<p>I'm still in high school, but I am graduating soon and many of my friends who are in Pre-Med have talked to me about how they plan to go to Grad School. They asked me if I am planning to go to Grad School and to be honest, I really don't know anything about Grad School. I'm planning to study Civil Engineering or possibly Electrical Engineering. For planning purposes my question is what are the benefits to going to Grad School (maybe make a list)? </p>
<p>If there are major benefits to grad school then I may consider it, but if it is just to make an extra $10,000 a year, I might think about it later.</p>
<p>For a pre-med? It’s because you need to go to medical school to get an M.D.
For engineers, a PhD is to get involved in research work, and a MS is to get a bit of advanced training in your field, generally leading to slightly higher salaries.
It’s fine not to be sure. It’s always much more clear by 2-3 years in, and quite a few things change over time.</p>
<p>I don’t know about other fields, but there is so much to learn in structural engineering (part of civil), that I think you need the extra time in grad school to be well-prepared for work. You also learn some of the thinking and research behind the building codes, instead of just using the equations like a cookbook. You can also learn more complex methods of computer analysis (finite elements). I highly recommend that people who want to be structural engineers go on to get an MS.</p>
<p>Not really, unless you pick a horrid school that will not prepare you for grad school. But honestly you have a while to worry about that. Just like what was said before, your pre-med friends HAVE to go to grad school…because they are not picking an undergrad major that can actually do anything. You will find out while in undergrad if you want to go on for the MS. I am 3 semesters from finishing and still wonder if I should.</p>
<p>^Do you think whether or not I decide to go to grad school should influence the undergraduate school that I choose?^</p>
<p>One small exception; if you go to a LAC that has engineering (Bucknell, Swarthmore, etc.) you should have graduate school, law school, or something else in mind.</p>
<p>The MS degree is what really prepares you for independent work in a specialty, CivE/structural being just one example. If you like analytical work or consulting, that should be kept in mind. But you can decide later.</p>
<p>This is the real world answer for non-govt work: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>For certain bleeding-edge fields like nanotech or AI, having an advanced degree will get you into interviews.</p></li>
<li><p>If you came from an average undergrad university, then going to a top grad school will give you contacts with good classmates and alumni base. See: Sergey Brin and Larry Page. </p></li>
<li><p>Grad school can be a reset button for a poor undergraduate record. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Other than that, grad school is a 2-year escape from reality and little else</p>
<p>To get into a respectable graduate school you need to have a decent undergraduate record. If you struggled with engineering courses as an undergraduate what makes you think you can successfully handle graduate-school level courses which require firm understanding of basic principles.</p>
Smaller engineering departments, most typically those at LAC’s, lack the diversity of classes and equipment to be able to really let you specialize as an undergrad, and most employers WANT at least a little specialization. I was hired with a cohort that included several LAC grads, and all of them, ALL went into things like technical sales or at most systems engineering. None of them went into the harder design departments.</p>
<p>It was interesting talking to them, though. My program (PSU, EE) had a group of 5 core courses and a ton of electives, but their programs were almost entirely structured with just a few options. Most of the classes I had taken were not available at their schools, although it seemed they had done more of the fundamentals.</p>
They don’t have to be that bleeding edge. Something like 70% of all engineers in my company have a masters within 5 years of entering the company, about half of those arriving with one. In some departments (antenna design, for example) it approaches 100%, and regardless the average educational level goes up the higher you are in the company. I was offered a job at one company where they told me outright that with just the BS only the pretty basic jobs were open to me.</p>
<p>
Getting an MBA does this much, much better.</p>
<p>
Only in the rare occasion where you can get IN with a poor undergraduate record, and only really if you aspire to a PhD - if you just want industry, getting a job should be easier than getting into grad school.</p>
<p>The big reason I can suggest for going to grad school, especially for a research-based degree, is that it greatly improves your knowledge base, which not only gets you into certain jobs (as mentioned above) but also gives you the skills that help you advance in your career.</p>
<p>This is one of the more ignorant things I have read here lately. You sound like a stereotypical grandfather telling their grandchild to get a real job and stop avoiding growing up with grad school. Give me a break. I’d have thought this line of thinking had faded by now.</p>
<p>A lot of the good reasons for going to graduate school have been listed already, particularly by cosmicfish. If used properly, graduate school can open up new doors for your career depending on what your goals are. You just have to be careful that the experience that you pursue in graduate school matches with the career goals you ultimately have.</p>
<p>I can tell you why I’m not, if it helps at all. I have the opportunity to apply for a 5 year masters program but I decided I’m not going to. </p>
<p>If I did this program I would go from undergrad ME to a masters in ME. I’m not sure this is really the advanced degree I want and I’m not sure what I would specialize in.</p>
<p>Also, I like the idea of working for a company that will pay for my masters. I don’t want to have to take out loans or hit up my parents or anything. </p>
<p>Finally, I may just get an MBA later on. I could definitely see myself moving into the business end of things.</p>
<p>I don’t really want to go straight into another year or two of school. That’s one of the reasons I’m co-oping this winter. I get a break and real world exposure. </p>
<p>A masters right after bachelors may be for you, idk. Also, from talking to company representatives at info sessions and looking around I don’t think you’ll be at a large disadvantage applying for jobs with only a masters, if any disadvantage at all.</p>