Career options for someone with a Masters?

[LSteele]

Hi everyone. This is my first post, so be gentle! :tongue2:

I am currently studying part time for a degree in physics with the Open University in the UK. (http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q01B27" )

Now, with it being part time, it will take me 6 years to complete, so I will be 30 when I'm done. (I am currently 2 years into it).

I am really interested in a future career related to optics. This stems from a love of telescopes, but anything optically related would do. (Working at ESA, designing optics to be used in space would be ideal, but I don't hold out much hope of that!)

So, basically, my question is: is there anything specific I should be studying in my undergrad course, or is it best just to get a 'general' physics degree, and concentrate on optics at MSc level?

Also, do you think the fact that I will be 30 before even getting a degree will make employment difficult?

Cheers,

Liam.

P.S. This won't mean much to anyone, but just in case you're interested, the courses I am taking for my degree are:

Exploring mathematics
The physical world
Mathematical methods and models
Electromagnetism
Waves, Diffusion and Variational Principles
Mathematical Methods and Fluid Mechanics
The quantum world

 

[BadlyAddicted]

Hi, I'm currently in my first year of 6th form, meaning that in one and a half years i have to choose a major at university. I honestly have no idea whether i should go for a B.Sc in maths and physics or for a B.Sc in Computer Science and AI. I LOVE Pure Math (never studied Applied math, so i can't say anything about that), I also love Physics and I also love to program, in fact I'm always first in my computing class :/

One thing that really interests me is research. I want to discover new stuff in the area i specialize in. people might tell me that i think too far but i don't think so. i just love to have goals, and one of my goals is to maybe get a ph.d in the area i specialize in and make some awesome discoveries :)

 

[_Mayday_]

Hey,

To pursue a career in accountancy would I need to do a degree in accountancy? Some people say no and others say yes. I would love to study Physics at University, but I see myself going into finance when I am older. I have heard that you can train on the job but this may be another course after university so really I am spending twice as much training than if I did accountancy in the first place.

Another question I would like to ask is, what do people think of doing a joint course? I could take a 4 year course in both Physics and Management, my only concern is that I will not cover either of the subjects in enough depth. My Dad who used to work as an accountant say that it is very rare to go straight from University to a job and that you are likely yo still have to pas some tests before you start a job.

I am also considering whether to do Business or Maths for A2, Business is sometimes seen as a soft subject at this level, but maths is seen as a solid one. Now I could take Business and get an A the way I am going, or drop it and carry on with maths. My problem is that it will be very difficult for me to achieve a grade A and I do not know if it will just be better to go for the subject I will get a better grade in. I enjoy both subject.

Any help would be great.


_Mayday_

 

[Overkill777]

I am an Engineering physics major in my senior year now. I have decided that I want to go on and get my masters degree. I am beginning to think about writing my statement of purpose letters but before I can do that I need to have a clear idea of where I want to end up. I am pretty sure I want to master in Mechanical Engineering. I want to do something hi-tech and I want to be easily employable anywhere I live.

Just brainstorming some ideas to do as a career would be working on spacecraft , working on weapons- small arms weapons or missiles, working on military vehicles, alternative fuel or alternative energy, working in the automotive industry. However I know these ideas are vague and specifically what I want to do is too hard to say.

know any tips or resources I could use to help me decide?

 

[Freddy_Turnip]

Hi all!

I'm a newbie here so how do you do...

Anyway, I finished my degree in 2001 in Communication Systems Engineering at the age of 30. I then went to work for a satellite company for 3.5 years as an RF Systems Engineer. I left because I got depression and needed the time to recover.

I am still well interested in communications theory especially digital comms but have found jobs very thin on the ground. I don't really want to work in defence as it doesn't interest me.

When is the commercial sector going to boom again, was my degree worthwhile?

Freddy

 

[bluecoconut]

Hi.

1. Did a bachelor in Mechanical Engineering specialized Mechatronics (Controls + Electrical + Computer courses).
2. Took business courses (for general knowledge I guess)
3. Started a graduate degree in business part time
4. Managing Electrical projects (basically technical sales) (mostly business, minor use of any engineering)
5. Missed out too much in applied science and dropped out of graduate business degree

6. Now what?

To make a long story as short as possible. I always had an interest in Medical sciences and initially planned to follow a Master in Biomedical Eng. Also had in small interest in Project Management ( I think that learning how to get other to make it happen is a natural combination to being able to design anything).

My problem is, that with all this business communication and management I really feel I'm not learning as much anymore, not exploiting my curiosity, and moved to a routine of some type. I miss doing calculations, designing and coming up ways around problems.
Others do that.

Oh and I want to travel.

I do enjoy my job quite a bit, I just wouldn't mind doing some of the thinking myself.

So here are the options the way I see it now...
1 Go on this path and... ??
2 Go do a masters in Engineering part time
3. Quit and go to a masters in Engineering full time
4. Go finish my business degree and then do this for some more years
5. Go find another job with other technical challenges ---> If i do find one, and hmm..

6. Somehow convince my boss to place me in a more technical position (which would be really hard since we are international, and I work at sales offices which would include moving and stuff ( i don't mind) but my current position being quite important I don't foresee the move for at least another full year.

7. Your suggestion...?


Imagine your brain screaming at you : Feeeeeeeeeeeed meeeeeee! ...

 

[Winzer]

My major is in Engineering Physics. My two minors will be in Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Detection. My GPA is not spectacular but not terrible: 3.3. I have decided that Graduate School in Physics is not for me--change of heart. I was thinking of doing the following:

After graduating get a position in the Nuclear Industry. Work with that company for either a year or two, I do no know what specifically I want to do. Then return to school for a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering; I would like to find a company that would pay for my M.S.

I would like to intern for this company first before graduating. Can anyone recommend BIG nuclear companies that would be compatible with my goal? A couple posts ago I did mention Westinghouse.

Besides the standard curriculum at my school, I will be taking extra courses in machining(CNC, etc) at a community college. Just curious to see if this will look good on a resume.

One last question: what specific job would I be able to apply for with my degree and minors. I will also have a background in machining, programming(C++, Labview, Mathematica), and Unix. I have taken math much more then required(PDE's, Complex Varaibles, and soon a grad course in applied math). I will also be doing research with a Prof in PDEs(solitons) but that probably won't matter.

 

[hammertime]

I posted another thread in this forum regarding the possibility of a career in DSP, but I'm also considering a job in renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc.). I graduated in December from a prominent Los Angeles university (which shall remain nameless for the sake of my anonymity) with a B.S. in EE.

Would I have to get a Master's to pursue a career in this field? What kind of coursework would I need to take, and is there any way I can study it myself without getting a Master's? Where should I look for careers in power engineering, solar electricity, etc.?

 

[mkbh_10]

I have to take four subjects for my specialization out of the following . Which one do you think will give me a more broader line .

Experimental(theory included for each subjct)

Nanotech
Solid State
Electronics
Nuclear
Laser & Spectrscopy

Theory

Particle Physics
QFT
GTR & Cosmology
Solid State
Mathematical Physics
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Complex Systems & Networks
Plasma

I am thinking of taking up GTR , Solid State(expt) and Mathematical Physics or should I take QFT ,solid(expt) ,MP , or Nano ,GTR or QFT ,MP ..., its a lot of confusion .

 

[nwolfman]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask or not, but here goes... I was hoping someone could offer some career advice to me. When I was 18 I went to a "Technical" college that of course offers you the world. Well I've done average since then, and have been working for a small company since graduating. The credits aren't really accepted anywhere, so I realize I after to start from scratch. I've recently become a dad and decided I need to be better and do more with a career. I enjoy building or wiring things by hand, or even designing things in AutoCAD (Self taught, no degree in this). I'm able to take things apart and put them back together without drawings or prints. I'm also able to figure out how most things work or function and fix them if needed. Is a mechanical engineer degree right for me? Are there online programs I can take to work towards a bachelors or masters degree?

Thanks for any advice

 

[serdayne]

Hello all,

I am in a lucky, but difficult position. I am in a rotational program at the aerospace company I currently work for. As part of this program, they will pay for a graduate degree of my choice.

However, I cannot decide which degree to go for. I have an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering (which I wrote a thesis for and really enjoyed the research) and I have basically two options here:

1) PhD in AE
2) M.S. in Systems Engineering

I am extremely interested in both. I love AE and would definitely like to have a PhD in it, but I am not 100% sure I want to stay on the technical side of the house my entire career. Now, just having a PhD does not rule me out of moving to a managerial role, but it is a huge commitment and I don't want to head down this path unless I'm sure it's exactly what I want.

The MSSE is an interesting degree. It's a mixture of project management, system engineering (requirement management, system architecture, performance metrics), etc. I am extremely interested in this type of material as well. This degree has plenty of options to take technical electives, and is not just an "management" degree

I've been in roles at work that ranged from purely technical, working with research engineers with PhDs, to engineering managers/system engineers that did much of the SE work I mentioned above. I've really enjoyed both.

I should mention that I've spoken with engineers on both sides of the fence. Each really enjoy what they do. The research engineering guys did not feel like they were pigeon-holed just because they have a PhD in a certain area. The type of work we/they do is extremely suited for people that have a very deep understanding in certain fields that are applicable to our industry.

I've also thought about the case where I was laid off or just, for one reason or another, looking for a new job. I don't think that either of these degrees would be harmful in my job search.

So, in short, is there anyone here that went down either of these paths at a large aerospace company and can shed some insight on this decision?

 

[Lunat1c]

I am currently at a point in my degree where I need to decide whether to study VLSI or RF in a certain amount of detail. In view of this, could someone describe what VLSI involves and what sort of careers it might lead to?

When it comes to RF, I wouldn't mind if I were given some information about this field as well, would certainly be of great help.

Note: I have already done some research regarding these fields of study, however I'm not sure I know enough about them to know which is more suitable for me.

Thanks

 

[evra]

please go through this for me and help me please by telling me if this is enough for ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING BSc in 3years in a university.
anyways its in french so help me and check it for me.

Algorithmique / Programmation
Langauge and communication 1
Analyse
Mécanique du point
Thermodynamique
Analyse numérique / Probabilité et Statistique
Langauge and communication2
Algèbre
Circuits Electriques
Automatisme,
Electrotechnique,
Dessin Industriel
Fabrication MécaniqueThéorie de communication et Electronique numérique
Automatique 1 et automates programmables
Electronique analogique
Génie logiciel et programmation orientée objet
Electronique de puissance et commande des machines électriques
Automatique II et régulation industrielle
Informatique Industrielle
Gestion de la maintenance
Systèmes de communication
Réseaux électriques
Gestion d'entreprise / Entreprenariat
Projet Professionnel

 

[aexyl93]

Hi.

I'm wondering what field I should go into or what I should major in.
I like math, science, and computers. The fields I want to learn some more about are physics, engineering, computer science, robotics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.
I've taken 2 years of a computer science class, and that's what I'm really considering going into.
I'd like to know more about engineering and what you do in it and the different fields they have.
Robotics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology I know next to nothing about, but they seem interesting.

Thanks for any help and advice!

 

[graeme01]

Basically i left school with the idea of wanting to be an engineer and landed an advanced apprentiship with a colege called TTE being sponsored by Shell. I have since completed the apprentiship in March of this year and been working as a mechanical technicain at Shell Stanlow since. The problem is I am basically a mechanical fitter and i know i can do more as I am not challenged enough. I have been doing a mechanical HNC and finish it in june next year. I had confronted the company and asked if they would sponsor me to do a degree part time day release and they have basically told me to jog on by asking for me to get an a-level in physics and pure maths and then they would consider me for a part time degree which would bring me out about 30 years of age. I am just turned 21 at the minute and took it upon myself to apply to good universities around my area including Leeds and manchester to study mechanical engineering full time, not really expecting any good results. That was two weeks ago and leeds have just given me a conditional offer for 2011 entry. I am over the moon but i now need to decide if leaving the company to get a degree is the right thing to do at the present time we live in.

I know i have a well payed job for my age with good overtime with a prestigous company but i can't see my self going anywhere with it very quickly and i don't liek working onn the tools. I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on what they would do in my position?

Basically i want to work as an engineer on maybe big projects possibly abroad where i use my head a lot more than just mechanical fitting. What are the job prospects like coming out of university with a Beng degree at present?

Any advice would be appreciated both positive and negative as its becoming a very hard decision to make.

many regards

Graeme

 

[seto6]

hello, time has come for me to choose which path to go,

i have these options i can pursue:

AREA 1 - PHOTONICS & SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS
AREA 2 - ELECTROMAGNETICS & ENERGY SYSTEMS
AREA 3 - ANALOG & DIGITAL ELECTRONICS
AREA 4 - CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS & SIGNAL PROCESSING
AREA 5 - COMPUTER HARDWARE & COMPUTER NETWORKS
AREA 6 - SOFTWARE

now i want to go into AREA 1,2 or 3, but i am not so sure about the job prospectives, i know for Photonics there are not much jobs, and i know for electronics there are alot.

but can anyone tell me which ones have better job prospective, notes i equally values them all as my passion. Your thoughts on this would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you in advance

 

[dzza]

Hi-
I'm graduating this summer with my b.s. in math, but unfortunately I don't have anything lined up for work so I'm thinking about continuing on into grad school.

I'm interested in alternative energies and community reform, and I'd like to try to combine these two interests.

I would be interested in finding ways to endow small communities with ways to break the reliance on large concentrated forms of power such as coal, etc and have the ability to become somewhat self sufficient.

Does anyone have any ideas or advice on what areas of study to look into?

I know this is all very vague, however this is unfortunately where I'm at in my thinking at the moment. I spent a year studying nuclear engineering with a focus on fusion energy systems, however now I'm thinking that I like the idea of communities becoming independent and less reliant on concentrated energies.

 

[Tlen]

Hey Guys,

I've browsed this forum occasionally in my spare time, but it is only now that I register in hopes that one of you could help me, and perhaps guide me along.

I've just finished High School, and I did rather well. I finished second in my year, and first for Physical Science, and second for Mathematics. However, when it came to deciding upon what to study, I really hit a crossroads.

I happen to be very multifaceted, and as such I went from Engineering, to BSocSci, to Law, to BSocSci and Law, until I finally came full circle and ended up back in Engineering.

I think I could really enjoy Engineering, as I enjoy learning how things work, be it physics or electronics, just as much as I enjoy literature and philosophy. I think what sums it best, is that ultimately I love knowledge.

At the moment I'm even designing a system to automate the problem areas of where I work :)

One of my passions when I was younger, and more immature, was the Military and all things related to it. I still get that jolt from things of that nature, but I've lost the "Lets be Special Forces and combat is awesome aspect.

So, I was thinking of tentatively aiming to merge these two aspects of me in a career in the Arms industry, designing cutting edge military technology, such as planes or vehicles, weaponry etc etc.

On that note, would a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering be a good start? And beyond that, to anyone with experience in this regard, how would being a foreigner affect employment opportunities in this field? I'm South African for the record, and I would love to be involved in DARPA/Skunkworks type of operations.

I also have ambitious financial goals, and with Engineering, I've read that around 50 - 60 K USD is the average for early in career, leading up to just under 100 k later on. Does this sound correct? Money is not the most important thing to me in a career, as I plan to expand upon my base salary via investments and side businesses.

Establish my empire :)

Sorry for the verbose post, I just could really do with some sound boarding with people who have been there and done that.

Any comments would be appreciated :)

 

[shauns87]

Can physicist pursue a career in CFD??

I have completed M.Sc. in Physics with specialization in radio-physics and electronics and working with a nanosemiconductor company as an Engineer-Technical documentation in India. I am interested to pursue a career in computational fluid dynamics and very much interested in device modelling and simulation and electronic cooling. I need an insight and advice as to understand if I can go ahead and take admission to some short term courses for CFD/FEM offered by private technology training centers. Kindly freely comment or advice!

 

[doey]

folks ,i am a Malaysian,graduate from A-level.currently studying bachelor of physics and plan to have oversea after finishing my degree program. are there somebody have this kind of experience in searching university at foreign country ??pls share yours perception and advise to me if can,because i am lingering with this.is this possible to have financial aids if my result is excellent?frankly,i have the conscious that when i took physics courses in Malaysia ,the number of merit for me is less and some other even laughing at me and amuse from this ,they define physics degree as a funny degree in Malaysia.oh man...such a tragic case...if not due to financial problem i assure that i must go oversea to having my physics courses outside of Malaysia.but i convince myself to take degree in Malaysia 1st ,then only i consider to oversea to take my Master of physics from there.

 

[Raphael Smith]

Hi, I'm interested in engineering as a career that I would pursue for at least 30 years, but I'm currently undecided about which form of engineering would be the most enjoyable and fulfilling for me to study.

My considerations include:
* Aeronautical/Aerospace engineering (if I chose this I will go to Mississippi State University which offers a doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering "Philosophy")
* Polymer engineering
* Mechanical engineering (currently taking undergrad pre-reqs, 2nd semester Freshman at Junior College)
* Boimedical Engineering (the thing about B.E. is that I'm not sure if I want to take all the human biology/chemistry stuff)

The most important things to me about my chosen career is that I am able to understand and possibly apply the latest research and knowledge about many of the big science fields in my job. I am very interested in space and space travel. I think it would be very, very fun to make it possible to populate other planets and have huge "Star Wars-like" worlds. I understand that, if it happens, is many many years into the future, but I definitely think that would be fun.

I am also a competitive martial artist and I intend to compete in national and international competitions throughout my college career. I would involve 1-2 weekends of each month devoted to traveling to and from and competing in the event as well as a few hours each day (maybe 2.5 to as many as I could manage). Do you think this is possible with any of the above careers college class load? I'm a hard working guy and I've been making straight A's except for chemistry (I and II), which I'm not ashamed of because college chem was my first chem class ever LOL.

Thanks!

 

[NewQuant]

I am currently working with a No 3 IT Service organization in India. I have Graduate degree in Engineering and Science both. I have total 16 years of software development experience and presently working as Technical Manager and oversseing the work of my 60 reportees. Needless to say i am good at Maths and s/w engineering.

I am bored with saturation in my domain. I would like to switch to new area which is niche and where entry barriers are high. Quant seems to be a such field. True, i need to brush up my Maths and finance knowledge efore aspiring to enter Quant. I am ready to complte the background study and maybe some certifications.

But my dilemma is that:

1) whether i would be accepted by comapnies?
2) My 16 years exp is a plus or minus?
3) Is it too late to enter into Quant?

Any advise will help, Thanks in advance.

 

[awanfa]

Academically, I have an MBA (Management), BA(Honors) Business Administration, Diploma in Chinese

I have being working as Chinese technical translator & interpreter for last ten years in aerospace industry where I was also involved in trainings related to aerospace, electronics, mechanical, etc. During this period, I developed contacts with Chinese professionals of various technical fields.

Based on the above, I intend to work in future as a China technical consultant where I can provide technical coordination with Chinese companies and provide technical consultancy through my network of Chinese technical professionals.

It my idea feasible and what should be the first step in this direction?

 

[LMTORAD]

Hello all,

I earned my BS in Physics and Mathematics (double major) with a 3.87 and a number of research experiences (Physics Simulation, CFD REU, and two other things). I have been accepted to a Computational Science MS program offered by a Mathematics Department.

My plan is to focus on a subfield of Electrical Engineering with my elective courses and possibly get a dual MS in EE if possible (but the focus has to be computational).

I am highly uncertain about the job/salary prospects with this background, and if anyone could offer any insight about this in general (OR the subfields that I've listed below) I would much appreciate it!

Subfields/specializations/coursework:
Computational Electromagnetics
Signal Processing
Network and Communication Systems
etc...(feel free to suggest another specialization!)

Thank you in advance for your time and insight!

 

[Drksilver163]

Hi,

are there any people who have been spent time as a Laboratory Technician? What does the career path look like? I ask because right now I am working in a Reliability Engineering Lab with mechanical and electrical engineers. I have an undergrad degree in Physics and took a year of Mechanical Engineering courses, and I am sort of struggling with career choices.

I interviewed with a small company the other day for a position as a Lab Technician and I am sort of nervous to accept a job...only because I worry about earning potential and future career paths. I can't afford to not work and continue my education right now.

 

[ivanb]

Hello everyone.
I just joined this forum as I've been thinking what to do with my somewhat stalled career.
I completed a Masters in 2004 from ANU, my major was atom optics but most of the work was in laser engineering essentially. I started a PhD the next year at UTS in Sydney and that didn't go very well, I got a casual job in 2008 at a engineering R&D firm in North Ryde that should be known to a few in this forum, the hours were part time but eventually went up. The PhD stalled and I officially withdrew at the start of 2011. So I'm looking to change jobs but looking out there most of the jobs require PhD's in academia and more and more so in Industry too. Any advice would be welcome. I still have a passion for physics and science in general hence I'm trying to get back to something I enjoy more rather than engineering.

 

[Graniar]

Hello all!
What do you think, which of the scientific areas has strong unsatisfied demands in small software products, to be able developed by one person?

Below some thoughts about software market, and searching for skills proper application:

There is one property of software market differing it from other markets.
It's about fast demand satisfaction. Which is very sad for developers.
Simplistically:
If one build a house and sold this, another one can do the same.
If one wrote a programm and sold this, another one has to do something new.

In the beginning, many self-motivated persons got rich by making their software products from the scratch.
In time it's getting harder and harder to develop something valuable.

Many small and mid-sized software companies prefer to specialize in outsourcing, instead of making their own products.

Thus I see the 3 general ways for software engineer career:

1. Career in the big company.
Successfull career in the big company mainly is not about skills and talents.
It's more about corporative processes, human-relations, code-styling, and so on.
Career in the small outsource company mainly has the same meaning, even worse, while goal is not the result, but client delusion.
I've enough of this. All this overhead takes dozens of times more time, than development of product itself.

2. Switching to the arts area software.
In example, casual games still has a market in spite of modern desktop games.
It's only value is it's originality of any type. Development skills is minor there, unlike marketing and arts.

3. High specialization.
There are still highly specialized areas demands not covered with software.
Product functionality is main issue and development skills are still major here, I hope.
One just have to decide, which area will he get specialized for.

I would like, if have a choice, to get specialized in physics area, which I was always interested in.

What do you think, does it have any meaning?