Is paying for grad school a "bad thing?"

[rgwalt]

It depends on the program... I'm getting paid to go to grad school in ChemE. You can get paid in most engineering disciplines.

R

 

[Rumpltzer]

As said over and over again here, engineers and scientists don't pay for grad school. You'll get funded, and most likely also have a stipend to live off of. I even know a girl in PolSci who gets paid for. She has to do TA work for three of her five years, and the alternate years are on fellowship.

I'd say that an MS in engineering isn't worth a whole lot. Those who I know who left school with one were the ones who burned out or were asked to leave when they weren't making progress. Now that I'm in work I know a lot of engineers who do an MS on the company's bill. They get a bit of a pay raise, but they don't really get much out of the MS program (at UCLA!) that leads to them knowing more or anything like that.

A serious PhD would be very, very difficult while working... at least from my EE PhD experience. There was no summer, and there really wasn't a day or night. We just worked and thought and worked. It was fun. Lots of good science got done, and I got a lot out of it. I walked into my current job with a lot of resentment from the older engineers because they didn't understand how someone "fresh out of school" could be put ahead of them. I did a lot of work in silicon fabs during the summers when I was in undergrad, and I had a very, very hands-on/experimental-based grad school experience (rather than a theoretical one). In less than six months, it's well established at my work place that I am the one to go to with questions.

I've overqualified myself for many jobs by getting this PhD, but those are the job I was avoiding. That was the point of getting the PhD. I can now have one of these few jobs that requires a comprehensive understanding and massive experience.

I mentioned the PhD work was a lot of fun too, right?

 

[NakaNaka]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: Tiamat
If you are engineering, you shouldnt be paying for grad school. The department should be paying you to do research for them.

I'm not engineering. I'm in social sciences.

I know my History TA this year was not paying for grad school. He thought it was so cool how you get to go to grad school for free. You pay them back by being a TA for not much money. So I think you should have no problem not paying.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
As said over and over again here, engineers and scientists don't pay for grad school. You'll get funded, and most likely also have a stipend to live off of. I even know a girl in PolSci who gets paid for. She has to do TA work for three of her five years, and the alternate years are on fellowship.

I'd say that an MS in engineering isn't worth a whole lot. Those who I know who left school with one were the ones who burned out or were asked to leave when they weren't making progress. Now that I'm in work I know a lot of engineers who do an MS on the company's bill. They get a bit of a pay raise, but they don't really get much out of the MS program (at UCLA!) that leads to them knowing more or anything like that.

A serious PhD would be very, very difficult while working... at least from my EE PhD experience. There was no summer, and there really wasn't a day or night. We just worked and thought and worked. It was fun. Lots of good science got done, and I got a lot out of it. I walked into my current job with a lot of resentment from the older engineers because they didn't understand how someone "fresh out of school" could be put ahead of them. I did a lot of work in silicon fabs during the summers when I was in undergrad, and I had a very, very hands-on/experimental-based grad school experience (rather than a theoretical one). In less than six months, it's well established at my work place that I am the one to go to with questions.

I've overqualified myself for many jobs by getting this PhD, but those are the job I was avoiding. That was the point of getting the PhD. I can now have one of these few jobs that requires a comprehensive understanding and massive experience.

I mentioned the PhD work was a lot of fun too, right?

The main reason I was thinking MS is mainly because my major is so interdisciplinary, I feel we don't get into any detail that a more "traditional" engineering major gets into.
I actually had a discussion with that same professor earlier about this He had said that a Bio/Biomed Engineer will not be able to describe things that a ChemE,MAE, or EE cold into extreme detail....however unlike the other disciplines we can see the bigger picture and have broader knowledge of the field~ if asked on how something could affect the body, we'd do a much better job than just one of the more traditional majors.

So I asked if it would be a wise move to specialize in atlesat one thing by going to grad school, and he said that would be a good move...so I would potentially have specialization in one aspect, but I still get the general understanding. Though he didn't say which type of degree to go for....


hehe I feel like this thread has been totally hijacked

 

[Dedpuhl]

I'm a Civil Engineer in grad school. I don't do research and don't plan on doing any up until I start my Master's Project (most likely will not do a thesis).

One class is paid for by the State (gov't employee). Books and any additional classes are my responsibility. I know some other people that do this, too. I don't see a problem with it at all...

 

[alm4rr]

Originally posted by: jumpr
I've heard so many people talk about fellowships, and how if you're really worth your salt, your department will try hard to get you a fellowship. Is this true? I can't imagine that all the people in grad school right now are going tuition free...is there really that much money floating around academia that most grad students are on scholarship?

Are grad students who pay tuition looked down upon?

Nah, they usually just have to work harder. For Master's didn't get scholarship, but worked within that department and for housing and got free ride + $$$
For professional degree, lots of loans and a tiny scholarship.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: cchen
I don't know where everyone got their information from, but if you're just going to get a MS or MA, at least from the top schools, you will barely get any money from the department. ALL funding goes to PhD students, with the leftover then going to the top MS or MA students.

I got my masters paid for... Again, it depends on what your field of study is. If you're writing a masters thesis in engineering, you're going to be doing research that someone is willing to pay for - if this isn't the case, then the research probably isn't worthwhile and you shouldn't be in grad school in the first place. Now I'm getting more money for my PhD at a different school. Like I said before, it depends on a lot of things.

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
A serious PhD would be very, very difficult while working... at least from my EE PhD experience. There was no summer, and there really wasn't a day or night. We just worked and thought and worked.

:thumbsup:

Most places (for engineering anyway) won't even let you do a part-time PhD. I don't get summers off from research, though I don't have any classes in the summer. If you enjoy what you do, then grad school is great.

 

[magomago]

Is it even possible to do a Part Time PhD? How long would that take! Its like 4-6 years "full time", partime would be what? 12 years?

 

[miniMUNCH]

Don't believe a word some 28-31 year old assistant professor tells you...he probably hasn't worked a day in his life at a real job. Summer internships are not real jobs.

I worked in the pharma/biotech enigneering industry for 5+ years AND I participated in the hiring process at my last job. I held 3 different job with 3 different companies...all voluntary moves on my part for a lot more money.

To further list my creds: My dad has been in software development at VP level or above for 20 years...he has hired 100+ people for enigneering/CS type and business job positions. I know several other people very well who have similar hiring experience.

Believe me, MS's are of limited value...especially if they are pure course work MS's. I'm not saying they are worth nothing...you learn quite a bit of advanced material in the graduate coursework...but it is nothing you couldn't learn on your own on the job or in your free time.

If your doing an MS right now...don't stop, it is worth more than a BS, sure. If you don't like research and can do a MS at no financial loss to yourself, then sure, go ahead.

But you are better off getting a PhD if you can invest the time...with a PhD there is no glass ceiling on what you can do and it provides a competitive advantage in the job marketplace. A PhD proves (or is supposed to anyway) that you can become an expert in a technical field. Moreover, if you are diligent in your research and realy do some great work and develop expertise in a hot area...it can make you for life. Most of the ChemE PhD's out of Carnegie Mellon who go into industry get multiple offers for between 90-140k a year depending upon their area of research...all but a very few BS/MS could are will make the same 5 years after receiving their BS.

Not to mention that PhD work in industry is much more interesting and fulfilling, IMO. And PhD life is really fun...I work when I want to how I want to....my advisor only cares that I product results.



Also:

You can do part time PhD's as long as your advisor is cool with it and you meet university requirements...one of my friends got his PhD in EE from UCLA part-time. Of course, his thesis work was mostly programming so he did it at night.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

its horrible and if you do, you are going to hell


get a job, lots of companies will pay