Graduate School in this slowing economy?

[yacobito]

I am currently an engineer with a M.S. in Electrical Engineering. I have been working for the past 5 years in the MEMS industry and was thinking of going back to school for my Ph.D. In today's slowing economy is this wise? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[civilperson]

Knowledge is the best investment.

 

[ctopher]

A Ph.D. at anytime will be good for your career.
The economy will pick and you will be ahead of the pack.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
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SolidWorks Legion

 

[KENAT]

I'm tangentially involved in the nanotechnology sector and it seems PHD are highly valued in it, I assume this goes for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems too.

As such a PHD might well be a good investment. By the time you graduate, hopefully, the economy will have at least started to rebound.

Do you have the money in the bank to live off, or would you be able to get any kind of sponsership/grant?

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[TheTick]

Might as well go now while things are slow, be ready for the next upswing. Of course, you'll have to compete with all the others losing their jobs and returning to school.

 

[yacobito]

Thanks for the responses. It will not cost me anything to go as the University's I am applying to have pretty much guaranteed funding for Ph.D. students. That pays for tuition and will pay ~20-25K a year in return for research. I am married and my wife also has pretty good job working for Harvard University (clinical psychologist). We should be able to stay ahead while I am at school, just not be putting away as much as we have been the past couple of years.

Thanks again.

Jacob

 

[TheTick]

universities
better brush up on your grammar's before taking the GRE

 

[teuta0512]

Ciao all,
Good point you all! When I finished my masters program I said this is it... I'm done for good. Now that I don't have a job and seeing what is going on, I'm contemplating to continue with a PhD program... never say never ))
yacobito: which University has guaranteed funding for Ph.D. students?

 

[yacobito]

TheTick, good find! I wrote that quickly as I was heading out of the house. I re-took the GRE and did alright, so one less thing to worry about.

teuta0512, the 3 schools and departments I am applying to are:

Harvard University - Applied Physics
MIT - Electrical Engineering
Boston University - Biomedical Engineering

BU guarantees funding/research if admitted. Harvard and MIT (and most research universities) only admit students who will easily be paired with faculty and thus be funding. I have good friends at both Harvard and MIT and have never known a Ph.D. candidate that was not funded. I hope that helps.

 

[Unotec]

Even though there is no way in hell anybody could suceed in getting me back in between four walls and put me through the suffer brain damage I went through (well, at this age I guess I could skip the lab-made drinks), I support knowledge big time.
If you can support yourself through the PhD AND ENJOY that kind of punishment, go for it. Knowledge is the best weapon you can have.
My dad told me that my education was going to be my only inheritance and, so far, it has taken me very far.

<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying ” Damn that was fun!” - Unknown>>

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Go back to school and open up a job for the rest of us....

Just had to say that and good luck.

 

[bk19702]

Go for it. Self education is one of the best investments you can make.

 

[MJCronin]

jacob

Go for it... It sounds like the PHd would fit in with your lifestyle, ambition and family plans.

Things change, you might never find yourself in this kind of favorable position again...

Never put yourself in a position where you might look back and lament about the road not taken.

-MJC

 

[456xyzabc123]

Personally I would not go for a PhD unless I'm sure to find gainful employment after graduation; preferably in the academic field. If you're planning to pursue an academic career afterwards you must really enjoy research and be ready to became a paper publishing machine.

If that is not your thing then i would suggest investing the next four years of your life into another career with good job prospects...(perhaps in the health care field.)