Masters or Bachelors?
Masters or Bachelors?
(OP)
Do hiring managers hire engineers with B.S degrees in other subjects and an M.S. Degree in engineering? I am pondering returning for an engineering degree. The local university is begging for graduate students. However, there are a couple of things I am considering as a 40 year old returning student. I am not concerned with the maths as I am very proficient.
1. If I get a MS Eng. degree what would my opportunities be in the job market compared to those who have a BS Engineering? How do you hiring managers view this?
2. If I go the graduate route the tuition is higher and I will most likely have to take the engineering courses I did not take as an undergrad in addition to the graduate courses, so why not just get the BS?
The MS will most likely not be ABET as few MS degrees are ABET, whereas the BS would be ABET.
1. If I get a MS Eng. degree what would my opportunities be in the job market compared to those who have a BS Engineering? How do you hiring managers view this?
2. If I go the graduate route the tuition is higher and I will most likely have to take the engineering courses I did not take as an undergrad in addition to the graduate courses, so why not just get the BS?
The MS will most likely not be ABET as few MS degrees are ABET, whereas the BS would be ABET.





RE: Masters or Bachelors?
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
For instance where I am a number of folks have physics or even math backgrounds. We even have one former employer, now contractor, who's BS was supposedly philosophy or something like that and who got a masters in precision machine engineering or some such.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
I did a research Masters, and my labwork taught me stuff that is of inestimable value to my day to day work. I know how hard it is to measure things accurately- how much effort it takes to get results that are repeatable much less meaningful. I've forgotten most of what I learned in the Masters level courses, aside from how boring and arbitrary courses for credit can be- that lesson I won't soon forget.
Don't do it as a means to make more money or to improve your hiring prospects. On an NPV basis it is very unlikely to reward you.
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
It may be unfair, but this experience would bias me against hiring someone with a non-engineering Bachelor's.
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
As an engineer, she was a disaster; always optimizing the wrong parameter of the wrong equation, using the wrong physics.
Because of her gender, they couldn't fire her.
Eventually she got promoted; she was pushy, and probably demanded it.
She did slightly less damage as a manager, merely expending vast resources on solving the wrong problem, recording the wrong data, using the wrong tools.
The company is for sale, again.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
I would guess (I'm in the UK) that companies that do consultancy would be more interested in people with MEng/MSc than the companies that do more hands on engineering.
I doubt that it would be worth paying to get a masters but if you would find it personally fulfilling and interesting go for it!
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
I have a degree in business, but working as a financial analyst for many years.
I have not heard any of you speak of the importance of the ABET accreditation in getting hired. I was under the assumption that ABET was of primary importance.
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
And it is primarily important unless some particular school stands out on its own reputation and is large enough to be known the potential employer.
Many time not being ABET accredited is a shield for a college providing a sub standard education that is "easier" to get than a mainstream college.
ABET accreditation means it will be tough and worth it.
My opinion is that the MS limits your job prospects in areas dominated by manufacturing but helps your prospects in areas with research.
RE: Masters or Bachelors?
If you really want to get an MS, make sure you have a good topic going in, preferably one that is popular. I had a great topic, but I could not find mentors at the university or in industry. It made my work extremely difficult and it wasn't taken seriously.
A friend told me that most master's students and Phds have their topics assigned by their adviser/mentor. I don't know if that is true. I made up my own and my thesis committee put up a fight.