Does where you go for your master matters in the industry world?

[Structuralengr88]

I have recently got accepted into University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Columbia University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for Structural Engineering. They are all for 1-year and I want to be able to land a job with an engineering company or a consulting firm upon graduation. I am having hard time deciding where to go.

Does a master degree from certain school provided different job opportunities? Do companies/firms look at where you received your masters? Does anyone know these schools have a strong network with the industry?

If any of you have any thoughts, experiences, or inputs, i greatly appreciates it! Thanks

 

[zdas04]

Really you want to look at who and what industries recruit at the various campuses. Those are all great schools with well-developed on-campus recruiting history. Check with the coordinator for the recruiting and get a list of the industries and companies that regularly come there. See if there is a fit with your dream job in your dream location and go to that school.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[JedClampett]

Those are all pretty well regarded, top tier schools. Some companies tend to hire from certain universities, but I don't think it's a education quality issue, as much as having long term relationships with the placement offices or just having a lot of graduates from that school.
Unless you have an idea where you want to work, that's not going to help you. If you do, take a look at the resumes (on line)of the top management. If they predominately went to a certain school, it's likely they target that school.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Well, two of your choices are previous schools of mine (though not for Structural). Speaking from a different (but related) field, I would say that the institution does matter but, given these are all good schools, I think the difference will be regional. A degree from Columbia will be slightly better recognized on the east coast than one from Northwestern (and vice versa for Chicago). So I think the question would be, where will you be looking for work?

Also, the difference in lifestyle between NYC and Urbana is quite large. Are you a city person?

If nothing else tips the balance, you won't find a better structural department than UIUC.

 

[miningman]

Well I never got around to getting a Masters, or an MBA, or a PhD. Does that mean that my 35 years since graduation was wasted?? With the benefit of hindsight I could make an argument that had I taken any one of those further degrees, it would have been a waste of both time and money. Do you KNOW for sure that you need a masters??

 

[Gymmeh]

A lot of companies (in my area) right now want generalists... because they have trimmed there staff and need people that can do everything.

I would not go after my MS. because it only helps a small portion of engineers that get them. If you really want a specialty like FEA, it can prove beneficial, but it also means your probably going to have less job security. When lay-offs come and someone else with a BS payed less can do the "same" FEA work... I don't believe this is the right practice, but that is what pointy haired bosses unfortunately see.

But situations are different everywhere.

 

[hokie66]

I would encourage you to go for the Masters degree if possible. Mine has been beneficial. Of the four universities you mentioned, in my opinion Illinois has the top reputation for structural engineering graduates. But as others have said, it depends a lot on the preference of individual employers.

 

[Forensic74]

IMHO, speaking as someone who got a MS from one of those top tier schools, I think the bigger difference will be if you go thesis and get a specialty (with industry contacts to boot) or go non-thesis and just take a bunch of mindless coursework. Be aware that a lot of those top tier schools have terrible courses (aka, professors who are too busy with research to teach). I found that the students who just took courses had a WAY harder time landing a job than those who did research and presented at conferences.

 

[oldestguy]

In my view any engineer that has gone on for a masters usually gets noticed and hired mainly for what he specialized in. These days a 4 year degree is really not much when it comes to all that you need out there. I am sure you don't want to be another grunt engineer. with my Master's and the experience I received from doing something that fits directly with possible jobs out there, I stepped right in as a department head over 4 year engineers. I maintained that lead all the rest of the working time.

I'd think more of what valuable subject your Thesis is on rather than the courses. For instance, what in the industry now is "cutting edge"? Can you check out the University profs in the structures department and their thoughts on a thesis project that will be something of value in industry. Are they out there in industry from time to time? Also, why only one year? You can hardly get into a useful project in one year. For Structures, I'd want to be sure their testing lab is very well equipped and suitable for all sorts of tests, including full scale structures. Any chance to get out on jobs and do your research there? That usually will be more valuable than sitting at a desk and reviewing a batch of library papers. Getting a scholarship from an outfit that makes various structural products also sure helps. Especially if your work helps promote something they make.

So, I think it is a lot more than outsiders ideas of the school. Its what's inside that counts.

 

[Structuralengr88]

Thank you all for your inputs!

I have looked through all the companies that have attended those 4 schools career fairs, and it seems like I can't go wrong with any of those schools. You guys are right, it all depends where I will want to work. I am from the east coast and working in the city would be a plus.

Master is in high demand, especially for structural engineering. Many or alot of companies 'preferred' or required engineers with master for their position. I think they are working towards a requirement for having a master degree in order to take your PE.

 

[bridgebuster]

I don't it would matter as long as it's not one of those colleges that advertises in the back of a magazine, offering a degree for "Life Experience.". I worked with someone who had a PhD from such a schoool.

 

[racookpe1978]

I have little regard for Columbia as a school seeing how poorly audited and how much-hyped their "global warming" so-called "research" is in the fields I regularly review ... If they are that sloppy in everything else as they seem to be in environment, space, and geology, their reputation is based only on the years long ago. Not on the garbage and press-releases now.

Your living expenses in Manhattan NY (Columbia) will be 4-6 times what you would need in Urbana, IL and probably 2x what you would need in the greater Chicago area. Your living conditions in Manhattan would be 4x worse than what they would be anywhere else - but then again, I don't like anything about NYC.

 

[Forensic74]

IMHO, choosing the school based on career fair turnout is a really bad idea.

 

[bridgebuster]

Racooke - I object to your notion that living conditions in NYC would be poor; rather the contrary. However, I agree that a degree from Columbia isn't what it used to be.

 

[MrHershey]

I wouldn't do Columbia. Would only go to Northwestern if they offered to pay for it. Then comes down to Michigan and Illinois. See if either of them will give you money and choose from there. I'd lean towards Illinois, but I'm biased. Illinois has been one of the top structural schools for a long, long time. I think getting a structural job in Chicago is probably much easier with an Illinois degree than a Northwestern degree. Northwestern just isn't known for engineering and Illinois has way more grads.