My Engineering Education
Trying to find your vocation in a crowded world is a difficult task. I feel very comfortable as an engineer, and I am glad I found something that fits so well. Unfortunately, I don't think many children understand what an engineer does, only what we help create. Explaining risk and consequences in the construction industry is advanced learning, well beyond stacking wooden blocks.
It takes a lot of work and schooling to become an engineer. You don't get to engineer anything until the very end of the educational process. A person cannot just start taking engineering courses in elementary school. It's a long process, and you must pay your dues.
Realistically speaking, the classes that "prepared" me for life as a professional engineer were my least favorite. Differential Equations, E&M Physics, computer programming, linear algebra, etc. These were courses I tolerated, but they held absolutely no appeal to me. I was not attracted to engineering because of the abstract mathematical principles involved. Far from it, I hated the homework that my professors handed out, assuming it was some arcane form of hazing.
Looking back, I can see how important those courses were in my development. I might still be an engineer without them, but an incomplete engineer with no chance of achieving any level of mastery. Now that I can honestly call myself a professional engineer, however, I readily call on these tools that I worked so hard to acquire. They are much more important than the fancy structural analysis programs that produce formatted reports and colorful graphs. The reason is simply that advanced mathematical knowledge gives one a better understanding of the physical world, and without that understanding one will never be able to innovate.
Many young engineers concentrate on learning skills they consider to be important in the industry. Finite elements, sustainable design, and historic preservation have been especially popular in the past few decades. Just as in previous decades it might have been statistical reduction, soap-film analogies, or proprietary truss designs. Remember to concentrate on the basics, remember to do your homework in mechanics class. You will never be forced to admit you have spent your life learning a skill the world no longer needs.
Sometimes I am asked what importance a Master of Science degree has for a young engineer. The answer is not clear. Just as with any aspect of life, you get out of it what you put in. If you are interested in a 1-year classroom focused degree (Master of Engineering or Master of Science Non-Thesis) and you go into it seeking a continuation of your undergraduate classes, then that is not a problem. You will be well rewarded and will see no loss of time required to get your PE license in most jurisdictions. Soon enough, graduate school experience will be required to even apply for a PE license.
On the other hand, a true Master of Science degree requires a substantial amount of time to devote to a thesis. A thesis is nothing more than your opinion on a difficult to solve problem. It is a great opportunity to wet your feet in the process of creating engineering knowledge. A PhD program is more like a headfirst dive off the top board (speaking merely as a spectator), so a little practice with an MS is probably a good thing.
If you are confused about where to apply for a PhD program (and somewhat for an MS), do not make your decision lightly. School reputation is important in some respects, but nowhere near as important as your ability to find a thesis/dissertation advisor who:
It takes a lot of work and schooling to become an engineer. You don't get to engineer anything until the very end of the educational process. A person cannot just start taking engineering courses in elementary school. It's a long process, and you must pay your dues.
Realistically speaking, the classes that "prepared" me for life as a professional engineer were my least favorite. Differential Equations, E&M Physics, computer programming, linear algebra, etc. These were courses I tolerated, but they held absolutely no appeal to me. I was not attracted to engineering because of the abstract mathematical principles involved. Far from it, I hated the homework that my professors handed out, assuming it was some arcane form of hazing.
Looking back, I can see how important those courses were in my development. I might still be an engineer without them, but an incomplete engineer with no chance of achieving any level of mastery. Now that I can honestly call myself a professional engineer, however, I readily call on these tools that I worked so hard to acquire. They are much more important than the fancy structural analysis programs that produce formatted reports and colorful graphs. The reason is simply that advanced mathematical knowledge gives one a better understanding of the physical world, and without that understanding one will never be able to innovate.
Many young engineers concentrate on learning skills they consider to be important in the industry. Finite elements, sustainable design, and historic preservation have been especially popular in the past few decades. Just as in previous decades it might have been statistical reduction, soap-film analogies, or proprietary truss designs. Remember to concentrate on the basics, remember to do your homework in mechanics class. You will never be forced to admit you have spent your life learning a skill the world no longer needs.
Sometimes I am asked what importance a Master of Science degree has for a young engineer. The answer is not clear. Just as with any aspect of life, you get out of it what you put in. If you are interested in a 1-year classroom focused degree (Master of Engineering or Master of Science Non-Thesis) and you go into it seeking a continuation of your undergraduate classes, then that is not a problem. You will be well rewarded and will see no loss of time required to get your PE license in most jurisdictions. Soon enough, graduate school experience will be required to even apply for a PE license.
On the other hand, a true Master of Science degree requires a substantial amount of time to devote to a thesis. A thesis is nothing more than your opinion on a difficult to solve problem. It is a great opportunity to wet your feet in the process of creating engineering knowledge. A PhD program is more like a headfirst dive off the top board (speaking merely as a spectator), so a little practice with an MS is probably a good thing.
If you are confused about where to apply for a PhD program (and somewhat for an MS), do not make your decision lightly. School reputation is important in some respects, but nowhere near as important as your ability to find a thesis/dissertation advisor who:
- has funding available for new students
- has a proven track record of graduating his advisees
- works closely with your topics of interest
Labels: structural engineering, young engineers
posted by Graeme at
7:30 AM
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