http://www.epcmworld.com/page/student-news?goback=.gde_35559_member_104357426
Sources
Bonne Chance! Paola
They say that knowledge is power. So higher education should lead to a good (read: high paying) career, right? But with university enrolments increasing every year, do postgraduate degrees just provide graduates with a false sense of security?
Engineers Canada’s recent report on engineering enrolment showed over 21,000 students were enrolled in postgraduate engineering programs in 2010. Enrolment has been on the rise, up almost 10% from 2009. The number of postgraduate engineering degrees being awarded has also increased steadily in recent years. In 2010, over 4000 master’s and 1000 doctoral degrees were awarded.
The demand for graduates with advanced engineering degrees can vary significantly depending on the engineering sector. According to Statistics Canada’s 2006 Census, about 20% of those employed in the engineering field as a whole held a master’s or doctoral degree.
Not all postgraduate engineering degrees lead to careers in engineering. Only about 26% of those who held a university degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) in engineering were working in an engineering occupation, according to a Labour Market Study conducted by Engineers Canada which cited data from the 2006 Census.
This is partly because the skills gained during a postgraduate degree are highly transferable to other fields.
Steve Choi chose to follow his interest in business and apply his master’s degree in engineering to pursue a financial analysis position at an information technology (IT) consulting firm.
“I think there are a lot of parallels between the way that you learn to tackle a problem in a research environment and in a business environment,” says Choi. “You formulate a plan and there are a set of parameters you have to work within. There are a lot of ways you can go about solving a problem.”
Prospective postgraduate students would be wise to weigh the time and cost of pursuing further education against their expectations after graduation. A postgraduate degree does not guarantee a higher income.
Ben Yu holds a master’s degree in materials science and engineering, and is a project metallurgist in a company that provides engineering consulting among other services. Yu says that about 35% of his engineering peers held postgraduate degrees.
Over the last five years of working in the mineral processing industry, Yu has found that the earning potential for postgraduates is usually comparable to undergraduates. He observed that compensation depends more on one’s ability to work and less on the degree held.
However, there are differences in career advancement opportunities. “Postgraduate degrees may open opportunities that a bachelor’s would not receive,” Yu says. “Any R&D opportunities or specialist positions would require higher education.”
As for occupational differences between a master’s or doctoral degree holder, Yu believes the candidate with the higher postgraduate degrees is preferred when it comes to government R&D positions – even if two candidates have similar abilities or skill sets.
So a postgraduate degree is beneficial in some cases, but a degree alone will not land you a career. The key seems to be how you apply the degree to gain skills and experience.
“A postgraduate education is worth it if you are interested in obtaining additional education or if it is a requirement for the type of job you are looking for,” Choi says. “I don't think it's necessarily worth it if it's just a means to an end.”
Sources
Engineers Canada. (2011). Canadian Engineers for Tomorrow: Trends in Engineering Enrolment and Degrees Awarded 2006-2010.Retrieved from
Engineers Canada and Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists. (2009). Engineering and Technology Labour Market Study: Final Report. Retrieved from
Bonne Chance! Paola
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