Q: What is the value of a PhD in Engineering?
Welcome to Episode #10 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is Getting a PhD as an Engineer or Not.
I will spend most of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world on how to rapidly advance their careers and live the lives they want to live.
You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.
Let’s jump into today’s topic, Getting a PhD as an Engineer or Not, which is based on a question from Sagnik, who asks the following:
Q: Thank you for your previous videos. I found them especially useful and motivating and I look forward to your next one. I have a specific question. Based on my current situation. I’m about to complete my master’s degree in urban environmental which combines urbanism with environmental engineering and I have already a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
I’m trying to figure out the value of a PhD in civil engineering more specifically in the field of environmental engineering. Some people have told me that getting a PhD will actually decrease your chances of getting a job. Is that really true? If so, why do people obtain PhDs in engineering at all other than just trying to teach in a university?
A: The full answer can be seen in the video above, but here are a few of the main points:
- Determine your long-term goals.
- Ask yourself if getting a PhD in Civil Engineering will move you towards your long-term goals.
- Find a practicing engineer who has PhD that’s not a professor and ask the following:
- Why did you obtain a PhD?
- What was the reasoning?
- How has it impacted your career?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Finding Someone Who Made Similar Career Decisions – Engineering Career TV Ep. 4
I hope you found this episode of Engineering Career TV helpful.
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What questions do you have about getting a PhD as an engineer?
To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
