Online MS Applied Physics

[rppearso]

Does anyone know of a good/decent MS in Applied Physics online for around/less than 20k? I found the Johns Hopkins one for 50-60 grand, which is a price point that takes away from retirement planning. I am a dual-disciplined PE in Chemical and electrical engineering and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and the equivalent of a minor in electrical engineering and mathematics from a local university.

I am trying to break into defense from a varied career starting in oil and gas and then some miscellaneous telecommunications work, and now I work for a radio station as a technician. The job descriptions almost always prefer an MS in science (not required but will make you less competitive if you dont have it and another candidate does) and have roadblocks with needing active security clearances (which is a whole other issue).

I can't do much about the security clearance, but maybe I can do something about the MS degree ...?

Or do I just stay in the technician job and finish dollar-cost-averaging my way to a million bucks and then substitute-teach elementary school part-time and kinda coast into retirement?

 

[CrysPhys]

I don't have an answer to your specific question. But are you certain that a MS in Applied Physics will increase your employment prospects? As opposed to an MS in an engineering field (such as EE or ChemE)? And will an online degree do the trick?

If your primary goal is enhancing your employment prospects, you should confirm before you expend the time and money in getting the degree. Especially since you are already a PE.

 

[rppearso]

I don't have an answer to your specific question. But are you certain that a MS in Applied Physics will increase your employment prospects? As opposed to an MS in an engineering field (such as EE or ChemE)? And will an online degree do the trick?

If your primary goal is enhancing your employment prospects, you should confirm before you expend the time and money in getting the degree. Especially since you are already a PE.

I am not sure; that's what makes this a conundrum (almost every job listing I have found has listed the masters of Science as a preferred skill, not required, but it's still there). The thought process is I already have tons of engineering coursework and 2 PEs with 20 years of engineering experience; do I need more engineering classes or would it be cool to be able to take things like plasma physics or quantum field theory and go for a national labs job or similar? Since it's not clear how leveraging the master's would really be, I was thinking it should be in something interesting.

My target job market is the desert southwest, preferably Tucson, in defense or research jobs (Raytheon, observatories, etc). The goal is to get into very cool jobs that don't carry a pager or travel overnight or work yourself into a stroke. Also, no reason to move someplace that has cold winters just to move from cold winter to cold winter for a couple extra bucks.

I could get another low vacation time, on-call, pressure-cooker job, but I am in a spot now where my job is pretty chill, but pay isn't great and vacation time is low. I am also working on trying to build a business in high-tech equipment such as RF sputtering, and equipment to make specialty chemicals, etc. But it's really, really slow going; the non-raising low pay makes it hard to progress because I'm not willing ot give up the dollar cost averaging, as that's my exit ramp/silver parachute.

The other thought is do I pivot to something completely unrelated, like work on becoming a designated engineering representative for the FAA (Claude found that one for me lol), not sure if the money is much better though, working for a repair station.

If you want to connect in real life I can shoot you a direct message, you can tell me how I did with my EQ and keeping this as positive as possible. My 3rd paragraph's humor is going to tough to break down lol.