How an Advanced Degree Can
Help You Reach Your Career
Goals
Marcella K. Vaicik
Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
Illinois Institute of Technology
My Background
Bachelor of Science
in Chemical
Engineering
•Purdue University (2004)
Full-time Chemical
Industry Employment
Master of Science in
Bioengineering
Vaicik M et al. (2014).
Vascularization in Engineered
Adipose Tissue. In Vascularization:
Regenerative Medicine and Tissue
Engineering (325-341). CRC Press
Doctor of Philosophy
in Biomedical
Engineering
•University of Illinois at
Chicago (2009)
•Thesis: Tooth Enamel
Development with
Consideration for Enamel
Biomimetics
•Illinois Institute of
Technology (expected
2014)
•Thesis: Cell-Matrix
Interactions in Adipose
Tissue Function
Overview
• Advanced Degree Types
• Research Options
• Length of Programs
• How/What you Learn in Graduate School
• Transferable Skills Developed in Graduate School
• Career Paths
• Logistics of attending school
• Funding Graduate Degree
• Additional Resources
Advanced Degree Types
Masters
Level
PhD Level
• Master of Science (Thesis or non-thesis)
• Master of Engineering
• Master of Science in (Project) Management
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Doctor of Engineering
Research Options at Degree Level
Non-Research Based
• Masters without Thesis
• Course work based Masters
Research Based
• Masters
• Smaller 1-2 year Research
Experience
• Encouraged for students
interested in future PhD
• Useful to experience Research
• PhD
• Larger 2-5 year Research Project
• Typically publish thesis work
Estimated Time Spent to get Degree
Masters
PhD
• 1-2 years full-time
• 2-4 years part-time
• 4-6 years full-time
• 6-8 years part-time
Years
7%3%
9%
Bachelors
Masters
Ph.D.
81%
Career
Graduate School is about Learning
• Formal Course Work Learning
• Masters & PhD Typically Require 6-10 Courses
• Advanced Level Courses
• Self Directed Learning
• Topics for focus
• Unique Perspective
• Experiential Learning
• Research
• Projects
• Graduate School is an Opportunity to explore topics and develop your
PASSION!
Skill Development in Graduate School
• Critical Reading
• Experimental design
• Communicating complex
problems to people with various
levels of education/expertise
• Inquisitiveness
• Follow Through
• Network
• Collaboration
• Mentoring skills
• Creativity
• Resourcefulness
Career Paths
• Academia
• Tenure track Professor
• Community College/Adjunct Professor
• Engineering Technical Leader
• Research
• Laboratory Technician
• Laboratory Manager
• Principal Investigator
• Entrepreneurship
• Management
• Specific Role  Structural Engineer, Financial Analyst, etc.
Logistics of Attending Graduate School
• On-campus
• Online Degrees
• Combination
• Company Focused/Sponsored
• Interdisciplinary Graduate
Degrees
• Certifications
Funding Options
Part-time
Full-time
Masters Degree in
Engineering (M.S.)
Employer-paid Tuition
Scholarships (limited)
Personal Savings
Student Loans
Scholarships
Fellowships
Research Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships
Graduate Assistantships
Employer-paid Tuition
Doctoral Degree in
Engineering (Ph.D)
Employer-paid Tuition
Scholarships (limited)
Personal Savings
Student Loans
Fellowships
Research Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships
Graduate Assistantships
Scholarships
Employer-paid Tuition
MBA
Employer-paid Tuition
Personal Savings
Student Loans
Scholarships
Personal Savings
Student Loans
Employer-paid Tuition
Summary
• An Advanced Degree provides you with increased Opportunities
• The experience is what you make of it
• Select a program that fits your interest and needs
Additional Resources
• SWE Webinar Oct 2012: Returning to Graduate School with Industry
Experience
• Available for Replay to SWE members
• WE14 ask other attendees many have advanced degrees!
• Contact Graduate Programs (Several will be at the WE14 Career Fair)
• Ask where their recent graduates are employed and in what type of roles
• My contact info:
• marcella.vaicik@swe.org
• Please fill out session evaluation
• SWE Graduate Community Blog: http://swegrad.wordpress.com/
SWE Graduate Student WE14 Selected Events
Thursday Sessions
•
Graduate School Networking, 11am, LACC Concourse
•
How an Advance Degree Can Help You Reach Your
Career Goals , 1:30 pm, LACC502A
•
Fostering an Inclusive Environment for Graduate
Students in a Growing Department – Lightening Talk
1:30 pm, LACC 502A
•
Funding Your Graduate Education – Lightening Talk,
1:30 pm LACC, 502B
•
Science, Technology, & Public Policy – How policy
intersects with engineering and how to get involved –
Lightening Talk, 1:30 pm LACC, 502A
•
Career Planning with MyIDP – Lightening Talk, 1:30
pm LACC, 502B
•
Tips on Finding and Being a Mentor in Graduate
School, 4pm, LACC 511A
•
Networking in Academic Settings, 4pm LACC 505
SWE Graduate Community Blog:
http://swegrad.wordpress.com/
Friday Sessions
•
Fellowship Opportunities for Academic and
Research Projects in Engineering outside of the US,
1:30pm, LACC 505
•
Graduate Rapid Fire Session 1, 2:45pm, LACC 505
•
Engineers in Informal STEM Education: From
Casual Contributions to Careers 4pm, LACC 501C
•
Preparing Powerful Application Essays, 4pm, LACC
504
•
Graduate Networking Reception – hosted by Owens
Corning, 5pm, LACC 405
Saturday Sessions
•
Effective Writing for Graduate Funding, 10am,
LACC 514
•
Strategies for Obtaining Your First Academic
Position, 10am, LACC504
•
Graduate Rapid Fire Session 2, 10am, LACC 502
•
Tips for Teaching in STEM, 1:30pm, LACC 505
•
Building Support Networks in Graduate School and
Beyond, 1:30pm, LACC 503
•
Industry and Academia – You Can Do Both,
1:30pm, LACC 405
•
Women in Academia & Grad Student Reception –
2:45pm-4pm, LACC 503