MS ECE Worth the Cost?

[Teodore]

Hi All,

 

I have an admit to a non-thesis MS in Electrical Engineering at NEU in Spring, and I'm starting to worry about the decision I made to pursue it. I have a BS in Applied Math and an MEng in Systems Engineering from Penn State. I've never had any luck with stable employment with my current degrees, which I think is mainly from not having acquired internships or relavent work experience. I'm already saddled with significant financial debt from my previous degrees, but I'm very tempted by the prospect of Northeastern's Co-op program and feel like if I can just get that bit of world class co-op experience in tandem with a very technical degree then I'll be set.

 

Though the tuition will be expensive without any stipend support, I do have the unique perk of being able to move to an apartment 1.5 miles away from the College of Engineering completely free of rent, which is an insane advantage. With the exception of a few freelance opportunities, I've been stuck at a dead end job for the past couple of years. I recognize that I'm probably a bit too desperate to make an intelligent, objective decision, so I'm reaching out here to see if anyone can offer some guidance or support. I have a ton of motivation, I'm not burnt on school yet, but I want to apply my energy and finances in the right direction. I also have admits for an MS in Bioinformatics, also at Northeastern, and a Master in Applied Statistics from Penn State (half the cost but without the co-op). Anyone have any advice?

[Texan_Air]

What is your ultimate goal after college? And what type of job are you in now (is it related to engineering)? To me it is true that you will get a good Co-op or internship in the summer. The negative to getting a masters in engineering is that you will over-qualify yourself for entry level jobs, and in my opinion the salary cost increase associated with a masters takes a long time to offset the cost of going to school again (more depends on the person). So it is hard to give advice without knowing about your goals and current experience.

[Teodore]

Thanks for the reply. I currently have a couple years of purchasing experience with some forecasting/analytical experience. No true engineering work to speak of. You are right about being over-qualified for entry level jobs - A good friend of mine went out of his way and showed my resume to a bunch of managers at his employer's engineering firm. The consensus was that I didn't have enough experience, yet due to the MEng I needed to apply for the second level jobs. I've tried over and over again but it seems like I'm stuck in some middle ground and don't fit anywhere.

 

My goal is gainful, challenging employment. I've set myself up with another chance at some marketable Master's degrees in fields that I believe will be rewarding (and that I have strong interests in), but like many things in life there are just no guarantees, and I'd hate to push myself and risk so much just to wind up in the same spot again. My undergraduate gpa was not competitive, so I've spent a great deal of my time and money trying to overcome that disadvantage. These opportunities are huge for me, but too costly at this point to experiment with (and maybe too scarce to pass up).

[History98]

In my opinion I don't see getting a second MS degree worth it in your case, it will be way too costly and hence way too risky.My advice is to just stay at whatever your current job is and try to apply to engineering positions, I know it can be a lengthy, frustrating process, but I think it will payoff in the end.Something is bound to come along sooner or later.

[Teodore]

Thanks for the advice History98. I do have a few EE grad courses that I took that may be eligible for transfer, which could reduce the tuition cost if the college accepts them. Also, the graduate co-op is basically a full time job for anywhere between 4 and 9 months. Having a low cost of living might allow me to cover a major portion of the educational costs, and still net that important professional experience.

[mac627]

I'm familiar with the program at Northeastern - I have a handful of friends who attended undergrad there, including engineers - and think the idea of the co-op program is wonderful. I have heard a lot of positive reviews of it, as well as a few horror stories (people not being placed/being placed in awful co-ops). While NEU is a good school, in reality, any student at any other university could create their own co-op program. All NEU brings to the table is the promise of co-op advisors with established connections with businesses in the industry who like to take on co-op students.

 

Have you tried looking for co-ops/internships on your own? You can contact a company you are interested in and see if they are willing to take you on. Some companies advertise for co-op positions on regular job sites as well. If all you are looking for is experience, that might provide a much cheaper alternative to going back to school again.