Masters / PhD in Electrical Engineering

[mbrooke]

What are the advantages of perusing a PhD in electrical engineering? What are the typical requirements in the independent study required to obtain it? Ultimately, is it worth it in the end? Utility and other well paying positions appear content with bachelors/associates degrees, so I am curious where a PhD would come in.

 

[romex jockey]

All i can think of is Joe Engel .......~RJ~

 

[mbrooke]

All i can think of is Joe Engel .......~RJ~

Ahh yes, him. He did score a position at a top company and made his name famous. Along with his brilliant insites

 

[ggunn]

What are the advantages of perusing a PhD in electrical engineering? What are the typical requirements in the independent study required to obtain it? Ultimately, is it worth it in the end? Utility and other well paying positions appear content with bachelors/associates degrees, so I am curious where a PhD would come in.

A PE license with a MSEE may be worth more than a PhD.

 

[GoldDigger]

What are the advantages of perusing a PhD in electrical engineering? What are the typical requirements in the independent study required to obtain it? Ultimately, is it worth it in the end? Utility and other well paying positions appear content with bachelors/associates degrees, so I am curious where a PhD would come in.

In EE, as in most academic fields, the PhD track is aimed more at teaching or research or maybe cutting edge design that it is at project work.
I do not think it would add much to opportunities.

Another place where a PhD might carry some weight would be as an expert witness in court or a forensic investigator.

 

[zbang]

A PE license with a MSEE may be worth more than a PhD.

I suppose it depends on what you want to do- for research or academia a Ph.D is very likely to be necessary, but to "practice engineering" I think a PE will be more useful. OTOH a Ph.D + PE would be really high end. (I knew a guy that was Ph.D in bio-something, a licensed medical doctor (MD), and had a Masters in Public Health (MPH). That's stacking them in. I think he worked for the FDA.)

Think about it- the Ph.D is about doing original research, not about understanding and applying other peoples' research.

 

[kwired]

Most of us who are the installation type of workers tell the young apprentices they now have a PHD, and hand the a post hole digger and tell them to dig a hole with it

 

[JFletcher]

Most of us who are the installation type of workers tell the young apprentices they now have a PHD, and hand the a post hole digger and tell them to dig a hole with it

 

[Ponchik]

Most of us who are the installation type of workers tell the young apprentices they now have a PHD, and hand the a post hole digger and tell them to dig a hole with it

I have two of those PHDs.

 

[GoldDigger]

Most of us who are the installation type of workers tell the young apprentices they now have a PHD, and hand the a post hole digger and tell them to dig a hole with it

McDonalds University (for training their workers) offers the Pampered Hamburger Degree.

 

[Sierrasparky]

All i can think of is Joe Engel .......~RJ~

Ahh yes, him. He did score a position at a top company and made his name famous. Along with his brilliant insites

The Joe Engle that exposed the issues with the combination AFCI and worked for Eaton?

 

[JFletcher]

McDonalds University (for training their workers) offers the Pampered Hamburger Degree.

Not to derail this thread further, but if you want to try your hand at managing a McD's, there is a game for it:


http://www.kongregate.com/games/molleindustria/mcdonalds-videogame

The captions/directions are NSFW. I played this several years ago and noted two things: it's funny as all, and it's very, very difficult.

How can you not love a game where you can feed your cows industrial waste, promotes GMOs, has slogans like "under every forest there is a lawn" and "in love and war, everything is licit", and recommends firing problematic employees as a first line of action?

 

[romex jockey]

The Joe Engle that exposed the issues with the combination AFCI and worked for Eaton?

Yes

~RJ~

 

[gar]

161007-2417 EDT

To a large extend a PhD is useful for a teaching career, and to move up in that field.

I have known several PhDs that obtaind good jobs because of the degree. One became VP of Motorola's military division. Another became head of Radiation Corp., expanded the company, merged it with Harris Corp., and became its Chairman. Both of these were my boss at the U of M and my teachers. A person I worked closely with went to several high level jobs, including VP of AMF Corp. My early direct boss at the Electronic Defense Group of the U of M EE Department was a world famous researcher in signal detectability. My brother in law was research head of GE's space materials lab. One of their tasks was to develop zero temperature coefficient materials for outer space antennas.

To a large extent PhD degrees are important for getting into large company research groups.

A PhD student I met recently is studying the use of space diversity of wind farms to get a more uniform availability of energy for large power systems.

I think that knowledge (taking many classes in all the areas that interest you) combined with common sense may be more useful than just the goal of a specific degree.

Do what you are interested in doing.

.

 

[Ingenieur]

My school has 2 tracks for MS and PhD degrees
professional geared towards industry and academic towards academia

I am almost finished with the professional MS but am taking a few more courses to get a 15 cr grad cert in elec power engineering
Probably keep working towards a PhD
my employer gives me time to pursue it and pays 90% of costs

for consulting and construction not a real advantage
for corp management or advancement in gov employment it is

it's hard after being out of school for a good while
class takes up 3 hrs and homework/papers/projects another 6-10 per week

take a course and see if you like it
it is tough while working full time but easier once the kids are grown and out on their own

a PE imho is essential in almost all cases either way

 

[mbrooke]

1

I think that knowledge (taking many classes in all the areas that interest you) combined with common sense may be more useful than just the goal of a specific degree.

Do what you are interested in doing.

.

This is my vote for MH post of the year! :happyyes:

 

[mbrooke]

My school has 2 tracks for MS and PhD degrees
professional geared towards industry and academic towards academia

I am almost finished with the professional MS but am taking a few more courses to get a 15 cr grad cert in elec power engineering
Probably keep working towards a PhD
my employer gives me time to pursue it and pays 90% of costs

for consulting and construction not a real advantage
for corp management or advancement in gov employment it is

it's hard after being out of school for a good while
class takes up 3 hrs and homework/papers/projects another 6-10 per week

take a course and see if you like it
it is tough while working full time but easier once the kids are grown and out on their own

a PE imho is essential in almost all cases either way

I've seen your posts, PhD is not to far off for you. :thumbsup:

 

[Ingenieur]

I've seen your posts, PhD is not to far off for you. :thumbsup:

thanks but I have my doubts lol
but I'm in no rush

I am surprised how much I DON'T know
taking a course now on transients
switching, fault, etc
travelling waves and such

the struggle is the math
When was the last time I used a Laplace xfm to solve a diff eq?
decades ago lol heck had to look up the def of 's'

i do it for the knowledge, the challenge and as mental conditioning
but still follow a degree program to have something marketable to show for it
my friends think I'm a glutton for punishment and crazy

 

[mbrooke]

]thanks but I have my doubts lol
but I'm in no rush

I am surprised how much I DON'T know
taking a course now on transients
switching, fault, etc
travelling waves and such

Welcome But trust me, you are already very far.


What are traveling waves?

Thestruggle is the math
When was the last time I used a Laplace xfm to solve a diff eq?
decades ago lol heck had to look up the def of 's'


i do it for the knowledge, the challenge and as mental conditioning
but still follow a degree program to have something marketable to show for it
my friends think I'm a glutton for punishment and crazy

Its not punishment imo, knowledge is power. I am thinking for one day going for a PhD, but will see. Converting a countries power system to HVDC takes a good understanding of everything at hand.

 

[chris1971]

What are the advantages of perusing a PhD in electrical engineering? What are the typical requirements in the independent study required to obtain it? Ultimately, is it worth it in the end? Utility and other well paying positions appear content with bachelors/associates degrees, so I am curious where a PhD would come in.

Better pay, better working conditions, more respect.