Ph.D in power engineering 1

[HamburgerHelper]

I see a few people in industry that have Ph.D and work in substation design and protection in my region. I don't know if they need it for anything or how much it helps them with clients? Does a Ph.D in power engineering open any doors that a MS doesn't? What kinds of things does it let you get into? In protection, does it close down some doors? Is it something that just looks good if you ever become a consultant? Is it something that only makes sense if you want to teach?

 

[davidbeach]

My take would be that a Ph.D in lieu of experience is not of much use. I recently looked through a pile of applications for a protection engineer opening and a BS plus good solid experience put the applicant closer to the top than a Ph.D plus a few short stints. On the other hand, you won't even be considered for an academic position without the Ph.D.

 

[xnuke]

I agree with davidbeach. It's something that only makes sense if you want to work at a research university or be doing research in industry or at a national laboratory where a Ph.D. may be required. The coursework part of a Ph.D. is typically equivalent to the M.S., then the Ph.D. adds typically two to four years of doing nothing but research while developing and writing the dissertation. Thus, there really isn't that much difference in what they are taught in classes.

xnuke
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