Engineering Education
- A Lifetime of Learning Thoughts on advanced degrees,
formal and informal education,
and avoiding obsolescence.
James Peterman
September 2007
Introduction
• What we’ll explore:
– Personal challenges of a career in engineering.
– Role of continuing education in maintaining
personal “relevance”.
– Educational opportunities and options.
– Career issues and decisions.
• I’ll share my observations, personal
experiences, and a few opinions.
Electrical and Computer Engineering is:
• An enormously complex and broad field!
IEEE currently supports 39
societies and 5 technology
councils specializing in topics
ranging from Aerospace
Electronics to Vehicular
Technology.
Electrical & Computer Engineering is also:
• An extremely dynamic field.
INNOVATION
• Technology is advancing
at a staggering pace.
TIME
• Consider changes in logic,
computers,and
communications.
Keeping Up
Lead ...
Follow ...
or Get Out of the Way!
Career Objective
Career Growth Factors
• Technology drives the need for growth in
engineering subject matter expertise.
– New technology
– New architectures
– New development methodologies
• Maturity of role and responsibility drives need for
growth in personal skill set.
–
–
–
–
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Supervision, management and leadership
Vision and direction
Business decision making
Project management
Process effectiveness
The Keys to Success:
• Continuing education, personal growth and
preparation for your future.
• It could mean the difference between having
a job and having a career.
• One pays the bills, the other fulfills.
How do I Develop a Career?
• Start with a strong foundation &
build on it.
• BSEE/ECE - take it seriously,
study hard, study as much theory
as possible, consider cooperative
education.
• Continue your education through
whatever means you have
readily available.
Formal Degrees
• This is a guideline only, what you
get out of your degree is up to you.
• BSEE/ECE--– Provides basic background & language of the
profession.
– Prepares for entry level design & analysis
positions.
Formal Degrees
• MSEE/ECE--– Deepens theoretical background.
– Exposes student to higher intensity level of study.
– Exposes student to advanced engineering topics
and applied areas of research.
– Prepares for positions beyond entry level in
advanced design with increased responsibility.
– Develops technical leadership capability &
potential.
Formal Degrees
• PhD--– Further deepens theoretical background.
– Additional increase in intensity level of study.
– Continues exposure to advanced engineering
topics and pure & applied areas of research.
– Prepares for positions in research.
– Prepares for careers in engineering education.
Formal Degrees
• MBA--– Provides post-graduate exposure to advanced
topics in business, finance, management, and
leadership.
– Prepares for positions in:
• Management
• Leadership
• Marketing
• Strategic Planning
Quotations on Education
“The things taught in schools are not an
education but the means of an
education.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Quotations on Education
“Education is what survives when what
has been learnt has been forgotten.”
B. F. Skinner
Quotations on Education
“Anyone who stops learning is old,
whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone
who keeps learning is young. The
greatest thing in life is to keep your
mind young.”
Henry Ford
Quotations on Education
“I never let school get in the way of my
education.”
Anonymous (Will Rogers)
Can’t I do it on my own?
• Yes, it is possible to achieve greatness in the
field of engineering with only a degree from
the school of “hard-knocks.”
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT LIKELY!
• Education is the tool to help you achieve
your goals and realize your potential.
• In an increasingly competitive market, you
can’t leave your career to chance!
When Should I go to Grad School?
• It’s a personal decision…
what’s right for you may
not be right for someone else.
• Criteria to consider:
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–
–
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What are my real interests?
Do I have the financial means?
Do I have the time?
What opportunities will I gain or lose?
Advantages and Disadvantages
Grad School Immediately Following BSEE:
• Advantages
– Already accustom to academics
– Fewer responsibilities
• Disadvantages
– Not sure of your interests
– May miss entry level experience
– May be financially hindered
X
Advantages and Disadvantages
Grad School Following Experience with BSEE:
• Advantages
– Better prepared to select field of study
– Possibility of employer $$ support
• Disadvantages
– More job & family responsibilities
– Difficult to be full-time student
– May not be near appropriate program
X
Thesis and Non-thesis Programs
• Thesis
– Requires the student to conduct original research or
advanced design project
– Requires formal writing task
– Requires technical presentation and defense of work
– Invaluable for those without real-world R&D and
writing experience
• Non-Thesis
– Typically offered only to those students who have
working experience.
– Requires additional course-work in-lieu of thesis
Differences in Environments
• Undergraduate
• Graduate
– Larger size classes
– Smaller size classes
– Exposure to instructors
& professors teaching
many general topics
– Exposure to professors
teaching in their areas
of expertise
– Many peers are not
serious about school
– Most peers are very
serious about school
and typically represent
“cream-of-the-crop”
Personal Views
• Full-time pursuit of advanced degree optimizes
study effort by keeping focus well defined.
• Statistically, once people leave campus and begin
full-time employment, returning to school is very
difficult.
• MBA programs usually have greater success rate
than MSEE programs.
• Degree programs can lose some of their impact
when courses are taken one-at-a-time over several
years. (continuity of pre-requisites may suffer)
It’s Never Over!
• Regardless of your
highest level of degree
work, education is
never “complete” nor
“sufficient.”
• Everyone must be
concerned about
continuing education.
Continuing Education Options
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•
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On-the-job training
Seminars
Workshops
Conferences
Non-credit courses
Personal reading
Individual study
programs
• Peer discussions
Personal Examples
• Cooperative Education
– Undergrad and grad level 1980-1985
•
•
•
•
BSEE 1983
MSEE 1985
MBA 2001
Approximately 50 training activities since 1985
– Short courses, workshops, seminars, non-credit
classes, self-study, etc.
Sample of Topics Covered
• Technical
– DSP, C/C++ Programming, Object Oriented
Analysis & Design, Communications technology,
etc.
• Quality
– Process Improvement, ISO-9001 Auditor
• Management/Leadership/Soft-skills
– Finance, supervision, writing, coaching, problem
solving, etc.
Sources of Training
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•
•
•
•
•
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Technical Community College
University Credit & Non-credit Programs
Training Specialists
Company Sponsored
IEEE Short Courses
Industry and Trade Groups
Manufacturers Training Workshops
Personal Advice
• Take the initiative to identify effective
training/education opportunities
• Be willing to invest your own
money…don’t let company’s rejection
prevent your pursuit
• Beware of costly “overview” type seminars,
although they can be very effective.
• Devote some personal time each week to
reading technical material
More Personal Comments
• Consider university and community college
courses, including non-credit courses…
these are often real bargains
• Maintain professional society membership
and be as active as possible in local sections
• Explore different educational formats such
as video, audio, computer-based training,
and internet resources.
For Further Thought
• MS degrees in Technical Management
– Relatively new programs that combine:
• MBA type courses
• Technical engineering electives
• Begin by planning your career
– Where do you want to be in 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 years?
– Consider how to reach these goals
• Beware of moving into management too soon
Attitude
• Motivation
– Must come from a
personal desire to “BE
ALL YOU CAN BE”
• Reward
– Don’t expect recognition
& reward for a degree
– Your performance is the
basis of reward
Secret of True Success
• Balance -- Strike a
balance among the
many facets of your
life
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–
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–
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professional
personal
family
civic
spiritual
Conclusion
No one plans to fail…they just fail to plan!
“If money is your only hope for independence,
you will not succeed. The only security available
in this life is your store of Knowledge,
Experience, and Ability.”
Henry Ford