# What's your opinion about my Master's Degre...



## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Firstly, I apologize to not participate in this forum since I lack of free time.

I am studying a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering, this Master's is not private, is the Master's that gives you the level of Master's Degree Engineer according to European Union Higher Education and consecuently, had been aproved my European Union Higher Education to make it professionalizing.

This Master's Degree is very stressful, we do have lots of exams and assignments and also is common to fail some courses, up to now, I failed an optional course, is easy but I did not have enough time to prepare the exam. Hopefully, there will be not many courses failed but I have the final exams of second semester in May. Then, in June we have the second final exams for first and second semester failed courses (those who failed courses in January and May). Sometimes I wonder if worths making it because I feel overwhelmed and is costing me my entire free time and even sleeping times. I have fallen ill 3 times since october when my Master's Degree started because of stress and lack of sleeping. Honestly, I didn't know this would be so challenging, it's not so hard but demands lot of time, basically drains all your free time to meet deadlines and study exams. This Master's Degree consists in 1 year of theoretical classes and the final thesis, classes will end the next week, then final exams of May and June.

Do you think is valuable a Master's Degree in an engineering field? What are your opinions about it?


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

PhD in Chemical engineering and 30 years of experience in the field, including management and hiring (sometimes firing) staff.

With a masters degree in chemical engineering, you have a decent chance of a job, provided that you are doing OK in your studies and know how to handle job interviews. 

From personal experience though, once you have a job, it is considerably tougher than the university. Your deadlines are real deadlines, and mistakes cost money. To be brutally honest, if you find the university that stressful, you may need to reconsider your choice.

PS: if you want to talk further about this, feel free to pm me.


----------



## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

If the field of study is too stressful and you don't thrive on its challenges, it might be wise to consider plan B.


----------



## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Art Rock said:


> From personal experience though, once you have a job, it is considerably tougher than the university. Your deadlines are real deadlines, and mistakes cost money. To be brutally honest, if you find the university that stressful, you may need to reconsider your choice.





Larkenfield said:


> If the field of study is too stressful and you don't thrive on its challenges, it might be wise to consider plan B.


The reality is that most fields have time crunches and other related pressures. Of course, some fields are worse or more different than others. I don't know if OP's university offers seminars on time and stress management. If so, it might be worthwhile attending those sessions if possible. I know from working at a college that many students struggle with the transition from coasting in school/undergrad to struggling with the pressures of the real world. Also, an internship in the field is always worthwhile if possible.


----------



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Respectfully disagree with Art Rock. Depends where you work. Plenty of opportunities for low-stress Chem Eng jobs doing a 9-5, 40 hours a week without a ton of responsibility. Way, way, less stress than Banking, Law, Medicine, High Tech, Consulting Mgt., etc. It was my experience and the experience of many of my peers that the degree (undergrad Chem Eng) was more difficult than industry. Stress largely depends on the company culture and your boss though. I recently turned down a job that was expecting 80+ hours per week and a ton of travel. So lots of variation there.


----------



## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

But I have worked in real life as engineer not only in Spain but in Mexico, I know how to expect later. There are also students who are working and feels the same. Courses will end in two weeks, leave now? Now is the best period of the Master's Degree, assignments are being over finally and everybody is happy, including me. The question is: do you think a Master's Degree that gives the "rank" of Master's Degree Engineer is valuable? Is useful to find a new job? 

PS. I know how is to be in a hard situation: unemployed an ocean away from home and having a job in a city where I didn't know anybody and living in a place where crime was very common, working from monday to saturday, this is at least how most mexicans work under mexican conditions, since I worked under mexican conditions.


----------



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Oh, you made it sound like you were considering leaving. Finish the 2 weeks. As far as I am aware there is no "rank" of Master's Degree Engineer in North America. It's just a grad degree. Professional certification is required separately from it. Some companies and industries like higher education, such as in Biotech, others wont care, like Oil and Gas. The more research-oriented the position, the higher the degree requirements. What do you want to do after you graduate?


----------



## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Couchie said:


> I won't hurt you, and if it's just 2 weeks left what is the point of the question...


He _could_ stop showing up to school for those two weeks or intentionally fail his exams/projects. I'm not sure what the point of that would be though. Perhaps being "overqualified" could be an employment problem (it seems unlikely that it would be, but who knows), but if that is a problem, just don't claim the possession of a master's degree. Right?


----------



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Klassik said:


> He _could_ stop showing up to school for those two weeks or intentionally fail his exams/projects. I'm not sure what the point of that would be though. Perhaps being "overqualified" could be an employment problem (it seems unlikely that it would be, but who knows), but if that is a problem, just don't claim the possession of a master's degree. Right?


Bachelor degrees are pretty common these days. I would never leave a Master's off my resume, will usually play to your advantage.


----------



## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Couchie said:


> Bachelor degrees are pretty common these days. I would never leave a Master's off my resume, will usually play to your advantage.


I've been on a couple hiring committees before where the thought was brought up that hiring someone whose academic credentials are above the preferred qualifications might lead to a situation where the employee will leave the organization once they can find a job more congruent with their education. Of course, this is not engineering and I don't know if those fears were ever taken seriously in hiring decisions or if it was just something that was thrown out there as a possibility. Given all of that, I agree that it probably makes sense to list all the degrees. I do know there are some job seekers who fear that they might be viewed as being overqualified for certain jobs though.


----------



## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Things in Europe work rather different. In Spain, your chances to get a job with a bachelor's degree in an engineering field are very small and Master's Degrees Engineers are always prefered over Bachelor's. Other countries are similar: Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. The trend in most countries in Europe is to ask for further education so that Bachelor's Degree has become the new High School. At least this is what I feel living in Spain, of course a Master's Degree is not enough to get a job, you do need languages, years of experience and having knowledge of lot's of software. Since I will never go to the US, mostly because I can't, I am more worried about requirements in Spain and also other countries in Europe if I have the chance to go there. I have seen that even in countries such as Switzerland PhD's are preferred, thanks this is not what employers are asking in Spain...


----------



## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Interesting. In North America though a bachelor's is 4 years and a Master's is 2 years. I'm seeing in Europe a bachelor's is generally 3 years and a Master's is 1 year. Sounds like things work a bit differently over there. A Master's grad here has 6 years of post secondary education and a PhD has 10-12 years.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

As a Chemist, who has a Master's, but didn't actually do one (clue to uni there!) I'd say it sounds good. But it's more important for you to do what you enjoy. Platitudinous advice, I know, but still true.


----------



## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Robert Pickett said:


> As a Chemist, who has a Master's, but didn't actually do one (clue to uni there!)


Your university sounds even more incompetent than my undergraduate institution. That's really saying something!


----------



## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Couchie said:


> Interesting. In North America though a bachelor's is 4 years and a Master's is 2 years. I'm seeing in Europe a bachelor's is generally 3 years and a Master's is 1 year. Sounds like things work a bit differently over there. A Master's grad here has 6 years of post secondary education and a PhD has 10-12 years.


In most of Europe a bachelor is 3 years and a Master's 2 more. This makes a bachelor's pretty useless (in my opinion).


----------



## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

In Spain we have 4 years of Bachelor's Degree and between 1 and 2 years (depending of the program) of Master's Degree. My Bachelor's Degree is 4 years and Master's 1 year and a half. This is my first year with all the courses, the remaining is the final thesis that starts on June.


----------



## JeffD (May 8, 2017)

Setting aside for a moment if a master's degree provides advantages in getting a job - it provides advantages in a more practical way:

If it is a good program, then you should be learning more in depth about your chosen career. That which you learn will make you more valuable as an employee.

It seems to me to be the main advantage.


The world doesn't need more chemical engineers, or engineers, with masters degrees or not. Not really. the world is yearning for people that love engineering, be it chemical or mechanical or electrical. People that love solving technical problems and researching things. People that feel that look forward to rolling up their sleeves and getting to it. 

That is true for any professional endeavor. Marketing, sales, management, ... if you can't be enthusiastic and driven, it doesn't matter much if you get a masters degree. The world has enough mediocre folks phoning it in. At all education levels.

My opinion.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Klassik - just to clarify, my university used to (perhaps they still do?) give you a BA, then allow you to pay ten guineas to convert it to an MA three years later. So indeed I have an Master of Arts in Chemistry. Arts? Who cares??!


----------



## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Robert Pickett said:


> Klassik - just to clarify, my university used to (perhaps they still do?) give you a BA, then allow you to pay ten guineas to convert it to an MA three years later.


Without actually doing anything else? 



> So indeed I have an Master of Arts in Chemistry. Arts? Who cares??!


I have a BS.  And a MS, but I think the BS is more relevant to the TC crowd. :lol:


----------



## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

JeffD said:


> The world doesn't need more chemical engineers, or engineers, with masters degrees or not. Not really


This argument may be extended to any field of knowledge. At least in Spain, there are not so many engineers than other professionals such as doctors, lawyers, artists, educators, etc. So that I can say the world doesn't need more lawyers, more economists, more doctors... I don't understand the point.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Hey, I'm an Engineer too with a Masters, MScEng and I think the world needs a lot more of us but like Klassic, I'm a practicing BS also............


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

In Oz, a bachelor is 4 years and a Master's 2 more generally......


----------

