Getting a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering 2

[WiSEiwish]

I graduated with only a BS in Civil Engineering and proceeded directly into work. I've worked at consulting companies performing structural design for around 6 years. Is there any point in going back to school to get a MS?
Here is a bit of personal info for all of those who may provide insight.
1. I like design work. I enjoy working on design teams, solving problems, creating construction documents, etc.
2. I like building design.
3. I like learning new structural concepts and improving my existing knowledge. There is a lot about structural engineering that I don't know, which I am not satisfied with.
4. I like to teach, and would like to be in a position someday, professionally, where I can mentor younger engineers.
5. I can see myself working my way up the company ladder, but still want to be involved in projects.

I guess I would like to know if there is a benefit to getting a MS rather than going through textbooks myself. I understand that going to a class will allow me to learn the new info better, but it does cost a lot of money and don't know if it is worth it from that perspective. Additionally I would assume that a MS is a good resume enhancer, but I am opposed to going back for that reason.

 

[structSU10]

I have been going for a masters part time for about 4 years now - about 1.5 years from the end. I have to say, a big reason I wanted to get it is one of the partners of our firm, who only has a BS, noted that some questioned credentials when they submitted the firm resume for a job, citing the lack an MS for him as a question mark. Now this was a ridiculous point, considering his 20+ years of experience, but being that jobs have been so competitive around here, anything that can be seen as a negative could be a big deal. I figured its a good thing to have if I ever make it to the higher levels, and may offer some additional 'mobility' as far as employment is concerned. It also doesn't hurt that the firm is paying for it.

 

[JAE]

I have a BS in Civil Engineering and worked a couple of years in a consulting firm - saw that most of the talented (if not all of the talented) structural engineers were M.S. degreed.

I went back and got an MS in Structural Engineering and was very glad I did.
I was a good, but not great, undergraduate and after two years of working and growing up my return to school was a very good experience.
I was hungry to learn and the education I got there really made a huge difference in my technical abilities.

In undergraduate school I learned a lot about engineering.
In graduate school I learned engineering.

Based on your point number 4 above - I would say you definitely should consider the MS degree. Lots of light bulbs going off for me during graduate school and gave me a much more robust ability to teach and mentor younger engineers through the years. And of all the engineers I've hired there is a distinct difference in abilities and personal growth in those with the graduate degree.


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[JedClampett]

Thank you JAE.
I have a Master's. But I can't say there's a 100% (or any) correlation between degrees and talent. If that was the case, we'd all be working for PhDs. It's more of a factor of curiosity, recall and providing results. My Master's gave me more confidence, which is a big factor, but most of the classes were very high level that don't apply day to day. Once in a while, but not as often as I'd like.
I'd never discourage anyone from pursuing another degree. But I got to (actually had to) get my MS right after by Bachelor's degree. One year more at the same place doing the same thing. I can't even remember applying. But working and going back, that's a big deal. Good luck.

 

[WiSEiwish]

Thanks for your responses.

My overall thought struggle is centered around the fact that I have been working for 6+ years. It seems like it would almost be too late to make it a productive endeavor. It would have to be a part time thing as I have family responsibilities plus the need for an income, so I would assume it would take a few years to get the degree.

Would it add anything professionally outside of an additional credential? I'm already a licensed PE and have passed the SE exam(just paperwork to push and money to throw now to get my license). Maybe I should be content with reading textbooks and being more active in my discussion of theory with other engineers. I don't know.

 

[oldestguy]

It's maybe a little late. However, I'd consider the long run situation. Yes, it is fun working on projects, but the better money will be in administration. You still can get involved with jobs, but some one has to be in charge. Why not you? Will the Master's help? More importantly is the ability to manage and maybe the experience back at college will assist in that aspect. That master's might be in something other than structures to serve that purpose.

 

[structSU10]

Yea, as I said above, the part time route takes a long time. I started about 1 year after I finished undergrad, work full time, and have been going for almost 4 year having earned almost 21 credits of the 30 required - so at my pace another 1.5 years. I am young enough that family obligations are not too strong (will be married in a few months so it may change within the next year or so), so it's likely easier for me. But a 5-6 year commitment (at 1 class per semester at most) is a lot. The work load is usually not terrible, however, as it usually takes me 3-4 hours per week on average to handle my course work. Professors are also flexible with some things if they understand it is work/family related, at least where I am.

 

[mtu1972]

PE2012 - Now days you don't have to go back to school.

I got my MS from a Distance Learning Engineering Outreach program. I took 1 course per semester because of family and work limitations. As noted above, it took me 6.5 years but I missed one semester because of medical issues and another because there were no classes that I was interested in. The biggest advantage is the higher level courses in all of the building materials and the analysis courses in matrix analysis and FEA.

You learn much more than you were ever introduced to as an undergrad.

gjc

 

[JAE]

JedClampett - I wasn't really trying to tie in "talent" with "MS Degree". But if you took everyone out there with BS degrees only and everyone out there with MS degrees and somehow could rate their talent, ability, knowledge, whatever, I'd think that there would be a pair of bell curves overlapping with the MS degree on the higher side. Some BS degreed persons would land above the high range of the MS degrees and some MS degreed persons would land below the high range area of the BS degrees. But on average I'd think there would be a statistical betterment with the MS.

Having said that - the OP was asking about whether to get an MS degree after 6 years, etc.
One option would be to pick and choose some classes to take that would expand the OP's knowledge base, fill in any weak areas, etc.

As I said above - the MS degree certainly helped me learn how to learn and the OP here may have the ability to self-teach without a formal program.



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[Andries]

PE2012,I did an MS in structural engineering 8 years after BS and it is extremely valuable to me in my work. Go for it and all the best.

Andries

 

[steellion]

If you're happy at your job, I wouldn't recommend leaving it to get an MS. But if you're interested in furthering your education, it would certainly benefit you in the long run. See if your company is willing to foot the bill for at least part of it for you to take night classes.

 

[WiSEiwish]

There is no way I could leave my job to go back to school. I need the income. I would be looking into a long drawn out degree as I don't have time to be either a full or even half time student.

I appreciate all the comments. It looks like it is not going to be the easiest decision of mine, so we'll see where it goes!

 

[SLTA]

I got a masters at a school that brings in practicing engineers to teach the classes, in the evenings, so that full-time working folks could still participate. (I got offered an assistantship with a stipend, so I went back full time to just crank through it.) I am really glad I got my masters - in my case, the information was mostly practical, just next level design work.

If you're in a town with several schools, look around at the different offerings and vibes. Good luck with your decision.

Please remember: we're not all guys!

 

[GregLocock]

One might think that if the goal is learning then it makes no odds how long it takes, or even if you get a piece of paper at the end. But then if the goal is learning then there are probably cheaper ways to do it than a further degree, buying a textbook and doing all the examples, for instance.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[RobLo]

PE2012,

I was practically in the same position you are in right now. Worked for 5 years after my BS, then decided to get my MS. Some of the classes I took felt like review courses, since most of the topics covered I already perform as part of my job responsibilities. This rang especially true in design classes. If you decide to go back to school for your MS, I would advise you to focus on taking classes that focus in theory rather than design, or to take classes that are different from your job responsibilities (Bridge Design if your company only design buildings). In the end, I am glad I went back to get my MS because it did sharpen my technical abilities and even if some of the classes felt like review courses, it at least allowed me to confirm that what I'm doing at work is right (lol... sad I know).

 

[GerryBertier]

Can anyone give an approximate cost to their Master's Degree? Anyone take classes online?

 

[WiSEiwish]

RobLo, That is a good point. There are some classes/concepts that I definitely want to explore. I would want to take classes in things that I don't do already at work and things that I want to be able to do in the future. Off the top of my head here is my list: FEM, Prestressed Concrete, Wood (Materials & Design), Earthquake/Wind Design, Dynamics, Soils/Foundations, and potentially bridges. I'm not into bridges, but I feel that knowledge there (as a structural engineer) would be helpful.

It's good to know you are right! Confidence in your work is very important to your ability to enjoy what you do. I've struggled with it and still do.

 

[structSU10]

The cost of my degree keeps creeping up. it started at about $2800 per class, and is now to about $4000 per class. This increase has been over a 3 year period. So all in the degree will likely cost about $34k.

 

[WiSEiwish]

Yikes, that's a lot of money. I have a state university near me that looks like it is going to be around $2,000 per class. It seems like a lot, but I guess that is the nature of the educational beast these days.

 

[Whiffle]

You will not regret doing your MS degree. It's going to take time and money, but the time will pass either way, and in 4-5 years from now (assuming part time school) you will either have your MS or not. I would check with your company and see if they will help with the money part. Many companies offer tuition reimbursement because the more engineers they have with MS degrees the better the company looks (aka..it's all about marketing to them).