PE and MS in ChE

ElevateMeLater
Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:17:23 +0000

So, I have a couple years left in my BSChE program and I’m trying to decide what route I’d like to take once I graduate. I was thinking about getting licensed as a PE. However, I know very little about the demand and utility of ChEngs with PEs within industry. I know it’s fairly popular with CivEs but is it seen as sort of superfluous for ChEs? Are they more in demand in consulting than say in industrial process?

Also, I was thinking about getting my MS in ChE as well. However, I’m not sure how excited I am by most of the curricula I’ve seen and definitely not excited by the prospect of staying in school until I’m nearly 30. So, how valuable are MS’s for the field? Are they worth the possible debt accumulation? What is the opportunity cost of two years in an MS program versus two years gaining experience in industry? Will I enter the often mentioned “no-man’s land” of over-qualificaton for entry level pos’s and lack of experience for mid-career pos’s?

TIA