<p>so I got accepted into my school’s MSME program for the fall, but I’m hesitant about accepting the offer as I would prefer to find full-time employment first, and then have the company reimburse me for it. However, I’ve been having lots of trouble finding full-time jobs but have just recently gotten two internship offers. </p>
<p>I got a summer internship offer from the DOE and a summer research internship for the weapons systems dept for the navy. The DOE lab has only given me a few days to accept the offer or not, and want proof that I will start grad school in the fall! I’m still not sure which offer to take as I have to find out more about what projects I will be working on for the DOE and the navy, and which one will help out more for a future career in mechanical engineering, since I did my undergrad in physics and applied math.</p>
<p>I was thinking about just accepting my school’s MSME program and then submitting the proof to the DOE lab, which is LLNL. I’d imagine that if I reject the offer afterwards, but in the future apply for full-time work there, they’d look down on me and not want to hire me. But what about my school’s ME department? If I accept the offer but then don’t show up for the fall, will they look down on me if I want to re-apply in the future, for say, the 2011 fall term? I spoke to my school’s advisor and he said they have no official deadline to accept the offer. He said lots of students accept the offer but don’t show up. I believe he said that I would just easily re-apply for a future term if I am a no-show. But that doesn’t really make sense to me. Why would they not get angry/annoyed at a student who took up an admission slot, without notifying the admissions, and then didn’t even show up for the admitted term?</p>
<p>I don’t know what’s your school’s policy but you can withdraw from school at the right beginning and attend the next semester. I know for my school, if student withdraw from school for dire reason (family emergency and other unexpected thing happen), he/she have option of not attending the semester and next semester. Do you summer internship and if you like it or they offer you full time job, take it. If you just don’t like it, you can go back to graduate school for a chance at another job later. Just keep your options open.</p>
<p>It depends on the type of program and funding - if it is a doctoral program and/or they are guaranteeing you some funding, then yes they WILL hold it against you in the future. If it is a masters program which you are paying for out of pocket… they won’t care at all!</p>
<p>“I don’t know what’s your school’s policy but you can withdraw from school at the right beginning and attend the next semester. I know for my school, if student withdraw from school for dire reason (family emergency and other unexpected thing happen), he/she have option of not attending the semester and next semester. Do you summer internship and if you like it or they offer you full time job, take it. If you just don’t like it, you can go back to graduate school for a chance at another job later. Just keep your options open.”</p>
<p>For the DOE lab at Lawrence Livermore, they told me most interns don’t even get full-time positions afterwards. Also, since I have to start grad school in the fall for them to even accept me, I’m sure they’ll look down on me and not hire me for full-time if I withdraw from grad school in the fall. </p>
<p>"It depends on the type of program and funding - if it is a doctoral program and/or they are guaranteeing you some funding, then yes they WILL hold it against you in the future. If it is a masters program which you are paying for out of pocket… they won’t care at all! "</p>
<p>This is for the MS program. Right now, I have to pay out of my pocket, but I want to do the thesis-option later on so I can get funding.</p>
<p>Some schools allow you to defer acceptance for one year without holding it against you.</p>
<p>don’t expect a company to fund your MS degree, unless you have a special skill or an interest that the company’s wants. If you want an MS then do the 5th year program at your school and be done with it in 12-18 months. </p>
<p>don’t expect to get that much $$ with an MS over a BS with 2 years experience. </p>
<p>don’t expect to have much time to do a PT MS program while working. The company is paying you relatively big bucks for your skills, and they want your full attention. </p>
<p>You can also be replaced.</p>
<p>LP - my experience has been very different. </p>
<p>
The last two companies I worked for paid for a masters for ANY professional employee in their current line of work. My masters funding was approved less than two weeks after I started, and something like 50% of the engineers in my company as some point get a masters degree this way. The company likes the idea that you are expanding your knowledge and therefore becoming more valuable to the company.
True, at first - most companies would pay the two roughly equally, although some do have additional incentives (one company I worked for automatically gave you a small raise upon graduation, beyond any others you were eligible for). In the long run, however, someone with an MS has better earning potential than someone with a BS - it becomes progressively harder to advance without the masters.
Yes and no - you will be expected to keep your performance up to a certain standard, but in the sciences and engineering most companies are all in favor of you getting a masters degree while you work. Both of the companies I worked for in my field were very flexible in allowing people out for classes. Getting them to pay for your time while you are in class is much rarer, but does happen sometimes.
Yes, but for professional positions this is actually a relatively expensive option, and I know of no companies that consider this a good option. In many fields, the overall cost of replacing a professional employee can equal or exceed the cost of the masters degree!</p>
<p>One last thing - I would HEARTILY recommend a research-based masters over a coursework-only degree, the most common of the part-time-while-working options. You learn more, and that makes you better at your work and makes it easier to get promotions and raises.</p>
<p>^ I do not doubt your experience. I’m just trying to help OP be aware of some big IFs.
We may be in an era of scarce jobs, and if I was an employer, I’d be careful on who I would hire.</p>
<p>My advisor still remembers the name of a student who accepted an offer to the program, took Summer Fellowship money, and then jetted off to a more prestigious school without informing anyone EIGHT YEARS AGO.</p>
<p>Trust me, this student won’t be getting any job offers from anyone closely related to my advisor.</p>