Advanced degree 1

[siuceric21]

I am considering going back to school to earn my doctorate. I currently have my masters in structural engineering. Do you think it would benefit me I'm afraid it will limit my job opportunities.

 

[ToadJones]

IF you are going to teach, go for it

 

[delagina]

I always thought structural engineering is the worst engineering to get a Phd. If I were a chemical engineer, most likely it will benefit me.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

I wouldn't say that it would limit your job opportunities. Instead, I'd say that you shouldn't expect it to improve your job opportunities or expected salary.

 

[connectegr]

If you want to teach or research, and really enjoy the technical/theoretical side of design, go for it. In the workplace/jobsite PhD usually means you have theoretical experience in a very specific application, which rarely applies. Most doctoral work never makes it into practice. Choose well if you are planning to return to the workforce. Depending on your career path, this may or may not be practical.

In better times, I have been guilty of filtering resumes based on masters degrees and experience. But a PhD has never carried much weight for an entry level position. For a management position an MBA (my preference) might make a more well rounded professional.

I find with my industry/spec committee involvement the groups are very divided between academia (PhD's) and practicing professionals. And the individuals rarely overlap. But, there are some very talented exceptions.

http://www.FerrellEngineering.com

 

[Forensic74]

It will limit you to academia and big companies. You will have less choice in where you want to live, but have the potential to make a lot more if you play your cards right. If you dont play your cards right and want to stick to general design, it will likely be the biggest waste of 4 years of 80 hour work weeks in your life, not to mention the opportunity cost of going back to school (even if funded) is massive.

 

[SAIL3]

As the old saying goes "if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging"

 

[bridgebuster]

Josh is right. In most companies it won't improve your job opportunities, unless you get into something highly specialized. The guy who sits in front of me is a PhD; we make the same money.

 

[siuceric21]

Ok thank you all for your input it was very helpful. where i wouldnt mind teaching im not sure i want that to be my only career option.

 

[dhengr]

No amount of added education should be detrimental to your job opportunities if you select courses carefully. A Ph.D. would likely narrow your focus, and take you away from practical experience for several years, along with lost income, plus educational expenses and time. I think your masters, with another course or two, here and there, and then some well rounded, real serious, experience, all you can tackle and absorb, will make you a much better practicing professional engineer.

You might also want to work on you writing a little bit, if you want to be taken seriously as a professional, as opposed to a twittering twit, re: your 6NOV11 post.

 

[WARose]

Whatever you do: don’t go [deeply] into debt doing it. When I got my masters degree [in structural] I kept working full-time but went at a 1 class/semester pace. Therefore I was debt free when it was said and done. Now obviously you won’t finish a PhD at that pace…..but the point is: have a plan. And as others have observed: don’t expect a big pot under the rainbow once it does happen.