Is work experience important for an MS Engineering degree?
Learn all about work experience requirements for MS Engineering applications to ensure that you meet the requirements when you apply for the course.
Some disciplines require work experience before applying for entrance to a masters programme. MBA hopefuls, for example, should have between 3 and 5 years of work under their belt before applying to schools.
And this is really important to note if you're thinking about moving up the management ranks - even in the engineering field. If you're interested in pursuing this option, you may want to hit the job market rather than jumping back into academia, even if most MS programmes aren’t as explicit regarding engineering work experience in their application directions.
Some students just can’t get enough education.
After graduating from high school, they enroll immediately for an undergraduate degree, spending 3 or 4years soaking up as much information as they can.
From there, it’s straight on to a masters degree.
There are plenty of ways to extend this into a lifetime of academia with engineering work experience becoming something that happens along the way.
For others, postgraduate education is the means to a specific end.
They may want to:
- change fields,
- progress into management, or
- better equip themselves in the modern work space.
These students face a choice between work experience and continued education.
Minimum work experience requirements for MS Engineering applications
Very few MS Engineering programmes specify a minimum of engineering work experience before application. You may find a few that suggest it, and only for specific degrees, but, it’s not the norm in the United States for MS Engineering.
Indeed, the latest GRE Test Taker Report (2018) shows that 34% of those sitting for the exam have less than 1 year of work experience. This is more than double the next highest grouping: those with 1 to 2 years of experience.
But, that doesn’t mean these MS engineering programmes don’t value candidates with work experience.
Depending on the particular field of engineering, a move away from academia can prove useful before returning to the classroom. But, it’s usually a case of personal motivation and career goals.
Applying to top American engineering schools
As many American engineering schools have professors reviewing applications (rather than general admissions committees), work experience that leans towards research goals demonstrates a strong commitment to your field.
However, the same group might lean towards candidates that will benefit their research community in the future rather than worrying about what’s brought to classroom discussions.
Typically, it boils down to the philosophies and aims of these specific universities.
Deciding between work experience or jumping into an MS Engineering degree
On the other hand, work experience isn’t a requirement for most MS Engineering programmes.
You may not want to get out of the study groove (which might be helpful for higher GRE scores).
And, if you want to contribute meaningfully towards a specific body of research, it’s sometimes easier when you dive in immediately.
What if you want an MBA after an engineering undergraduate degree?
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Post updated for accuracy and freshness on February 12, 2019. Originally published on December 9, 2016.
