Engineering science is a multi-disciplinary regime with overlapping fields. Engineering is the key that unlocks the world’s progress. Engineers are responsible for translating scientific methods from the laboratory scale to the real world. Engineers are diverse professionals with bits of different major and minor courses from various fields like mathematics, science, business, and management.
Engineers study all these fields to understand the dynamics of a process from inception to production and marketing. With such diverse backgrounds, many engineering graduates feel at odds while choosing a post-grad degree in engineering as they struggle to choose a definitive field. An engineer can choose a degree from a wide range of subjects he/she studied during undergraduate studies. For example, a chemical engineering graduate can adopt energy or environmental engineering as an option for several others. Too many options can confuse you if you don’t focus on your interests.
It would help if you thoroughly considered the pros and cons of a course before dwelling into a graduate course. The right choice can make your career fly, and a wrong choice may well ruin it. The following factors can help you narrow down your interests.
Analyze your persona
Since engineering is a diverse discipline spread over various fields, including science mathematics and management, and engineering graduate is likely to develop an interest in one area and losses in others.
To choose a field where you can excel after your undergraduate degree, you need to analyze your personal biases before narrowing down an area for your higher education. If you intend to be more excited about managerial subjects, then you can choose engineering management.
Revisit your engineering interests
During my bachelor’s in engineering, students study around 30 different courses. These subjects have extensive knowledge background of their own. That is true for all the engineering degrees. For example, a civil engineer takes classes in design, architecture, water management, and urban management and planning, etc. to name a few. Similar is the case for other degrees as well.
- Universities offer specified postgraduate courses in subjects. Consider your strengths and weaknesses before choosing a prescribed path. If you are not so keen on mathematics, it can cause problems if you take a master’s in a subject requiring extensive mathematical modeling.
- If you are right in management subjects, then engineering management can be a perfect option to pursue a post-grad in engineering as most engineers are managers.
- If you loved designing new things and have strong observability, the then a post-grad in creating subjects can further enhance your career as a designer.
- Narrow down the basics of each subject and analyze how much they resonate with your interests, how well you can manage them, and what they will offer you to further your career.
Type of course
The most crucial factor that you must consider is the type of course that you would like to take either research-based masters or a taught course. That will again fall indeed on your interests and aptitude. Universities offer two basic kinds of
Master’s degrees
- Research-based Master’s: These courses are structured partially as taught courses in the first half of the course, and the second half, based on indigenous research. If you are good at research and curiously inquisitive, then research courses are best suited for you. However, research demands time and effort but pays off in terms of learning and publications that can boost your career. The Research Prospect of the course is a critical determiner in successful research completion. Dissertation writing services can aid in composing a good thesis from scratch.
- Taught Courses: If you are not comfortable doing research and cautious of the research’s uncertain results, you can consider taught courses. These instructional courses can be an excellent choice to add an advanced degree in your educational portfolio.
Choice of university
The school’s choice is one of the toughest decisions before launching your application. Consider the following factors before choosing the schools for your Master’s degree
- Ranking of the university is vital to unlocking opportunities for employment in the future. Visit the QS ranking website to find out the university ranking
- Ranking of the particular school and course you want to enroll.
- Saturation in the course and competition, you may face during the selection process.
- Location of the university campus
- Employment ratio of the graduates of the course
Career switch
Engineering graduates have an excellent opportunity due to their diverse background to switch their careers from engineering to management or business based on their ideas and interest, and an Advanced degree in management or business can pave their way to a new job. A lot of engineers go for an MBA. That is the best time to switch your career if you do not wish to continue in engineering.
