<p>What is the current thought on obtaining an engineering BS versus going to grad school before entering the work force?</p>
<p>If you earn continue straight through to grad school, will some companies overlook you because you are more expensive to hire?</p>
<p>Well, if you are in CS then you dont need grad school…if you are in BME then, forget grad school. You need to go all the way to Phd. If you are in ME like me then I would like to go to grad school and be done with school. Then after, I will find a job as I dont want to be unemployed. I am sure I will find a job with my grad school degree.</p>
<p>how about Electrical Engineering??
and if some 1 wants to go to grad school before getting a job?? how are you going to pay for grad school?? loans??</p>
<p>EE is a good major and you will find job with that degree. Personally, I have been able to maintain high GPA (now it stands at 3.80 cumulative) so I will try to apply for scholarships for grad school and find TA job on campus and get govt loan a little bit. </p>
<p>So far, I dont owe that much for the loans and by the time I am in grad school, I will not owe that much only around 10K. </p>
<p>Anyhow, I have been thinking also going all the way to Phd…Master vs Phd but who knows I am just exploring it. </p>
<p>My personal philosophy is I dont want to owe 60K or 100K for going to college, grad school, phd, etc. That’s why I have been studying hard to maintain high GPA and getting scholarship, etc. my other philosophy is nothing is impossible AND if you need it so badly, you will get it eventually.</p>
<p>In some engineering fields and definitely in CS, you really do not need a masters degree. Now some companies have certain senior technical positions that don’t REQUIRE a masters degree but a masters degree can shorten the years of experience needed to get that position. An even more specialized case is federal government contracting where holders or masters degrees can command a higher billing rate for more salary.</p>
<p>To answer the OP, there are some cases where the following equality holds:</p>
<p>M.S. degree then experience = Experience then M.S. degree</p>
<p>Meaning that for some senor technical positions, it does not matter when you earned your M.S.</p>
<p>Sorry you have to get a Masters before you get a Phd right or can you choose? P.S. In my country you can earn your Phd and work at the same time but it seems like when I finish undergrad and go for Phd in the US. I have to miss out on four-five years of work for a Phd. Is this true?</p>
<p>Lelyke: Nope…you can go straight for Phd after undergraduate in the US. Just check the Phd admission requirements and they will tell you. Or, you can go for Master then Phd too but it is a long way of doing Phd.</p>
<p>Alternatively get a job with tuition reimbursement. Engineering companies consistently offer up 20k a year depending on company. You can get an online masters with a high ranked school and they will pay for it. Best of both worlds. </p>
<p>IMO the only reason you should attend a traditional masters program on campus are:
<p>You can get your employer to pay for your degree if you dont want to do the above.</p>