Hartle 1

Natasya Hartle
Instructor: Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
December 1, 2015
Trust Me, Im an Engineer(ing Student)
My main concerns regarding the future include not being able to support my family and
not being satisfied with the career I have chosen. In order to fulfill these needs, I belive that
engineering will be the most suitable occupation to pursue. However, in this day and age,
education costs in the United States have been becoming more expensive by the year. On top of
the growing cost of education, I also must decide whether or not I will go to graduate school or
not; but how can I be sure which choice will be right for me? Because there are many different
options when it comes to education, undergraduate and graduate engineering 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 engineering? How will engineers
know whether a bachelors degree will get them the career they aspire or if employers are only
looking for candidates with graduate degrees? For me, I think that a masters degree in
engineering will have the highest return on investment for my situation. During the span of my
inquiry, I will compare the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a degree further than that
of bachelors so that fellow engineering students will be able to decide for themselves.
The first concept to consider is what are the differences between bachelors, masters, and
Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.)? A bachelors degree is typically a four-year degree and is
usually required by employers of engineers. During the undergraduate journey, students develop

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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 are 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 and will open the door for more specialized
opportunities in the workforce. Craig Manzemer, Associare Dean for Graduate Studies and
Administration at the University of Akron, says A civil engineer with a bachelors degree may
be expected to do a variety of day-to-day tasks, but a civil engineering major with a
masters who specialized in structures will have opportunities to work on structural-specific
projects." 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, (qtd. in
Haynie).

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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. In 2015 the average tuition for in
state undergraduate students enrolled full time at a public four-year university is $9,410, about
$300 more per semester than it was in 2014(College, thecollegeboard.com). The average cost for
graduate students was $35,074(Fast Facts, nces.ed.gov). 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 engineers in a higher starting position or salary
when entering a new job. However, 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. On average, an engineer
with a bachelors degree (BEng) will make $52,605 when first starting a job (Bachelor of
Engineering, payscale.com). The average starting salary of an employee with a Master of
Engineering (MEng) is $79,072 (Master of Engineering, payscale.com). This can be a major
aspect that will sway peoples decision in going to graduate school. Bachelors degrees are

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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
professor in their field of study. Its the black belt of education. When a graduate student has
received their D.Eng., they are expected to have both theoretical and applied experience related
to their field beyond whats is demanded from the masters 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 (Sheehy, usnews.com), 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. In other words,
professors and universities will pay the tutition and living expenses of the student in exchange
for work, usually assistant teaching. 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, according
to Rocca, a Harvard graduate, students with higher degrees will have more opportunities to work
collaboratively with other people of different backgrounds. 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

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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 seven 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. Rocca
writes 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,. This is because
universities pay for the living expenses of the student (stipend) so they have to work with
financial constraints. 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, (qtd. in Haynie).
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

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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.

Works Cited

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"Bachelor of Engineering (BEng / BE) Degree Average Salary." Payscale.com. PayScale, Inc.,
n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.
College Board, The. "Average Published Undergraduate Charges by Sector, 2015-16." - Trends
in Higher Education. The College Board, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.
"Fast Facts." Fast Facts. U.S. Department of Education, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.
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.
"Master of Engineering (MEng / ME), Mechanical Engineering (ME) Degree Average
Salary." Payscale.com. PayScale, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.

Might, Matt. "10 Easy Ways to Fail a Ph.D." matt.might.net. 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.
Sheehy, Kelsey. "College Majors with the Best Return on Investment." US News. U.S.News &
World Report, 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 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.