Is MS Eng. Degree useful?

a98765
Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:36:58 +0000

Hi all,

I’m an engineering major at one of the top engineering schools. I’m graduating in the spring and debating on going to graduate school for a M.S.

Here’s a bit about my background:
I hold a competitive GPA (3.8), have had 3 internships (all different companies and different areas - latest one is in product management), have held vice president and president positions in extracurricular organizations, and am graduating a year early (3 years in college - no transfer or anything).

Here’s the problem: I have no interest whatsoever in being an engineer. I want to work in corporate or have my own business (I want to be around technology but not in the engineering world - product management, strategy, or project management).

Long term goal possibilities:

1. If I stay in the corporate world, I want to be a CO.

2. If I go into management consulting, I want to be a partner.

3. Have my own business

So with less than a year to graduate, here are my options:

1. Go to graduate school for M.S. and a certificate in management of technology - this gets me one extra year to think about my options (and time for one more internship), a decent pay raise, and a pretty piece of paper that I in all likelihood will not use. After the year I will go with option 2 or 3.

2. Graduate and go work in management consulting for 2 years, then get a)MBA B)industry job C)stay. I have heard that a job in that field gets you a lot of experience in different places and really opens up your options - but they do work you to the bone.

3. Graduate and go work in corporate. I consider this the safest option.

So, from your experience and from what you have heard from others, is it worth getting a MS in Engineering?
Financing the degree is not an issue. What I’m concerned with is wasting a year and losing out on a year’s salary for a degree that won’t make me more competitive. I’m apprehensive about only having a B.S because an undergrad degree doesn’t mean much to anyone anymore. However, I’ve heard mixed reviews about getting a Master’s. Do employer’s not want to hire graduate candidates because they have to pay them more (Especially if you hold an engineering master’s but are in the business world)?
I cannot get an MBA right out of college because I want to get into a top business school, for which they require some work experience.

I look forward to reading your opinions.