Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Recently, I've seen a large percentage of my friends going for their masters degrees (engineering). Many of them seemed to do so more out of anxiety and peer pressure, rather than desire to learn more in a particular area of engineering.
It's important to put the bachelor's degree in perspective. Undergraduate education means that you receive a broad-to-moderate amount of exposure to your particular field. In many cases, this alone gives you an excellent foundation to start working in that particular field and develop skills where needed. Since job tasks and priorities change so frequently (especially in engineering), delving into one particular aspect of your field (via an advanced degree) may not always be beneficial.
My above case was mostly aimed at engineering degrees, as I am an engineer. However, depending on your degree type, an undergraduate degree may or may not be adequate. However, to say that a bachelor's is the new high school degree is just simply not true. Competition may grow as more people go for master's degrees, but the core value of a bachelor's degree will always be there.
Last edited by ryanst530; 03-22-2012 at 11:02 AM..
someone said that to me the other day. i told him he's full of it.
look at the numbers. 28 percent of americans have a bachelors degree +
a bachelors will still get it done if you arnt wasting your time with a worthless degree like womens studies.
this is what im thinking down the road, next 20 years job wise.
think doing something global, say a global studies, a international relations type program where you pick up a language and pair it with some math or business is going to be valuable.
engineering, computer sciences will remain valuable.
dont waste time with crap like art studies, media studies.
people assume just because they get a bachelors they should have employers waiting for them, not true.
The company that I retired from was a manufacturer of electronic equipment. My personal observation was that the bachelors degree got you in the door but did not allow for growth. Everyone that I worked with had a masters degree or a PHD in an engineering field. 90% of the degrees were in the mechanical or electrical disiplines. At the peak of employment, there were 350 engineers working there. When I retired the total was down to 70. The reason for the decrease was the companies policy of out-sourcing engineering design work to India.
So when I hear that mechanical (ME) or electric (EE) fields are still good, I get a little sick.
The company that I retired from was a manufacturer of electronic equipment. My personal observation was that the bachelors degree got you in the door but did not allow for growth. Everyone that I worked with had a masters degree or a PHD in an engineering field. 90% of the degrees were in the mechanical or electrical disiplines. At the peak of employment, there were 350 engineers working there. When I retired the total was down to 70. The reason for the decrease was the companies policy of out-sourcing engineering design work to India.
So when I hear that mechanical (ME) or electric (EE) fields are still good, I get a little sick.
The company that I retired from was a manufacturer of electronic equipment. My personal observation was that the bachelors degree got you in the door but did not allow for growth. Everyone that I worked with had a masters degree or a PHD in an engineering field. 90% of the degrees were in the mechanical or electrical disiplines. At the peak of employment, there were 350 engineers working there. When I retired the total was down to 70. The reason for the decrease was the companies policy of out-sourcing engineering design work to India.
So when I hear that mechanical (ME) or electric (EE) fields are still good, I get a little sick.
Same thing has happened to the auto industry. Much of the computer/design work is outsourced to China and India.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
