Will Employers Fund an Engineering Master’s for Physics Graduates?

[Slavic2000]

I know that those who graduate with an engineering degree and go on to work as engineers will often have their master’s degree paid for, at least in part, by their employer. What about graduates of other fields who don’t work as engineers?

I am a physics major and one of the paths I am considering after graduation is engineering, which would most likely require a graduate degree in engineering. Supposing that I am not interested in a PhD, that would leave a Master’s. But since I would most likely not have an employer’s financial backing to study engineering, how would I go about paying? Do most physics graduates who make this switch have to take on a lot of debt?

 

[gmax137]

But since I would most likely not have an employer’s financial backing to study engineering,

I don't see that as a given. It would vary from employer to employer, and probably depend also on the nature of your position. It is an administrative issue; you have to convince whoever signs the request that it is in the best interest of the company.

In general I have found that once you start working, the exact details of your degree matter less and less as time goes on; meanwhile, what you do on the job matters more and more.

There are exceptions, for example if you're designing boilers to the ASME code and need a PE license.

 

[Slavic2000]

I don't see that as a given. It would vary from employer to employer, and probably depend also on the nature of your position. It is an administrative issue; you have to convince whoever signs the request that it is in the best interest of the company.

In general I have found that once you start working, the exact details of your degree matter less and less as time goes on; meanwhile, what you do on the job matters more and more.

There are exceptions, for example if you're designing boilers to the ASME code and need a PE license.

I agree, but that still presupposes that I am able to land a job with an engineering company to begin with — something I am told can be difficult with only a physics degree because you will be competing against engineers.

 

[Jody]

Based on the small handful of physics majors I've met who were interested in engineering jobs... it seemed harder, but it's not impossible. I wouldn't strike out and assume an absolute zero for all of your opportunities.

Good news for you is there are a lot of goofballs who graduate engineering with pretty resumes, but they can't get through the interview. If you took relevant classes and you know your stuff, then you can certainly make it happen. One of my physics friends did struggle and took a professional certificate class on RF engineering at our university and scored an RF engineering position that was paying much better than his earlier technician job; I have a few coworkers who are physics majors and work photonics and optical engineering positions (aerospace).

The company I work at has a really flexible policy even includes certificate classes all we have to do is justify that the class is relevant to our work and get an HR person to sign off on it before we take it. I don't hear too much problems from others about it.

 

[Slavic2000]

Based on the small handful of physics majors I've met who were interested in engineering jobs... it seemed harder, but it's not impossible. I wouldn't strike out and assume an absolute zero for all of your opportunities.

Good news for you is there are a lot of goofballs who graduate engineering with pretty resumes, but they can't get through the interview. If you took relevant classes and you know your stuff, then you can certainly make it happen. One of my physics friends did struggle and took a professional certificate class on RF engineering at our university and scored an RF engineering position that was paying much better than his earlier technician job; I have a few coworkers who are physics majors and work photonics and optical engineering positions (aerospace).

The company I work at has a really flexible policy even includes certificate classes all we have to do is justify that the class is relevant to our work and get an HR person to sign off on it before we take it. I don't hear too much problems from others about it.

Right, but I’m just asking what my options would be in the worst case scenario. That is, not being hired with just a physics bachelor’s.

 

[Jody]

Worst case? Take any job you can get even if it means working in retail or a coffee shop. See if you can get a loan and/or persuade family to help you? Some people in the bay area are living in their vans if they're lucky enough to afford one and crashing the couch of a friends place to cut cost.

In other words: You do whatever it takes to make it happen if that's what you want. There are no secrets or shortcuts.

 

[Slavic2000]

Worst case? Take any job you can get even if it means working in retail or a coffee shop. See if you can get a loan and/or persuade family to help you? Some people in the bay area are living in their vans if they're lucky enough to afford one and crashing the couch of a friends place to cut cost.

In other words: You do whatever it takes to make it happen if that's what you want. There are no secrets or shortcuts.

I see. Unfortunately, my family wouldn’t be able to help me (they don’t even live in the US).
I have come across the “unethical” tactic of getting into a PhD program and then dropping out after earning a Master’s for free. Do whatever it takes, as you say.
In any case, engineering is just one avenue I’m considering, so I am not too perturbed by this.

 

[Jody]

There are practicalities of course. For example: I wouldn't recommend anything like Breaking Bad. Some programs have specific rules ie. like my workplace people can't just come in, have them pay for a degree, and then suddenly quit or leave. We have to stay another 2 years before leaving otherwise we'll have to pay it back.

 

[Slavic2000]

There are practicalities of course. For example: I wouldn't recommend anything like Breaking Bad. Some programs have specific rules ie. like my workplace people can't just come in, have them pay for a degree, and then suddenly quit or leave. We have to stay another 2 years before leaving otherwise we'll have to pay it back.

Interesting.
At any rate, the reason I asked is because I am weighing the pros and cons of staying with physics as opposed to switching to engineering. I have to decide by the start of my sophomore year, by which point the major requirements will lock me into whatever I choose. At this point, I think that staying in physics is better for me, but I’ll think over what’s been said.

 

[Jody]

If you like both almost equally, then I would personally encourage engineering... if you really like physics and want to stick to those fundamentals, then take a few more electives covering physics. I’m biased and can say from my own experience getting an engineering degree... grades were not competitive (I wouldn’t encourage that part though)... jobs were still waiting before I could finish my bachelors. The word engineer on my degree seemed to do the trick as far as getting calls for an interview.

If engineering just isn’t your thing and you love physics that much more... you got to make sure you love what you do. People who pursue engineering and don’t like it... I think it’s a hard route for them too. I can really tell when I talk to a coworker who pursued that route; they can still make it, but only two years of experience I’m already blazing by them with promotions, raises, and offers (looks to me they’ve plateaued or are putting all of their eggs into one basket I don’t see them going anywhere else). If that’s okay with you... then it doesn’t sound like you can make a wrong decision just flip a coin and move on with whatever the probability gods have assigned to you.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If you want a career in engineering, I would get a degree in engineering.

 

[Slavic2000]

If you like both almost equally, then I would personally encourage engineering... if you really like physics and want to stick to those fundamentals, then take a few more electives covering physics. I’m biased and can say from my own experience getting an engineering degree... grades were not competitive (I wouldn’t encourage that part though)... jobs were still waiting before I could finish my bachelors. The word engineer on my degree seemed to do the trick as far as getting calls for an interview.

If engineering just isn’t your thing and you love physics that much more... you got to make sure you love what you do. People who pursue engineering and don’t like it... I think it’s a hard route for them too. I can really tell when I talk to a coworker who pursued that route; they can still make it, but only two years of experience I’m already blazing by them with promotions, raises, and offers (looks to me they’ve plateaued or are putting all of their eggs into one basket I don’t see them going anywhere else). If that’s okay with you... then it doesn’t sound like you can make a wrong decision just flip a coin and move on with whatever the probability gods have assigned to you.

My university has many core requirements, so engineers can have a hard time taking technical electives outside of engineering. Right now, I am considering majoring in physics and pursuing concentrations in computer science and aeronautics. The problem with engineering is that there are very few jobs in engineering that I would actually be interested in doing, hence my reluctance to declare an engineering major outright (in addition to other reasons).

 

[Slavic2000]

If you want a career in engineering, I would get a degree in engineering.

I didn't say I want a career in engineering, but that I am considering that as one "path" I can take after graduation. I cannot say with any certainty what I would like to do as a career.