The idea of forgoing a new, potentially high-paying, career for additional education in the form of engineering graduate school can be intimidating to an undergraduate student. While extremely rewarding, graduate school is not for everyone. However, I find many students do not consider it because they have a misunderstanding about what graduate students do and what their daily life looks like.
When I was an undergraduate at Louisiana State University, a professor (later my PhD advisor) gave a presentation on the top myths of graduate school. It had a huge impact on me and some of my classmates. Even those that did not choose graduate school had a new understanding about what it was about. Now, as a professor at University of Texas at Austin, I give a similar presentation to my students every year. Below I list and discuss my “top ten myths about graduate school.” Importantly, these reflect my experience and observations as a student and a professor at the schools I have intended. Every school, graduate research advisor, and student experience is unique. If you are considering graduate school, check with the department and potential research advisor about their policies.
1. Graduate students are poor. In many non-engineering programs (e.g., medical, law, and business school), graduate school and tuition can be a tremendous burden and significant student loans may be needed. However, in many engineering (including petroleum) programs, tuition and fees can be waived and you can be paid as graduate research assistant (GRA) or teaching assistant (TA). The pay is usually ~$25K/year plus tuition and fees for 20 hours/week of work. Much of the work done as a GRA contributes to your research and final thesis/dissertation so in a way you are being paid to go to school. Exceptional students can receive additional fellowships and summer internships (if your faculty advisor believes is appropriate) can often be financially rewarding as well.
2. You will make a lot more money with a graduate degree. It is often assumed that an advanced degree will translate into more money. In my experience, the starting salary of MS and PhD students is ~$10K and ~$20K higher, respectively, than BS students. However, this difference is usually more than made up by a BS graduate with raises, bonuses, and salary accrued. There may be additional opportunities for advancement, but you should not go to graduate school for the money.
3. It is difficult to get a job with a graduate degree. The challenges of a job search are similar for undergraduate and graduate school and mimic the state of the industry. If anything, I have found it easier for a student to a find job as graduate student than an undergraduate. Graduate degree may also open up new opportunities (academia, national labs, other industries) that would not exist for undergraduates.
4. Graduate school is just like undergrad… lots of classes, homework, and grades. The thought of spending your weekends and nights studying and doing homework the next several years can be a deterrent for graduate school, but life as a student is very different. A thesis-based MS student may take around 2 classes a semester and a PhD student may average 1 class/semester. Graduate school is mostly about research and solving new problems; classes are intended to improve your technical skills so that you excel in research.
5. Grad students are just their professors’ lab rats. Graduate students do work hard but also, depending on their advisor, will likely have incredible flexibility in their schedule and independence in their research. My PhD program was some of the best 4 years of my life and I found time for a social, college life. As professors, it is important that we maintain a reputation of being fair so that we can recruit future students. Plus, we were students once too!
6. It will be a lifetime before I graduate. The average MS degree (with a thesis) takes about 2 years to complete and a PhD an additional 3.5 years. Some programs allow for “direct to PhD” which may be shorter than the MS+PhD route. Rarely have I seen students take much longer unless they had special circumstances. Ultimately, the time to graduate depends on you.
7. I’ll have to work in academia when I’m done. Nearly all MS graduates work in industry after graduation. Most PhD students also seek careers in industry, but opportunities in academia and national labs are options as well. It is the type of work that may be different; with a graduate degree you may have the opportunity to work on game-changing problems that have a long-term impact on our energy future. By the way, a job in academia isn’t so bad. I was once conflicted with a career in academia versus industry and I now believe that being a professor is the best job in the world.
8. I won’t learn anything practical. While it may seem that graduate students work on only theoretical and impractical problems, the opposite is true. Our projects and funding (that pay for your research and GRA salaries) are driven mostly by industry. We are working to solve real industry problems and our solutions can have a huge impact on our energy future.
9. I can’t get my graduate degree where I did my undergrad. Plus, I need some work experience first. There are definite advantages to going to different schools and getting some industry experience. It can be beneficial to learn a new way from a different faculty with a different educational culture. But it isn’t necessary; I received all my degrees in one place. Understanding the real industry problems through work experience can be helpful in your research. However, it is easy to “say” you will return to graduate school but life moves fast (new home, family, etc.) and I see many that do not return. Ultimately, you should decide where and when to attend graduate school based on your own personal situation.
10. I need perfect grades to get into and succeed in grad school. Technical skills are important and admissions does consider grades, GRE scores, etc. Most universities will have a GPA minimum, but they also consider soft skills, research experience, and more. Ultimately being successful in graduate school and beyond is about being creative, enthusiastic, patient, persistent, and working both independently and in teams. As an advisor of a graduate student, I want someone who can think of ways to solve problems that I never would.
[The article was sourced from the author by TWA editor Andreas Michael.]
