Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ncar!gatech!rutgers!bellcore!geppetto!duncan
From: duncan@geppetto.ctt.bellcore.com (Scott Duncan)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: The need for an advanced degree
Message-ID: <13178@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: 4 Jan 89 19:00:17 GMT
References: <8901041445.AA20933@decwrl.dec.com>
Sender: news@bellcore.bellcore.com
Reply-To: duncan@geppetto.UUCP (Scott Duncan)
Organization: Computer Technology Transfer, Bellcore
Lines: 33

In article <8901041445.AA20933@decwrl.dec.com> ciarfella@levers.dec.com (Paul Ciarfella) writes:
>
>	What advantages do 2 years in grad school have over 2 years in
>industry?

Depends on the company you wish to work for.  Some companies like the degree
as a hiring criteria (but may, for a very talented graduate, help pay for
the Master's Degree); others find the experience more relevant to what the
company is producing.

If you want to do R&D, then the degree may mean a good deal since the work on
a Master's project/thesis may show something of your independent study/work
skill on less than well-defined problems.  If you're into development of pro-
ducts, then the demonstrated success at doing that in a specific environment
(OS, language, etc.) will matter most to those who want *that particular* ex-
perience.

>	For the people who went back to school after working a few years,
>did you feel that your work experience and knowledge gained from working
>gave you an advantage over students who went straight from undergrad to
>grad school?  When you got back to work, was the experience beneficial to
>your career?  Did it give you an advantage over your fellow engineers who
>did not have advanced degrees?

I have never gone back, so these questions aren't something I can speak to,
but they are of interest to me, as well, in terms of advising others whom I
might meet.


Speaking only for myself, of course, I am...
Scott P. Duncan (duncan@ctt.bellcore.com OR ...!bellcore!ctt!duncan)
                (Bellcore, 444 Hoes Lane  RRC 1H-210, Piscataway, NJ  08854)
                (201-699-3910 (w)   201-463-3683 (h))