Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering a Must?

[NaOH]

Well, it's that time to start thinking about post graduation and I could either work for a while then go to graduate school if I feel that it is necessary or go to grad school right after I graduate. I'm probably not going to get into the best grad school there is for my field but I figure it's better than just a BS anyways. Any experiences and advice?

 

[Aikouka]

I don't think my employer requires Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering. I doubt you'll be bad off without one, but you're doing a good thing by checking!

Don't forget to try to talk to some company recruiters/HR departments to see what they say!

 

[NaOH]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
I don't think my employer requires Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering. I doubt you'll be bad off without one, but you're doing a good thing by checking!

Don't forget to try to talk to some company recruiters/HR departments to see what they say!

My GF's dad says that his company is only looking at potential employees with MS degrees. He also mentioned that a few other companies are doing that as well. My advisor is always telling me to go to grad school and that I'm doing very well. He mentioned that I should come talk to him more about it and I probably will this coming semester. Anyone else have experiences with going back to school after working? That was my original plan.

 

[Flyback]

A lot of people take the stand that you should go to a top grad school or don't go at all. That is true, for business majors and lawyers. If you can go to a pretty decent (non-podunk) university, then give it a shot. Apply to all the scholarships and teaching assistant jobs you can (if you need money to get through it).

Once you're in a company and about to get promoted, they won't stop a good worker from climbing the ladder and first ask "well, WHICH grad school did it [degree] come from?". I know people with podunk university masters degrees and it has helped them climb the ranks.

Also, I thought you had to become a certified professional engineer and get the secret club ring before you could go on to masters? If not, give it a shot. Might as well get it done before you get stuck with kids (even doing it part-time would suck..imagine those snot-goblins crying and screaming all night for their early years?). Yeah...give it a go!

 

[NaOH]

Originally posted by: Flyback
A lot of people take the stand that you should go to a top grad school or don't go at all. That is true, for business majors and lawyers. If you can go to a pretty decent (non-podunk) university, then give it a shot. Apply to all the scholarships and teaching assistant jobs you can (if you need money to get through it).

Once you're in a company and about to get promoted, they won't stop a good worker from climbing the ladder and first ask "well, WHICH grad school did it [degree] come from?". I know people with podunk university masters degrees and it has helped them climb the ranks.

Also, I thought you had to become a certified professional engineer and get the secret club ring before you could go on to masters? If not, give it a shot. Might as well get it done before you get stuck with kids (even doing it part-time would suck..imagine those snot-goblins crying and screaming all night for their early years?). Yeah...give it a go!

Thanks man...I guess it's time to start planning how I'm going to pay for that sucker.

 

[fire400]

the thing with a masters degree is that it can make you more 'elite' in society. sadly, that's how it can work in the long run. but if you're truly devoted to making a difference in your own life and wanting to become more well rounded, I see nothing wrong with going as far as graduating with a masters. you will get paid more, plus you will probably be much happier knowing that your capablities are standing out with your very own potentials for success. things is, you are more of a leader figure to those who have gotten less schooling than you have, as far as no college degree, bachelors, masters. PHD is a diff. story, but you will seriously stand out with a masters, even if you may or may not use the extra studies in your immediate job.
so you're talking about hardcore scheduling maintenance. my friend did a masters in computer science at the U of M and still got a multimillion dollar statistics company up and running, and even had a hardware company before he sold it and started the statistics business. has a family of several kids and holds important positions in other various organizations. best off all, he grew up with 'nothing' as a kid, meaning he was a lot poorer than what we consider 'poor' in America.
anyway, you got lot of potential to even consider a masters, so venture for it and prove that you can achieve what others fear of even seeing what their own hands can do.

remember, humanity has no limits, the mind shall be key, and fatique makes cowards of us all. precision of success starts with yourself taking action, not just letting things pass you by. credentials can be in a frame on a wall to make you look good, or it can give you the experience of a life time to see the future from where you already stand.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: AMDUALY
My GF's dad says that his company is only looking at potential employees with MS degrees. He also mentioned that a few other companies are doing that as well. My advisor is always telling me to go to grad school and that I'm doing very well. He mentioned that I should come talk to him more about it and I probably will this coming semester. Anyone else have experiences with going back to school after working? That was my original plan.

I'll inquire on Monday if I can find the right person to ask.

 

[TuxDave]

If you want to do some decent design work, I would agree. If you don't mind staying in testing, then you can get by with a B.S.

 

[CountZero]

It probably depends on the area you want to work in (testing, digital, analog, RF, power, etc) but a MS seems to certainly help. When I graduated with my BS in 2001 almost no one with a BS got a job but it was a bad year. Of the folks I knew that graduated last year with a BS more than half ended up in some type of test and verification position.

I'm back in working on my MSEE and when I worked this summer no one I worked with had less than a MS and this was an ASIC design team. I interviewed on site with four places and most had more MS/PhDs than BS by a wide margin.

You will probably not have to pay much to get your MS if you can get TA/RA positions. If you know a prof really well already see if he/she would be willing to fund you. I got more valuable experience working in the lab than I did working as an intern.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Well, it's that time to start thinking about post graduation and I could either work for a while then go to graduate school if I feel that it is necessary or go to grad school right after I graduate. I'm probably not going to get into the best grad school there is for my field but I figure it's better than just a BS anyways. Any experiences and advice?

go for the professional enginerr cert

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Flyback
Also, I thought you had to become a certified professional engineer and get the secret club ring before you could go on to masters? If not, give it a shot. Might as well get it done before you get stuck with kids (even doing it part-time would suck..imagine those snot-goblins crying and screaming all night for their early years?). Yeah...give it a go!

I have never heard of a EE getting their PE. Our department really doesn't even discuss it at all with the ECE undergrads.

 

[BrownTown]

Hmm, im a EE student and have never really considered getting an ME degree, all the people i worked with the last 2 summers didn't have one and they were all doing fine, is it really that big a deal? And if it is, how often can you get the employer to end up paying for it isntead of taking it right out of college? Several of the people i worked with were doing something like that with MBA or ME degrees.

 

[CanOWorms]

I would recommend you get your MS part-time while working. It may be a difficult 2-3 years, but it would be a better use of your time: building up your work and academic pedigree simultaneously.