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Natasya Hartle
Instructor: Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
December 1, 2015
Trust Me, Im an Engineer(ing Student)
Everyone worries about the future. Its inevitable. Whether it be the meal for the evening
or the college you will attend, everybody is afraid of the unknown. In this day and age many
young adults worry constantly about the education that they are receiving and what the purpose
of it is except to drain them of time, money, and fun. Others who are determined to make the
most of their education worry about how far to take it. But how far is too far? To answer this
question one must look at the risks and benefits that come along with the span of education that
has been obtained. For some studies, the answer is simple. For students studying things like
occupational therapy assisting or dental hygiene, two years of schooling will suffice. However,
for those interested in majors along the lines of sciences and math, for example, engineering, the
amount of education required per student changes depending on factors including the field in
which they are studying or the opportunities that may present themselves in the job market.
Because there are many different options when it comes to education, undergraduate and
graduate students alike should choose which path is right for them. However, how can one
decide which degree to pursue if they have never experienced the working world of their study?
How will students know whether a bachelors degree will get them the career they aspire or if
employers are only looking for candidates with graduate degrees? During the span of my inquiry,

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I will compare the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a degree further than that of
bachelors.
The first concept to consider is what are the differences between bachelors, masters, and
D.Eng.s? A bachelors degree is typically a four-year degree and is usually required by
employers of engineers. During the undergraduate journey, students develop a broad
understanding of the field of engineering as well as minor in-depth knowledge pertaining to a
specific focus. Scholars who earn a bachelors degree customarily enter a new career as a
relatively low position and given the opportunity to work their way up once they have gained
occupational experience. In contrast, graduate students take a different approach. Both masters
and doctorate degrees add on valuable time and money to the cost of education, however, it may
impact an engineers chance of being hired. Babatunde Ogunnaike, dean of the college of
engineering at the University of Delaware, describes masters degrees as a preparation for
careers in industry that dont involve a focus in research. In other words, a masters degree will
prepare engineers for careers better than a bachelors degree will. However, these careers dont
include those of which are set in labs and based on research. D.Engs take the longest to obtain
and by far are the most taxing. Students who obtain doctorates are highly knowledgeable in a
specific component of their field of study. Eddie Machek, a student from the University of Akron
earing his masters degree in civil engineering with plans to pursue a doctorate at Georgia Tech,
explains the difference between the three degrees as this: "At a bachelor's level you are going to
go out and do what's been done. At the master's level you are going to be in charge of the people
who are doing that stuff. In a Ph.D., that's a whole other thing because you are doing the new
stuff. You are in a lab, (Haynie, usnews.com).

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Starting with bachelors degrees, the advantages and disadvantages are very broad. The
main benefit in earning a bachelors instead of a graduate degree is the lower cost of the
education (Whitmyre, education.seattlepi.net). In recent times, colleges and universities, even
the online ones, are quite expensive for the average consumer. Many people view college as a
financial investment; they believe that the amount of money they put into gaining an education
will return, with gain, when they land a job doing whatever it was they were taught in school.
Although monetary value is a leading concern when deciding the right college experience, other
factors affect the overall cost of attendance, too; time, for example. Any degree in higher
education takes time. The hours sitting in classrooms in order to fulfil credits for a degree not
only takes away from the students time of day, but also makes it considerably more difficult to
work. Earning a bachelors degree may not place you in a higher starting position or salary when
entering a new job, but while graduates working toward masters and doctorates are in
classrooms and labs, engineers with bachelors degrees are working in real life scenarios gaining
actual work experience from their careers.
As said before, engineers with bachelors degrees are known to start careers with lower
positions, as well as lower salaries, than those with graduate degrees. This can be a major aspect
that will sway peoples decision in going to graduate school. Bachelors degrees are designed to
equip students with a good foundation of knowledge in order to start a career from the bottom
and work their way up once they learn the necessary skills. However, like earning a graduate
degree, it takes time to gain the necessary skills to prosper and grow into positions of higher
power and pay.
On the other end of the spectrum, D.Eng.s have risks and benefits, too. A doctorate
degree is the highest level of academia and anyone with such degree is qualified to become a

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professor in their field of study. Its the black belt of education. When you finish, you're
expected to possess advanced theoretical and applied knowledge pertaining to your field above
and beyond the master's level, (Rocca, gradschoolheaven.com). As expected, higher education
corresponds to higher positions which lead to higher pay. Because engineers are the most likely
to have the best return of investment for their education, most people find that the excessive
amount of years spent working toward this degree is well worth the cost. Adding on, students
pursuing a doctorate have the possibility of having their tuition waved and being payed a stipend.
Another benefit for D.Eng.s is students with doctorates are experts in their field of study and as
technology develops and becomes more sophisticated, engineers with more advanced expertise
are needed now more than ever. Additionally, students with higher degrees will have more
opportunities to work collaboratively with other people of different backgrounds (Rocca).
Engineering industries are known to work internationally and this calls for collaborations of
workers from different areas of the globe.
Disadvantages of earning a doctorate include having to work for the university that is
offering you a stipend. This is how universities are able to afford the stipend. Students will have
to work anywhere from 10 to 20 hours per week helping professors with research or helping
teach undergraduate classes (Rocca). Another disadvantage is the time it takes to obtain a degree.
It usually takes 7 years for a student to complete a doctorate program; some students take even
longer. On top of this, doctorate programs are extremely hard to get admitted into. To put things
into perspective, consider that Harvard admitted 5% of applicants for the undergraduate class
starting in 2015. A well-regarded doctorate program, though not the very best in its category,
might similarly admit as few as 5% of its applicants, (Rocca). This is because universities pay
for the living expenses of the student (stipend) so they have to work with financial constraints.

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Lastly, some research has shown that engineers who have a D.Eng. are too specialized in a single
area that it makes it difficult to find careers pertaining to their research (Might, matt.might.net).
Another question to consider is are you passionate about what youre learning?
Undergraduate studies in the field of engineering only touch on a broad range of information
without really going into depth on anything. Students who are truly interested in studying more
narrowly into a super-specific aspect of their field would benefit greatly from pursing a
doctorate. Because D.Eng.s are so specific, if a student decides to obtain such a degree in
engineering, he/she will be looking forward to excessive amounts of research and dedication to a
very narrow field of study. Aditya Srinath, who holds a masters degree in industrial engineering
from Purdue University, states "The goal is to find out what you are truly passionate about and
find a good way to apply that to the world, (Haynie, usnews.com).
In conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages to undergraduate and
graduate degrees alike. Whether it be the cost of attendance, the time it takes to obtain the
degree, or the responsibility that comes with the profession, there are reasonable arguments for
and against each degree. When determining which degree will be right for you, it is necessary to
put all of the information in perspective and see which degree will reward the most benefits and
the lowest risks. Each person will have a different opinion about which degree is best, however,
it is always based on a case by case scenario. Although all sides can be argued, I believe that a
masters degree would be most beneficial to a majority of the students in the field of engineering.
Relating the cost of attendance and the outcome of a career position, I think a masters degree is
a happy medium compared to bachelors and doctorates. It may cost more time and money
than that of a bachelors degree, but the starting position and salary obtained when entering the
workforce would compensate the loss in time and would be well work the risk.

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Works Cited
Haynie, Devon. "Choose Between a Master's, Ph.D. in Engineering." USNews. U.S. News &
World Report LP, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Might, Matt. "10 Easy Ways to Fail a Ph.D." 10 Reasons Ph.D. Students Fail. Linode, n.d. Web.
1 Dec. 2015.

Rocca, Gulio. "What Is a PhD? And Why Should You Do It?" Gradschoolheaven.com. Giulio
Rocca, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Whitmyre, Amy. "What Are the Advantages & Disadvantages of Getting a Master's & a Doctoral
Degree in Education?" Education. Hearst Seattle Media, 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.