<p>Hello. I am considering majoring in engineering in college, however the biggest reason I am going into engineering is because I want to combine my affinity and love for science and math with a major that will pay well. As of now, I am mostly intrigued by chemical engineering. Honors Chemistry class was difficult for me but it was the favorite class I had taken. Perhaps my interests may change later but as of now I am looking mostly into chemical engineering.</p>
<p>However I am mostly interested in the research process that certain engineers do. I'm not entirely 100% sure what exactly engineers do. However, doing engineering research appeals to me more than product design or manufacturing.</p>
<p>If I was a recently graduated ChemEng grad, would I easily be able to find research jobs in comparasin to the other ones? Or am I looking at this the wrong way, in the sense that a hired engineer may be needed to take part in many parts of the design process?</p>
<p>Any answers that dispel my myths or shed some light would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I understand that is the case in the sciences, however in my search I came to notice that bachelor’s and master’s engineering degree holders are doing reesarch in industry. When I look at job listings for engineers they are all entitled “Research Engineer” “R&D Engineer I” “Chemical Engineer II” or something of that sort, all asking for bachelor’s or master’s degree holders. I am mostly wondering on how widespread these research engineer jobs - and if I wanted to pursue one after graduation, could I expect to find one, or should I be open to other options because of the possible lack of need for such research?</p>
<p>There are engineers that work in R&D departments with only a BS degree, but they are typically just highly-trained technicians. They won’t generally be directing any of the research in any way. Those with an MS get more responsibility in general but still aren’t likely to lead the project without a lot of experience and sole luck. You need a PhD to get into research as a career and to the point where you are directing the research program. The whole point of a PhD is to teach you how to research and make you an expert on your chosen topic.</p>
<p>I run an EE research department. I would agree that getting a PhD is ideal, but it’s not unusual for someone with a BS or MS to work their way up and develop the requisite expertise to do research. One of my people just finished their company paid PhD part-time. </p>
<p>Many of the top BS candidates I hire get their MS part-time and intend to go back full-time to get their PhDs, but along the way, marriages, babies and mortgages happen. </p>
<p>I was one of those engineers described by ClassicRockerDad. I did spend most of the middle part of my career as an engineering manager but opted out of management and went back into engineering. Along the way I completed 27 out of 30 units required for a MS degree but a family situation dictated that I pay more attention to family than that MS degree. So, yes, marriages, babies and mortgages do happen. </p>
<p>Granted I had a large number of years of experience, but I did do some research type projects in the course of developing some of the hardware I worked on post manager. That work was never published in the open literature arena as the company viewed the work I did as proprietary and labeled it as such. It would have been satisfying to be able to publish the work I did, but knowing that the hardware I helped design, as a result of that research, is now residing and performing it’s function on another planet feels pretty good. </p>
<p>Much learning can go on as part of one’s job that having an advanced degree is not always necessary to do top level work. It is one’s knowledge and ability that dictates what types of work (including research) that one will be asked to do. </p>
<p>Thank you for the interesting insight. To add on to what you said, I have heard that engineering firms really value those with many years of experience. Out of curiosity, did you ever go back to complete the MS?</p>
<p>Nonetheless, I’m not too concerned of starting my own research projects and managing researchers under myself, but more so taking part in the research process in a way more than just doing grunt work. I wasn’t entirely too sure if companies specifically hire someone to be a Research Engineer or a Design Engineer, or if you’re usually “dabbing” into the different parts of the engineering design process. I was lead to the impression of the former based on the job titles of job listings I had come across.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be opposed to doing a part-time Master’s and/or PhD since as of now I don’t have any plans to have children and I don’t really have that may familial obligations to start with. But it seems a part-time PhD would take a very long time. If it takes a full-time PhD student roughly 4-6 years… how long would it be for a part-time?</p>
There is no one way. Some people are hired to do research and do little else. Others are hired to do design (or other engineering tasks) and do research on an intermittent and/or part-time basis. Many people switch between roles every few years or even months, or work on several projects (some design, some research) simultaneously.</p>
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They usually try and get you through in 8 years, but again, there is a lot of variability.</p>
<p>I tried to go back and finish my MS after I retired (which was about 20 years later) so the degree would have been just for my own grins. The Applied Mechanics department that I was in had been disbanded. Some profs from that department had been folded into the civil structural department. The college had a 7 year rule (which I believe is very common) in that they roll off any graduate classes you have taken after 7 years. So, all my classes were gone. They did have some sympathy for me and the reason for my sudden departure from the college and let me get back 12 credits. There were only a couple of classes that even interested me in the civil department and it would have taken too much time and cost too much money to be worth it for me. So, no MS degree.</p>
<p>My company did pay for those classes I took many moons ago and so they had a record of what I did accomplish (if they wouldn’t have had the record, I would have brought proof of my education to my performance reviews) . It is the knowledge you gain from the classes you take and how you are able to apply it that becomes valuable to the company. So even though I didn’t finish the degree, I did gain a lot of knowledge and was able to use it in throughout my career. Therefore I got most of the benefit without actually getting the degree.</p>
<p>I do recommend that one get their MS degree. It seems as though most of the engineers I know and worked with had achieved that level. A PhD seems to carry more weight in academia than in the industry although there are some areas in the industry where the line between academia and industry seems to vanish especially where the work is a collaborative effort between the two. In those cases, a PhD does carry some weight for the bragging rights it affords. I say bragging rights because the work you are doing at that point might be way beyond what one might consider necessary for the PhD, which makes the degree somewhat irrelevant. You are, after all, doing the work.</p>
<p>I guess I should also say that, while doing research for research’s sake has it rewards, but doing research and then applying it to an actual piece of hardware was more fulfilling to me. That I could be analyzing a design, identify a need to investigate an aspect of the design that was new and required that research, do the research and then apply that knowledge to the hardware I was working on was very rewarding to me. If I was in a position where all I did was research, then I’m not sure I would have felt I had as a rewarding career as I had.</p>
<p>Be aware that if you’re doing research as a company employee, you’ll likely be doing applied research that’s of commercial value to the company rather than pure research like you might be doing in a university.</p>
<p>@simba9 Of course, I would imagine that would be the case. Nonetheless, as HPuck said I think it would be cool to see the actual outcome of your work be used and consumed.</p>
<p>Simba9, yes it is applied research that I was referring to. As I worked in the space program, the applied research would usually have limited commercial value (usually too expensive for a true commercial product) but was the only way to produce the item that the program needed. </p>
<p>I’d argue that this is not correct. A PhD carries no weight in academia because literally everyone has a PhD; it’s a requirement for the position.</p>
<p>Also, in my experience (from the academic side of things), the line between industry and academia does not vanish in the collaborative projects, and is in fact usually quite obviously there in these cases. To be honest, there should be a line there or else the company is not doing its job. Companies generally collaborate with academia in situations where there is a question in need of an answer that requires research that requires a set of specialized skills that they don’t otherwise possess, typically because the research is either too basic or too much of a one-time deal for the company to staff that kind of expertise full-time. The academic researchers usually have a very specific expertise and approach that the industry guys simply don’t have. That’s the whole point of the collaboration. I’ve seen very few situations in industrial research that closely mimic academic research, and to be honest, that’s the way it should be most of the time.</p>
<p>The whole point of a PhD is to teach the student to perform independent research, and along the way the student gains subject expertise in addition. This is why top research positions in industry, academia, national labs and other research labs are staffed by those who hold PhDs. It isn’t about bragging rights or earning potential, it is about gaining the qualifications necessary to successfully lead your own research program. The bottom line is that you should get a PhD if you want a career running a research program. If you are getting it for any other reason, you should rethink your choices.</p>
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<p>This sentiment is rather common, even in academia. I will say, though, that as a researcher, the absolutely most rewarding moment for me is that moment when you make a discovery during an experiment and, for however fleeting a moment, you are the only person on the planet who knows that little tidbit of information. That’s a very powerful feeling.</p>
<p>Of course it is always nice to see the end result of that eureka moment as well.</p>