Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!levers.dec.com!ciarfella
From: ciarfella@levers.dec.com (Paul Ciarfella)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: The need for an advanced degree
Message-ID: <8901101344.AA21802@decwrl.dec.com>
Date: 10 Jan 89 13:44:35 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 32

To answer (partly) one of my own questions -

	>What advantages do 2 years in grad school have over 2 years in
	>industry?

	Last night I had a conversation with an engineering employment
	specialist.  The recruiter said that when companies wish to fill 
	senior level positions, such as principal engineer, or positions 
	which require architectural design work, they most often look
	at candidates with advanced degrees.  The advanced degrees
	show that the candidate has taken the initiative to learn
	and to keep in step with technology.  This factor, combined
	with the advanced knowledge and skills received while pursuing the 
	degree, gives the candidate an edge over someone without the
	advanced degree.

	Any comments?

RE: decwrl!ucbvax!agate!bizet.Berkeley.EDU!matloff (Norm Matloff)

	>My first comment is that it's like the old joke about a person of
	>ordinary financial means who sees a wealthy guy on a yacht, and asks
	>how much it costs.  The rich guy says, "If you have to ask the price, 
	>then you can't afford it."  :-)   I do feel that if someone has to ask 
	>about the benefits of grad school, then they are probably not the type 
	>of person who would, upon completion of grad school, feel that it was 
	>"worth it."

	The reason I'm asking about the benefits of grad school is that
	I do not know much about it.  Just because I don't know much 
	about something does not mean that I won't appreciate the 
	experience.