Let's talk Graduate Degrees

[plain fan]

I've got a question for the members out there. What type of Graduate degree do you have or would recommend to someone considering pursuing such a degree?

I have an Industrial Engineering degree and I'm trying to decide what type of graduate level degree would better me for the future. I have several years of experience and I'm looking at either pursuing an MBA or a master's degree in some form of engineering. I've looked at both options and I can see pros/cons for going with either choice. In your experiences which would you recommend?

Thanks in Advance,
Grady

[Aurel]

It really depends what kind of job you would like to do, IMO. Pick the one that take you to your dream job. Are you more into the business side of things, or the technical-development aspect? I would say that an engineering degree plus an MBA may open more doors that a purely engineering formation. But again, it all depends what you want to end up doing.

Aurel

[MRM]

A masters degree in engineering probably won't open any doors to you that aren't already open. An MBA would open many new doors, but they would lead into management and away from engineering. On the plus side, if you do that and become a manager you would be able to make sure the boss understood engineering issues because you would be the boss.

[Jim Richards]

I went the technical route, however, either the MS or MBA will be useful in your future career. I benefited from the MS in performing my work, and I manage people and projects. My wife has the same experience. Good luck in whichever route to choose.

[Scott R]

I completed my MSIT three years ago now, had it not been for the fact that my company paid for it, I don't think I would have done it. And honestly, I'm sure that I don't need it, for what I do. Of course my field of "engineering" is not exactly considered to be on the same level as EE's and other engineers.

Now my wife on the other hand has her masters in education, and in the field of education you are paid on years of experience, and level of education. For what it cost us, I think she would need to teach for the next fifty years to recover it though.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Law.

[TechnoViking]

Learn to speak Chinese. You will be guaranteed employment for life.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Grady, my undergrad degree was Industrial Arts...i.e. "shop"... I might as well call it that; its what everyone thinks of when I mention it...but its not all that accurate. I got an MS in Business Management ten years after I finished my undergrad. By then I had two very young kids and was trying to move out of aerospace QA and into construction management.

I am certain my Masters got me the interview for my career change job with the then-Los Angeles County Transportation Commission. Today I am the Project Quality Manager for the currently-in-construction Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension project here in L.A. Previously I held the same postition for one portion of the Red Line and Green line projects.

My MS was designed for non-business undergrads and though the curriculum is a throw back by today's standards (no computers in common use in grad school then, I finished it in 1989) it got me my career. I say if you go for it, go hard. If I can do it with young kids, you can do it. Just "get through class tonight" and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Best of luck, Dan

[id10t]

For giggles consider education... even on the CC level, you get lots of time off, don't have to do a lot of work, get paid sorta decent (and have time enough for "side work" if desired...), etc.

[LakeCleElum]

If I had to do it all over again, I'd look into Pharmacy......Start at 90K a year to count pills. Or Construction Mgt....

I did OK with an undergrad in Public Admin - I also wanted to get an MBA, but a woman got in the way at the time......She later ran off and married her boss and my dentist, but I don't want to hijack this thread...

[Seahawk]

Lot's of good advice so far. On of my tours in the Navy was as a "detailer" in the Bureau of Navy Personnel. Essentially I managed the careers of over 400 naval officers, making sure they got the right jobs and education to position themselves for success.

Since I was detailing Aerospace Engineering Duty Officers (guys and gals that that are either pilots or NFOs who have been assigned to navy space, acquisition, engineering and flight test activities) the group was heavily laden with engineering talent.

My first question when the graduate degree question came up (over 90% of these folks will get them), was, "what do you want to do, what makes you happy".

Some engineers hated acquisition management and preferred to stay in space or engineering activities. I would suggest a tech management degree, Sys Eng degree or a follow-on degree in their engineering discipline (aero, EE, Software stuff, etc.).

For non-engineers I would push for a 'soft' engineering MS like Sys Eng, IM, etc.

For those with an engineering undergraduate degree that were open to a management track the only choice was an MBA, finance or tech management MS.

While the above was applied to naval officers, we all retire at some point and I felt that a broad education in various area would help them post retirement.

Hope this helps

[plain fan]

Thanks for all the input; please keep it coming.

Regardless which direction I jump I plan to also get my green/black belt in lean 6 six sigma and project mgmt certifications.

I have, and guess still do, considered law. I went to school with several IEs that went on to law school right after getting their BS.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Dan, your story is interesting. I'm a returning college student, almost finished with an Aerospace Engineering degree. Working full time with a wife and two kids. Fun stuff.

Like everyone else said, choose your path. If you're purely a tech guy, and want to be top engineer some day, go with the MS. It will open those doors in engineering that might have been previously closed.

If you're interested in management, go with the MBA. It's the route I plan to take. It will diversify your knowledge, open doors for you, and allow you to change fields if necessary.

Regardless of which path you take, either will benefit you in the future. Try to get your employer to pay for it, many will at least partially reimburse you. Good luck!

[sammyg2]

Yep, bachelor's degree in engineering backed up by an MBA is the way to go.

[MRM]

Given your comments so far, it sounds to me like your best route would be an MBA. I caution everyone considering law school that the only reason they should go to law school is if they can't stand the idea of having a career as anything other than being a lawyer. A law degree will not advance your current career; it qualifies you for an entirely different career. One which you will start over at the bottom with 26 year olds who will be your competition for positions and will be your peers when you join a firm.

With an engineering undergraduate degree you could probably get into IP, but you would probably be stuck prosecuting patents for many years. If that turns you on, you can make good money at it, but maybe not more right away than you are making now, but more eventually. Most people hatethat kind of work, which is why there is always a demand for people who qualify for the patent bar to do it.

Law school is three years full time. It is possible, but insanely difficult to do law school part time over four years and keep your day job. I know people who have done it. I still don't know how they survived. Tuition for law school is much higher than business school.

An MBA will enhance your current career. You will not have to start over at the bottom and compete with new MBAs the way you would if you became a lawyer. Business school is 18 months full time, as short as two years doing it part time. Executive MBA programs are widely available and are designed for people with full time jobs. You go to class every other weekend all day Saturday and Sunday and you graduate in two years lockstep with everyone else in the class and you receive the same MBA as the regular day program. Tuition for business school is probably cheaper. You might get your employer to pay for business school.

If you are interested in Six Sigma and process management, your interests probably lie more in the area of a business degree rather than an advanced engineering degree or law degree.

If you are interested in moving up the corporate ladder in a large company, an MBA is your passport. If you want to work on more challenging engineering problems, the MS is the route to go. If you want to do something completely different, where your current skills will enhance your new carrer, law school is the way to go.

By way of disclosure, I am a lawyer with undergraduate degrees in business and economics. I went straight through to law school and have worked for the government as a prosecutor, a big firm, a large insurer, and now have own my own firm. My wife has an MBA with a marketing undergraduate degree. She is a business manager for a large multinational in Minnesota that has something to do with Mining and Manufacturing. She has managed engineers and nontechnical staff and is currently some sort of Six Sigma Black Belt. We are both well suited to what we do. I would probably destroy the business unit if I was the MBA, she would probably jump out a window if she had to do law stuff. Talk to people in the positions you are considering and go with the route that interests you the most. If you enjoy what you do you will do it well and you will make good money at it. So the moral of the story is to pick the route that interests you most.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Martin Smith
Learn to speak Chinese. You will be guaranteed employment for life.

Or Arabic, Farsi or Russian....

[GO DAWG GO]

plain fan,

If you dont mind me asking, Why do you want a six sigma black belt? Are you using Statistical Process Control in manufacturing. As a project manager, It generally wouldnt be necessary in the real world. Do you work in a high production environment? Continuous Flow? Are you seeking a position that requires it? ..Just Curious...I was in the SPC business for a while.

Bob

[rick-l]

I got a MS EE degree and started working on PHD before a downturn in the industry and I quit. (Employer paid tuition)

All the MSEE got me was a job interview for a crappy job in bad times (that I took BTW).

[rick-l]

Originally posted by robert_snyder
plain fan,

If you dont mind me asking, Why do you want a six sigma black belt?

My guess is the classes are off site and there is free breakfast, lunch and snacks served.

[onewhippedpuppy]

From what I've seen of 6 Sigma, every company has their own flavor, and will re-train you if it's a big part of their corporate culture. Something I would pick up for free as resume filler, but not something I would use my time/money for.