<p>Or is a master enough for top engineering R/D in industry (excluding gov and academia)? Thanks!</p>
<p>I'm sure there's a point. I heard that 1 in 10 employees at Qualcomm has a PhD. I don't know enough give advice though.</p>
<p>I could imagine it would be invaluable in ChE and BME... it could help in ME, EE.</p>
<p>If you really want to do extensive R&D work in industry, then a PhD can be extremely valuable if, for no other reason, then for its socio-political advantages: having just a master's will mean that others will automatically assume that you know less than those who have PhD's. Hence, you probably won't be trusted to direct the technical aspects of an R&D team. {You might be trusted to direct the business aspects of the team, but probably not the technical aspects.}</p>
<p>Now, to be clear, the above should not be a reason by itself to pursue a PhD. You should pursue it because you enjoy the academic environment and you enjoy discovering new things.</p>
<p>I've heard quite often than a masters' degree in materials science is almost seen as a negative, since so few people intentionally go for a terminal MS degree, and it's generally only the people that don't make the cut in a PhD program that get one. Also most higher level research jobs in materials generally want a PhD.</p>
<p>In short, no there is no point for most people. For a select few, maybe.</p>
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I've heard quite often than a masters' degree in materials science is almost seen as a negative, since so few people intentionally go for a terminal MS degree, and it's generally only the people that don't make the cut in a PhD program that get one. Also most higher level research jobs in materials generally want a PhD.
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<p>Perhaps but I don't think any employer is going to see it as a negative on a resume. Many people chose to go for a graduate degree to advance a more specialized area of study but do not feel the need to get a PhD. </p>
<p>You're right about high level R&D. Jobs like designing CPUs for Intel are generally reserved for PhD's.</p>
<p>Well, not necessarily a negative, but it might not be seen in that much more of a positive light than a BS. Like, yeah, you have some more advanced coursework which will be a bonus over the BS applicants, but they'll be wondering why you left your PhD program early.</p>
<p>how about colleges that offer a 5th year MS degree, like MIT, Stanford, USC?</p>
<p>My undergrad school also offered it, but I was slightly discouraged from taking it, though I imagine that's mostly because the people I was talking with knew I wanted to go on for a PhD and they figured the extra MS would be a waste.</p>
<p>I imagine a combined BS/MS would be looked upon more favorably than one where you went somewhere different from undergrad and they don't really accept MS students. That said, if you can "upgrade" from a moderately low ranked school to a very well known one (or you're trying to find a job in a different region than where you went for undergrad), then finding a MS could certainly be very beneficial.</p>
<p>It really depends on the job you do. Some jobs do not require a phD and your employer will hire you at the same level as an MS student. Translate: years of your life wasted getting that phD.</p>
<p>Well, I wouldn't say that it's "wasted". I would never call an experience of learning and self-improvement a "waste". You will be a far more knowledgeable person after completing a PhD.</p>
<p>But that gets to the real point of getting a PhD: it has to be fulfilling to you to get it. That is, the PhD itself is the reward. If you don't actually obtain self-fulfillment from the PhD, then you shouldn't do it.</p>
<p>I've also heard of positions where either a MS or PhD can fill, but in order to get a promotion you'll need a PhD. One of my old professors told me a story about their classmate at MIT that got a really good job offer while they were writing up their thesis. The only problem was the job needed to be filled immediately. So, they dropped the thesis. They had even completed their defense, they only had to do some revisions to their thesis to complete it.</p>
<p>Well, 25 years down the road, he's in line for a promotion at a job, but they traditionally only give it to people with a PhD and weren't willing to give it to him with a MS. He calls up MIT and tells them about his situation, and they agree to grant him his degree provided he finished off his thesis. And paid a $2000/year late fee.</p>