Would you put your career on hiatus, to attend a truly elite engineering university (MS or PhD)? 7

[TriGuy876]

Would you leave your career, and go back to school for a MS or PhD at an elite institution?


A colleague and friend in HR, in our company, applied to grad schools just for fun/curiosity this past year. She was admitted to some truly elite schools (Yale, Stanford, Harvard) in humanities. Her undergrad stats were decent but not amazing, so likely the long record of work experience and strong recommendation letters carried her through. As for us in the company, we were both happy and amused. She also got full funding/scholarship for being a single mother.

Her success sparked a debate for the engineers. Say you were accepted to an elite school for a PhD and fully funded thru a scholarship or company. Would you put your career on a hiatus to attend a truly elite engineering program (MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Caltech, Cambridge, Princeton, Imperial) for an MS/PhD?

For me it would be tough to turn down the opportunity but I don't think I would take the leap.

 

[hokie66]

Elite would have nothing to do with it. Well, maybe something, but I could name a lot of engineering schools I would prefer to some of those. The choice for further education should be about career planning, not letters after your name.

 

[rotw]

I would do if I would need to get some specific "tools" to solving some of the industry problems I need to solve.

For example If I work on machine monitoring and analysis and I would need some sharp maths which I can hardly get by doing some self studying then I might go for an MSc course (in this case, say some signal processing techniques etc for example sake).

So all in all I would need to find the sponsorship/scolarship + a university acceptance + some sort of "guarantee" to find a job in the same area for which I graduated for (which is tough in the current economy...) + not being constrained by other obligations (e.g. family support) I think for that to happen the planets and the moon need to be perfectly aligned....

"If you want to acquire a knowledge or skill, read a book and practice the skill".

 

[KENAT]

No.

However, that's because it doesn't align with my career or life goals or the reality of my current situation as hokie brings up.

My answer might be different in X years time.

Plus of course, from having worked with lots of Phd's over the last few years I'm not completely sold that having a Phd fundamentally makes you a better Engineer.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[zdas04]

When I was 19 and newly married I wrote a LONG list of things that I wanted to accomplish before I died (I hate the term "Bucket List", but that was what it was). 42 years later the only thing left unaccomplished on that list is getting a PhD. I guess my answer would probably be "hell yes" to the opportunity, but going from nearly being someone of note in my little pond to being a student would be a challenge.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[SLTA]

I went back full time for my MS, in engineering, because I had a scholarship and a stipend and I knew it would help my future plans. This way took two years; working full time too would have taken many more.

Please remember: we're not all guys!

 

[urgross]

No, not even for RPI. I'm retirement planning now, wouldn't do me a damn bit of good. Only letters after my name I expect to pursue are RET.

 

[lacajun]

I haven't seen recent stats but 20+ years ago a MS paid for itself in 2-3 years while the Ph.D. took something like 30 years. Under the right circumstances, I'd jump on that opportunity. Some will dis the Ph.D. but it opens doors not open to just MS holders.

All the best in your decision.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[EEfromOU]

I chose the university based on the programs available for the focus I needed in my industry. There were many holes in my education regarding to the industry I fell into because it is very different from focus of the industry that my undergrad was grooming me for being the auto industry.

I saw a MS as necessary to become an effective power engineer but chose to slowly complete it while working full time and it has paid dividends in the form of applying class room material/theory to actual project work. This was an enormous difference between my undergrad & masters where in one I was learning material without knowing if I would ever apply but the other I was learning the theory behind the applications I was working to engineer. This only made me dive even deeper into the material than the curriculum & project would have required if done separately.

 

[Maui]

Short answer - no. And I have a PH.D.

 

[zeusfaber]

When I was 25 (which was more than that number of years ago), I was offered (and took) the chance to do a fully funded MSc at UCL on full pay and expenses. Bit odd being "entitled" to both first class rail travel and a student railcard at the same time - and knowing I would be found a new job at the end. How times have changed.

It was an unusual course - more a sort of broadening into lots of different fields of engineering rather than a specialisation and it's given me the confidence to get quite deeply into all sorts of things ever since. It was hard work at the time, but well worth the effort.

In terms of short term career advancement, it was very useful. Whether I exploited the advantage to the full in the long term is questionable - I think I could probably have done "better" if I'd not spent so much time doing what I liked better - and I don't think I regret that at all.

A.

 

[moltenmetal]

Since I would still want a job in Canada, I would say no to a PhD. A PhD here makes you "overqualified" for more jobs than it qualifies you for.

A PhD at the end of my career, if it were fully funded? Meh. Think I'm fully and finally done with courses for credit. I'd prefer to teach one than to take any more!

 

[MartinLe]

I'm divided on that. Some days, I think I'd like to go to school again to learn some skills that I won't pick up on the job, and I'D actually like to do a (MA or Phd thesis sized) research project. I occasionally have rather harebrained ideas what this project might be.
Other days, I don't see the point in further studying and rather have job that allows me to be out of the office once in while (which I'll hopefully soon have).

Either way, right now I'm the sole provider for my family, until that changes the question is moot.

 

[lacajun]

I've been told I am overqualified for the Front Range, with a MS and all the other stuff. Life is like that. Some say yes and others say no. It's your life and you determine what you want for the future. Think about 20 years down the road. Will you regret not doing it? Will you have become a subject matter expert but not as valued as other subject matter experts, with Ph.D.s? That happens. What do you want from life? Do the hard work to figure it out.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[HamburgerHelper]

I just got done finishing a masters a few years ago. I would need a topic I was very into to even consider a Ph.D. But I think I would rather teach some courses at a community college or get deeply involved in a professional organization before pursuing a Ph.D.