Is a Master's Degree in Power Engineering Worth It?

[paul2211]

Hi guys!

I am wondering if any of you have any knowledge or anecdotes regarding the benefits of getting a graduate degree if one is thinking of doing Power Engineering (subset of EE for those of you who do not know). I am planning to go into the industry in the end.

Currently, I do not see any benefits of getting an advanced degree. Compared to fast changing fields such as semiconductor technologies, power systems has seen a much slower rate of development. Therefore, I feel that the research experience from a MS would not benefit me as much and will only serve for me to lose 2 years of salary.

Is there anything wrong with my reasoning? Are there actually jobs in the power sector that I will have a difficult time obtaining unless I had a MS?

 

[FOIWATER]

There is a lot of research going into power engineering as well.

As a push for smarter drives, smarter grids (in the economical and security sense) increases, so too does the research and dependence on knowledgeable professionals.

I would think the rift between where you get with a bachelors and where you get with a masters is thinner than in other fields.

Hard to say for sure..

 

[Mr Jaykumar]

Below subjects are my favorite subject so, i hope you will get more idea about this subjects. Also, research on http://www.electrical-engineer-job-description.com/ about present market on power system jobs and its requirements.

Power System Components and Modeling, Power System Management and Electricity Markets, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Power Quality, Distributed Generation
Power System Protection, Distribution System Engineering

 

[jim hardy]

Therefore, I feel that the research experience from a MS would not benefit me as much and will only serve for me to lose 2 years of salary.

Glad to see somebody interested in power.
You may be right. You'd start at a higher salary but it would take quite a while to break even especially if there's student debt...

I'd say there's a niche subset of power system analysis , "Power System Stability" , that's apt to become a hot topic as renewables remove inertia from the grid.
If you like math and big machinery it might be worthwhile to look around for someplace that has faculty expertise in that niche. It can catch a regional utility unawares.

Then again, the best training might be "on the job". Big utilities have specialists whose job it is to keep an eye toward stability.
That's one industry we can't offshore.

 

[FOIWATER]

I forgot I had written to this thread. I have since became a masters student in applied science engineering in the field of power systems, oddly enough. I would say that the field of power system research with respect to integration of wind and renewables in general is poised to explode. As well, there is a lot of research being done on new technologies that are becoming available like energy storage devices. With these new technologies of course comes a lot of opportunities for research in optimization, a field that is ubiquitous in power engineering.

There is also a lot of research being done on how new technologies, like wind and solar integration, as well as electric vehicles, will impact the grid and what changes it might bring about for the infrastructure.

There are lots more examples as well, such as the push for grids to be more autonomous and the seemingly never ending research in the area of smart grids.

It's an exciting time to be a student in the field. As for what it can 'get you' on top of your degree, it's true maybe not a lot, if you're going to manage a maintenance crew at a power plant and they require you be an engineer, then your degree is enough. If you want to work as an engineer on some topic such as, let's say, improving grid visualization and event detection for control room operations, then with all the new implementations you would be ahead of the game if you had a masters. you would also be more likely to get hired, or if you were already hired, more in line for a good promotion, at least I would think.