HELP! MSc Chem Eng worth it?

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>I have to decide whether or not a MSc in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M is worth it. My biggest concern is the student loans. Cost of attendance is just under $30,000/year for out of state.</p>

<p>Quick Background
I graduated from a very lowly ranked school in 2009. I took most of 2010 off travelling with a cousin...good times. But since then I have had a difficult time securing a job. I think a major cause of this is the fact that I did not intern throughout my undergrad (wish I had known the importance of this). It seems that the department has little connections with the industry because even the career fairs were kind of weak for ChemE's.</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
No desire whatsoever to do a PhD.
Will be 24 years at start of program.
Hope to transition from engineering to management some day.
Maybe get an MBA.</p>

<p>Legitimate FEAR of student loans? What do you guys think?</p>

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<p>You’ll be making $80k when you graduate.
It would be pretty easy for you to live cheap for a few years and put $20k/year towards your loans. So in about 3-4 years, you could pay it off. The question is: are you willing to make the sacrifice?</p>

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<p>It appears that the Texas A&M route might be the right one for you to get back on track…</p>

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<p>What is your specialty within ChemE?..Is it a hot/in-demand area?</p>

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<p>Really appreciate the replies folks. </p>

<p>@GLOBALTRAVEL: I like to think so. I am a fan of reaction engineering and intend to work on renewable energy (more specifically, biofuels).</p>