Go for a Master's or Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decision-making process regarding whether to pursue a Master's degree or a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering. Participants explore the implications of each choice on career prospects, internships, and employer expectations.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant is considering whether to go straight to a Master's or to complete a Bachelor's first, weighing the benefits of internships and job opportunities.
  • Some participants suggest that many companies offer to pay for a Master's degree while employed, indicating that a Bachelor's degree is still valuable.
  • Concerns are raised about the perception of having only a Bachelor's degree and the potential difficulty in finding a job, though some argue that a Bachelor's is sufficient.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of understanding the type of work desired in aerospace engineering and the financial implications of pursuing a Master's degree, including potential salary differences.
  • There is a mention of the challenges of balancing full-time work with graduate studies, suggesting that part-time study may not allow for adequate focus.
  • One participant strongly advises obtaining a Bachelor's degree first, framing it as essential for entry-level positions in the field.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on whether to pursue a Master's degree immediately or to first complete a Bachelor's degree. There is no consensus, as some advocate for the immediate pursuit of a Master's while others emphasize the necessity of obtaining a Bachelor's first.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various factors influencing their decisions, such as the type of work desired, financial considerations regarding education, and the potential for employer-sponsored graduate education. The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences and assumptions about the aerospace engineering job market.

Dan Card
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Hey guys, right now I am attending University of Michigan pursuing Aerospace Engineering, my question is should I go straight to my master's or just get a bachelor's.

My plan is that I could take some of my actual engineering courses next year, get an internship over the following summer then go back to summer and finish up and attain my Bachelor's. From there I could go back to wherever I had the internship at or find somewhere else and have them offer to pay for me to go back to college and get my master's and go back and work with them for some time.

I kind of wanted to just get my Bachelor's so that I could find an internship or a job and find what part of Aerospace engineering so that I could if I wanted to go back and attain my master's in that concentration(Or whatever it would be called)

So should I go for a Master's or should a bachelor's be just fine? How much do employer's care if you have a Bachelor's vs. a Master's. What's the chances of them offering to pay for me to get my master's if I were hired with only a Bachelor's.
 
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There are a lot of companies that do offer to pay for your masters while you work for them, I'd look into that. Masters is definitely good, but a bachelors in Aerospace is good too, actually more than good.
 
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juju1 said:
There are a lot of companies that do offer to pay for your masters while you work for them, I'd look into that. Masters is definitely good, but a bachelors in Aerospace is good too, actually more than good.
Cool thank you. I don't know people have made it seem like if you have a Bachelor's that you will have an extremely hard time finding a job but like what I was saying earlier I could get a company that would offer to pay for my education to get a master's so it wouldn't even matter :)
 
Dan Card said:
Hey guys, right now I am attending University of Michigan pursuing Aerospace Engineering, my question is should I go straight to my master's or just get a bachelor's.

My plan is that I could take some of my actual engineering courses next year, get an internship over the following summer then go back to summer and finish up and attain my Bachelor's. From there I could go back to wherever I had the internship at or find somewhere else and have them offer to pay for me to go back to college and get my master's and go back and work with them for some time.

I kind of wanted to just get my Bachelor's so that I could find an internship or a job and find what part of Aerospace engineering so that I could if I wanted to go back and attain my master's in that concentration(Or whatever it would be called)

So should I go for a Master's or should a bachelor's be just fine? How much do employer's care if you have a Bachelor's vs. a Master's. What's the chances of them offering to pay for me to get my master's if I were hired with only a Bachelor's.

There are a few schools of thought and a few questions you need to ask yourself.

1. What type of work do you want to do within aerospace engineering?
3. Will you pay for your masters degree, or will you get a full scholarship?
2. Will you work for a company in a program similar to the GE edison program, where part of the goal of the program is to get your masters degree?

Often people will enter the workplace making more money per year (an extra 10k) for having a masters degree. Once working, withtin the company you are not guaranteed a pay bump when you get their masters degree. If you have a great manager you might, but some of the big aerospace companies do not do that. At least at certain sites.

You might think hey I'll just enter the workforce a year earlier. Well typically raises work on a percentage basis. Unless you are a top performer, ussually you'll just get a percentage increase. starting out 10k higher will equate to higher raises every year.

Also working full time and attending grad school is a real challenge. Its a lot harder than undergraduate, and being a part time student does not allow you to truly concentrate on your studies.

A lot of people say go get a company to pay for your masters. Its not a bad idea ( I did it). But if you can manage to get a full ride, and the type of work you want to do really requires a masters degree (fluid dynamics, control theory, etc), then it may be a good idea to get your masters right away.
 
By all means, get the BS Aero first. Don't even think about bypassing it. This is the entry level ticket so to speak, and without it, people in a position to hire will look at you strangely forever.
 
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