M.Sc Proj.Mgnt vs M.Sc Engr'g

[tonichic]

Hola!
I have a B.Sc Petroleum Engineering, one year working experience with marine construction company, and want to head into project-management.
I'm thinking an M.Sc in Oil&Gas Engr'g will broaden my technical knowledge of the industry (which i think is very necessary!)as well as provide specific proj.mgnt training.
A friend suggested an M.Sc in proj.mgnt will suffice,with my B.Sc and relevant work-experience.

What do you guys&gals think?

 

[reidh]

If you want to head into project management, an advance degree in business/management would be very helpful.

Thats not to say an advanced degree in engineering won't help your career, but an advanced business degree would definitely make you more attractive as a manager.

Reidh

 

[csd72]

tonichic,

Do the project management degree, doing a masters in engineering will not necessarily progress your career.

 

[IRstuff]

Depends on YOUR career. If you WANT to do management, then by all means, MBA, etc.

On the other hand, if management doesn't light your fire, then you simply might need to change jobs and be more challenged.

TTFN

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[DRC1]

Not that there is not a lot you could learn in a management track,but I would suggest staying with the engineering. You can always learn project management on the job, the finer points of which are not taught in school. It is much harder to advance your technical knowledge outside of the university. There are a lot of people in bussines that know a lot about managing, but know very little about what it is that they are maanaging.

 

[zdas04]

My undergraduate degree was Industrial Management. When I came into Oil & Gas all anyone saw was the "Management" and put me on a Business Analyst track. I'd bet that our industry would look at "Project Management" in the same light and push you in directions that tend to be off the beaten path to advancement.

I've seen a couple of the "Oil & Gas Engineering" programs and they are mostly ME programs with an emphisis on Fluids and some Chem Eng stuff about vessels and piping. Pretty good programs, but the dinasaurs in this industry tend to discount stuff like that.

If you're going to do another degree, MSME seems to be pretty well thought of, but not as well thought of as PhD in Petroleum (if you have any interest in reservoir work that is the advanced degree with the most bang for your buck). MS in petroleum doesn't seem to count for much in most companies I work with.

David

 

[lacajun]

Get a master's in engineering.

Many companies are sending employees to project management classes for a master's certificate because all the old timers have retired and taken their bank of knowledge with them. Many companies realize young engineers have to grow into project management and be taught that bank of knowledge. Everything in life evolves, even engineers.

Not everyone gets a technical master's. I know many engineers, very qualified, too, with MBA's and still doing the same old job.

 

[Qshake]

If your company is large and provides in-house project management as most large companies do, then I say go for the technical degree. I have and it has never been something I've regreted.

Most companies have in-house training for a reason, they want you to focus on the methods they've found successful. What most companies can't do is teach advanced engineering methods/theories, if they could then the company would be called a university!

Also with a masters or higher, you can grasp any management concept that I've ever come across and probably make a few of your own by researching in the library or bookstore. But few of us are savvy enough to tackle advanced engineering on our own

Regards,
Qshake

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