<p>(1) I am studying at one college for my Master's, but I want to transfer to another college the next year. Has anyone done something like this before? How do you reconcile what might end up being 2 different thesis topics due to different research interests in both grad schools? Also, when should I bring it up to my Graduate Advisor in my current grad school so that she could give me better guidance? I also believed that I should transfer to the other college because of its research and reputation and because pursuing Master's in two colleges will allow me to build a bigger network. This has also been a concern for one of the fellow grad students I talked to as well.</p>
<p>(2) I heard that for US students, PhD might not be good for chemical engineers when they're looking for a job because companies consider PhD "too good" for work and should just teach and do research instead. I want to work in an industry and eventually rise to senior engineer or manager. Would PhD hurts these chances as a domestic student?</p>
<p>Have people transferred master’s programs before? Sure. Whether or not it’s possible or recommended in your case really depends a lot on what field you’re in and what your goals are. Given that master’s programs are only 2 years long, it seems like sort of an odd decision to transfer somewhere else - it seems like a better choice to stop the program you are currently in and reapply this year to start somewhere else next year. Also, transferring in grad school isn’t like undergrad - a lot of departments will make you start over, and they won’t necessarily count all or even some of your credits. In my field transferring more than a semester’s worth of credits would be unlikely. Transferring to build a bigger network is not a good reason, as there are other ways to build networks.</p>
<p>You should transfer only if it is a significant plus to your career goals. I am not sure what you mean by two different masters thesis topics. You only have one thesis topic, the place where you end up getting your degree. Everything else is just research experience and nothing more.</p>
<p>Whether you get a Ph.D. really depends on your interests. If you are just looking to get a higher paying job, then stop at a masters. The Ph.D. does not get you much more. If you are interested in research as a career, then a Ph.D. is likely necessary.</p>