Second Master degree for a structural engineer?

[isok89]

Greetings all,


I am a junior structural engineer and I have recently completed a Master's degree in Structural Engineering.
Currently I have nearly a year of work experience. During my S.E degree I got interested in geotechnical engineering.

I have the ability now to pursue a Master in geotechnical engineering as a second degree while
working as a structural engineer at the same time.

To the structural & geotechnical engineers here:

Would you recommend me doing this?
I surely enjoy the topic but would it also help me in advancing my career?
Maybe like starting an own company in a few years?

 

[SLTA]

I think the more usable knowledge you have, the better. I do a lot of residential structural investigations that require getting a geotech involved. Depending on what you do with your future company, it could be very helpful. Good luck!

Please remember: we're not all guys!

 

[msquared48]

Multiple disciplines with multiple licenses to practice are not uncommon.

I know a Civil with a Surveying license too. Helps with plat development...

You would have a Civil, a Structural, and a a Geotech license. Better suited for a more complete package to the client...

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[spieng89]

Couldn't hurt especially if your employer is willing to pay for the graduate degree! If you have to pay out of pocket, you may be better of trying to gain work experience within the geotechnical field, by either finding a mentor in geotech and asking questions or finding a job that will allow cross training in both structural and geotechnical.

 

[NorthCivil]

I personally wouldn't bother. IMO, there is jacks of all trades, and masters of one. generalists and specialists. no such thing as a master of all trades.

I would focus on work - more to learn at work than in school IMO.

If you are planning to work primarily in structural, the amount of geotech you will see will not be requiring a post secondary degree. concentrate on getting out in the field, seeing open holes, poking your finger in different soils. read as many geotech reports as you can, talk to as many geotechs as you can. buy a pocket penetrometer.

 

[oldestguy]

See your other post and ENR comment. You might just go to work for an interesting situation after doing some checking.

 

[lacajun]

It's out of my field but why not get a Ph.D. in geotech rather than another master's? I worked with an engineer that had multiple masters, which didn't do much for him. Had he gotten the Ph.D., he would have been much better off and he stated that.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
NSPE-CO, Central Chapter

 

[oldestguy]

lacjun: In the geotech field the only Phd's I've met or know of are professors. In the "trenches" getting things done and doing them right, never seen a PHD. A few geotech professors also have been active with a side business, but then only on occasional special situations, such as expert witnesses.

 

[lacajun]

oldestguy, there are Ph.D.s that get their hands dirty, with field work, i.e., engineering and site work. More are probably in academia but some didn't go that route.

A petroleum engineer encouraged me to get a Ph.D. because he found that's when people really start listening to you and it opens doors that are not open to people with a master's. If memory serves, he is also a PE so putting a Ph.D. in his career basket made a big difference for him.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
NSPE-CO, Central Chapter

 

[Terratek]

It couldn't hurt. But you would need some practical experience doing geotechnical engineering to get the value out of the degree. Just like if I, a geotechnical engineer, got a master's in structural engineering - without real world experience, it would be some high level knowledge that I wouldn't know how to apply in the more $practical$ ways. Fort structural, you need to know the academics and the codes. For geotechnical, you need the academics and the experience.