<p>Do people planning to get a bachelor's in some kind of engineering go on to graduate school? Maybe this is kind of a weird question but I honestly don't know how it works, or if graduate school for engineering even exists.</p>
<p>Yes, there are graduate degrees in engineering. That's what makes a 'college' a 'university'. At many schools, a substantial percentage of the graduates (with bachelors) go straight on to graduate school. The departments and majors are almost identical to those of undergrad, but there is more specialization. Typically, you need to complete 24 to 30 credits, and most MS degrees require a thesis. If you knock off some graduate courses as an undergrad, you could have an MS a year after your BS. </p>
<p>Alternatively, many engineers go to work as professionals for a while. Many companies have tuition assistance, and almost any city has a nearby engineering school that offers graduate courses at night. This is how I got my graduate degrees. That way, alls you give up are reruns of CSI and Law and Order. </p>
<p>I prefer the part-time method, because you can get a better sense of whether your specialty has an application in the real world. </p>
<p>And, as many others have indicated, there are also options for going to law school, business school, or starting a rock band.</p>
<p>So pursuing a graduate degree is definetely something you would want to do eventually? How much more does it benefit you than having just a bachelor's?</p>
<p>In terms of salary, I know that many schools post average salaries for Bachelors, Masters and Ph.Ds. From what I can tell there's a pretty big jump between a B.S. and an M.S. but less so from an M.S. to a Ph.D</p>
<p>From my husband's experience, there can be a very large difference in the types of jobs you get to do with a B.S. and with a more advanced degree. Also, the longer a particular speciality within engineering has been around, the more likely it is that you'll need the advanced degree to get hired for certain jobs.</p>
<p>He did it in stages, which is a good way to explore as well as to be able to afford more school. He worked a year or two with a B.S., went back for a Masters, got a job in a specialty, then finished up the PhD while working part time while completing his thesis.</p>