple fact of life. More money doesn't mean more happiness.

Amen to that bro.

JoeyM wrote: This is from the perspective of someone who's training is biology, not engineering, but here's my $.02 worth: Additional schooling is not cheap, and I hated grad school, but I'm glad I stuck it out for the masters. I would not have my current job without it. I wish I had toughed it out long enough to get my Ph.D. I recently interviewed for a different job, and I'm certain that only having a masters is one of the reasons I will be passed over.

I loved getting my masters degree. Best time of my life. A bit of field research with some fun guys and gals, a few classes that I loved, and writing a thesis. I was married, so I wasn't out chasing poontang. I was ready to get out when I finished the MD. But a couple of years later wished I has stayed and gotten a Phd. Too late with kids and a mortgage, or so the wife said.

In my experience it is pretty common for people 1 year out of school to say they don't want to manage anybody ever. It is also pretty common for the same people to change their mind 5 or 10 years later when they have gotten pretty sick of the idiotic calls their bosses have made over the years.

At my last job I managed a project with about half my time and designed parts with about half my time. It was a good combo. The only draw back was that if the management part took all day, I had to stay late to still finish my designs.

To the original point: I got my Master's and glad I did. In my industry, medical devices, it is very useful since there are no good undergrad degrees that cover what you need to know. I would say the Masters got me jobs that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten until I had 10 years of experience and connections with a BS...

Last point: Once you get a good amount of experience and connections, one option for you would be to become an independent consultant/contractor. If you play your cards right, you can make lots of money, paid hourly and not have to manage anybody but yourself. MS would probably help with that but I don't know specifically about your field.

spitfirebill wrote:

JoeyM wrote: I hated grad school, but I'm glad I stuck it out for the masters. I would not have my current job without it. I wish I had toughed it out long enough to get my Ph.D.

I loved getting my masters degree. Best time of my life.

It is safe to assume that you didn't spend two years thawing out and cutting up dead dolphins that had been rotting on a beach for several days before their carcasses were collected and frozen. That sort of smell doesn't go away easily, and it doesn't help one's social life.

93EXCivic wrote:

bravenrace wrote: I would never get a master's in engineering. An MBA would make more sense.

But wouldn't a MBA mean I would end up managing people?

That's why I ultimately suggested doing nothing. If you go engineering, you'll be cubby holed or end up pushing paper like previously stated. The MBA is more for management, so if you just want to be an engineer, don't do anything unless it's what you need to get where you want to go. But I'll tell you again like other have, if you are worth a E36 M3, at some point they're going to want you to step up to management. I hate it in general, but I'm managing two departments now (not with many people, thank God.). It fine because I have good people and don't have to deal with idiots or conflicts, and I still do engineering. But as the company grows, I may end up a full time manager at some point. It's just kind of the way things evolve.

This is a decision that I have been wrestling for some time.

I have taken my sweet time getting an undergraduate degree, but in doing so I have also put a few years of management under my belt. I'm just about to hit my tenth year in the grocery industry, and I have really learned to love it; especially the fresh produce side.

There are specific areas of my field where I will definitely benefit from graduate research; I will just have to psyche myself up to taking a few more years of school.

In any event, I just signed up for the GRE this summer.

Mitchell wrote: In any event, I just signed up for the GRE this summer.

Best of luck!

93EXCivic wrote:

bravenrace wrote: I would never get a master's in engineering. An MBA would make more sense.

But wouldn't a MBA mean I would end up managing people?

Get both. A masters in engineering along with an MBA means you can be like John Delorean and run Pontiac someday.

Mitchell wrote: In any event, I just signed up for the GRE this summer.

GOOD LUCK!!!

I am in the same question line.

I graduated a year ago with my BS Engineering / Materials Science.

Stayed on with university research internship that payed almost nothing till August and have been job hunting since.

With constantly applying to jobs since August, I have only had ONE interview in all this time. (didnt fit me/ didnt work out)

Right now I have no debt and if I want to, I have available funding to go back to school. Only problem on this is that I turn 27 in a week and to this point I have never made more than a pittance in a year so far in my life (well below poverty). To me this is unacceptable and I need to get my ass working. Only, I cant seem to get anywhere job hunting.

I am trying to figure out what to do.

1) Keep job hunting, hope something works out in the next 6 months or so.

2)Go back for MS in Materials Science, my grades were not spectacular (3.05gpa), but I have over 2 years research exerience in Nanowire synth with 4 papers published. (would probably take 3 years)

3) Go back for online MS engineering management degree AND keep job hunting. (18months) (eyeballing Ohio-U's program, also thinking about an MBA in this option and and either/or)

I have to admit that I am leaning towards 1 or 3, mostly because of how I feel about work / my life so far and just being intimidated by 2. My upper level math grades left a good bit to be desired.

Have to say that my GF, who has her masters in History is getting on my case for being intimidated by 2. I just dont know at this point. If I did that things would be rather rough money-wise for the next several years. I am planning to propose before too long and she already has ~$70k in school debt. I know that 3 is a good intermediate middle ground expense-wise that also advances my options.

Right now I am pulling my hair out. If Nothing happens on the job front in the next 6 months its going to get really really tough.

real left field.. the professor I interned for kept getting on me to get my PHD. (different institution, he couldnt open doors as that university didnt have a grad engineering program) I REALLY dont know about that.

Apexcarver wrote: I am in the same question line. I graduated a year ago with my BS Engineering / Materials Science. Stayed on with university research internship that payed almost nothing till August and have been job hunting since. With constantly applying to jobs since August, I have only had ONE interview in all this time. (didnt fit me/ didnt work out) Right now I have no debt and if I want to, I have available funding to go back to school. Only problem on this is that I turn 27 in a week and to this point I have never made more than a pittance in a year so far in my life (well below poverty). To me this is unacceptable and I need to get my ass working. Only, I cant seem to get anywhere job hunting. I am trying to figure out what to do. 1) Keep job hunting, hope something works out in the next 6 months or so. 2)Go back for MS in Materials Science, my grades were not spectacular (3.05gpa), but I have over 2 years research exerience in Nanowire synth with 4 papers published. (would probably take 3 years) 3) Go back for online MS engineering management degree AND keep job hunting. (18months) (eyeballing Ohio-U's program, also thinking about an MBA in this option and and either/or) I have to admit that I am leaning towards 1 or 3, mostly because of how I feel about work / my life so far and just being intimidated by 2. My upper level math grades left a good bit to be desired. Have to say that my GF, who has her masters in History is getting on my case for being intimidated by 2. I just dont know at this point. If I did that things would be rather rough money-wise for the next several years. I am planning to propose before too long and she already has ~$70k in school debt. I know that 3 is a good intermediate middle ground expense-wise that also advances my options. Right now I am pulling my hair out. If Nothing happens on the job front in the next 6 months its going to get really really tough. real left field.. the professor I interned for kept getting on me to get my PHD. (different institution, he couldnt open doors as that university didnt have a grad engineering program) I REALLY dont know about that.

Go for a PhD if you can make it work. MS&E can really opens doors into the medical research world.

I have a BS in chemistry with a Masters in Engineering Management and currently am employed as lead Electrical and control system design engineer. In my case, not having an engineering degree means that I either better like what I am doing now or if I want to do something else, more than likely it will have to be with a different company in a different field. I got this job based on experience not my degree, but I'm certain that without my masters I wouldn't have been hired for this position.

I like getting into some detailed EE related discussion and then admit that I am just a chemist.

I have a Bachelor and Masters in my field (Physical Therapy) and it hasn't helped me a bit, nor did I learn that much. An MBA or MHA (Health Administration) would have helped a lot more. My wife is a Civil Engineer with a Masters in Civil (soil and water conservation, something like that) and her technical studies at the graduate level have helped her tremendously. She is now running national pilot programs and writing policy documents for the Federal agency she works for. Without an advanced technical degree, that door wouldn't have opened. As for management, her agency offers "Leadership Certifications", 2 years of classes, mentoring and associated practical hours. In her line of work the ME was worth a lot more than an MBA or equivalent.

What is being said is truth. Even if you never want to manage people, a higher degree will help you being listened too also. But don't say you never want to manage. You're young and just starting out. When you get older, managing might be something you want to try. Especially after working in the field for a while you may start thinking I can do a better job managing than the last guy and want to try it.

Alls I have is a BS in BS from the school of hard knocks.

Stay in school yo.

wlkelley3 wrote: What is being said is truth. Even if you never want to manage people, a higher degree will help you being listened too also. But don't say you never want to manage. You're young and just starting out. When you get older, managing might be something you want to try. Especially after working in the field for a while you may start thinking I can do a better job managing than the last guy and want to try it.

And it doesn't have to be about "managing people." I manage my department, and I consider the people I work work with to help me achieve the department's goals. While technically the others in the department work "for" me, I don't treat anyone that way. Everyone notices an adversarial atmosphere, and it is toxic. From my experiences (just a few small departments), I enjoy management. I like the autonomy, the ability to implement ideas that I have, and the reward when my decisions are rewarded.

Pete240Z wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

bravenrace wrote: I would never get a master's in engineering. An MBA would make more sense.

But wouldn't a MBA mean I would end up managing people?

Get both. A masters in engineering along with an MBA means you can be like John Delorean and run Pontiac someday.

And then open my own car company and smuggle coke in the back of the cars.