Can I study only 1 year of graduate engineering in the US?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by lite, Jan 19, 2014.

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  1. lite

    lite New Member

    For instant000

    I did a bachelor of mechanical engineering.
     
  2. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    I've heard that often, Engineering firms will pay for employees' education at the masters level. Is this true?

    Also, what is the benefit of completing half of a degree now and finishing it up later?
     
  3. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The one-year MEng programs at Cornell and Boston University are non-traditional, non-thesis master's programs.

    While the MEng at these schools is a master's degree, it is not the same as an MS, which is the traditional master's degree in engineering in the US. Both Cornell and BU also offer traditional MS degrees in engineering: these take two years, and require a thesis.

    In other words, the one-year MEng is a "lite" master's degree compared to the traditional engineering MS. The MEng won't be considered equivalent to a traditional MS by engineering employers or graduate schools.

    This doesn't mean that the MEng degree is worthless. The MS (or PhD) demonstrate research ability -- but research ability isn't a necessary qualification for many positions in industry. If you just want an engineering job and don't expect to be involved in research, then it might make sense to invest a year getting the MEng, while skipping the extra time in school that would be needed to prepare a thesis for an MS (or PhD).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 24, 2014
  4. lite

    lite New Member


    OK, that was helpful.
    Thanks a lot
     
  5. lite

    lite New Member

    For CalDog

    That was helpful.
    Thanks a lot
     
  6. lite

    lite New Member

    For Hadashi no Gen
    I don't know about US employers. I am not from there.

    I only have finances for one year.

    Thanks a lot
     
  7. lite

    lite New Member

    Also, I don't intend to take an online degree. I realized this whole forum is about them.
     
  8. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    Other than price, is what I meant! Some graduate schools will not allow people to "pick up where they left off" if they have taken too long of a break.

    But anyway! It sounds like you're a perfect candidate for the Cornell or BU programs! And no thesis? Sounds great!
     
  9. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    One possible drawback to MEng programs vs MS programs: the MEng program could potentially cost more, even though it is only 1 year, instead of 2 years for the MS,

    If the MEng is shorter, then why would it cost more? Because research universities are more likely to grant financial aid to MS and PhD students than to MEng students.

    Why is that? Because the MS and PhD students will be preparing theses -- which means conducting research and writing it up. Their faculty advisors will get to share in the credit for the research results, and they will get to be co-authors on any resulting publications. If you are a professor at a top university, that's very important, because you are rewarded and promoted based on your research and publication records. So MS and (especially) PhD students are like gold, from a professor's perspective.

    MEng students, on the other hand, are basically useless by comparison. The MEng students will take a year of advanced coursework, and then -- just when they've learned enough to be useful in the lab -- they will leave.

    So the best financial aid is reserved for the MS and PhD students. For example, compare the aid options offered by the Cornell School of Civil & Environmental Engineering:

    So you could do a 2-year MS, and there could potentially be zero out-of-pocket costs: there would be no tuition, and the stipend could cover your living expenses.

    Or you could do a 1-year MEng, and even if you got an assistantship, you would still have to pay half tuition, and whatever living expenses the half-stipend didn't cover. Note that the one-year MEng tuition at Cornell is $45,130. So you could be looking at $20,000 - $30,000 for half tuition and living expenses.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 25, 2014
  10. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Duplicate post, delete
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 25, 2014
  11. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    Not necessarily so. My friend who I mentioned in the beginning of this thread, who did the one year M.Eng at Cornell, is now doing his Ph.D there.
     
  12. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    It's possible, but that's not the norm for MEng graduates. For example, the Cornell Computer Science MEng program includes this FAQ:

    Would they consider admitting a talented and motivated MEng student to a PhD program ? Yes they would (which is why they say "of course you may always apply"). But it would be an exception (which is why they say that the MEng "is not usually considered a path to entry"). In practice, most PhD candidates are going to come via the MS track, rather than the MEng track.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 25, 2014
  13. lite

    lite New Member

    Thanks a lot guys for everything.
    I will consider the options.
     
  14. lite

    lite New Member

    The cornell page says "All awards are based on merit, not need, and we never have enough funding ourselves to offer to all worthy applicants."

    I wonder why they don't distribute the funding on all applicants, so that everyone gets a partial share, better than getting nothing. Even if they gave the better applicants a higher share, everyone will still have a share.

    I am not sure any other university/country does that, so I can't really complain yet.
     
  15. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    Any PhD program is going to only admit the candidates who they believe are the right fit. Many people with MS degrees are simply not going to be right, or ready for doctoral-level work. If you're interested, I can ask this friend of mine to come on here and share his experience. I believe his focus is Computer Science.
     
  16. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    You're welcome. Good luck, and keep us posted!
     

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