Due to the nature of the work in the engineering sector, it’s normal to plan your pursuit of a postgraduate degree while you’re still in school. After all, although postgraduate degrees don’t automatically translate into employment opportunities – and aren’t even necessary for some engineers – they can still greatly impact your career.
For instance, engineers who’ve completed postgraduate studies are exposed to more career opportunities, and may even enjoy greater job security during economic downturns due to the specialised skills they picked up over their postgraduate studies.
But when it’s time to choose a course, you might hit a roadblock. Not because of limited specialisations, but because you don’t know what to study. Should you pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in engineering? Or perhaps a Master of Science (MSc) in engineering? Maybe an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) might be better for your chosen area of work?
To help you get a better understanding of the courses and certifications available to both engineers and engineering students, here’s a brief outline of some options you can consider for your postgraduate studies.
Master of Science courses
What it is: Master of Science courses are postgraduate degrees that focus on disciplines like the Sciences, IT and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), on top of others like Medicine and Sociology. It usually entails the writing and submission of a thesis, though it depends on the programme chosen.
Timeline: If you decide to register for masters’ courses as a full-time student, you shouldn’t take more than a year to complete it.
If you don’t want to halt your career journey to pursue your postgraduate aspirations, you can opt for part-time courses instead. However, take note that these courses will take up to two or three years instead, rather than the one-year full-time students can manage.
Pros of pursuing this course: Masters’ courses usually allow you to specialise in a specific area of interest and build the skills needed for it. Moreover, if you’ve already earned a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), you may even be able to speed up the process by forgoing some modules!
Courses available: Engineering postgraduate students have the option of selecting from three types of courses. There’s Master of Science (MSc), Master of Research (MRes), and Master of Philosophy (MPhil).
While each degree provides you with in-depth knowledge of a specific subject, they all also have very different course structures.
For instance, MSc is course-based, and allows you to take up a number of diverse modules. As mentioned before, it may require you to write and submit a thesis. But take note that an MSc isn’t a Master in Science or a Master of Engineering!
On the other hand, MRes and MPhil are typically research-oriented, and tend to focus more on a very specific area. Course content will be minimal, if included at all. Instead, you’ll work closely with a supervisor to complete your research work.
The future: All three options qualify you for a PhD in engineering, should you wish to apply for one later. However, of all three, MRes and MPhil are the ones that will give you a solid foundation in research skills.
Tips: Before applying for your postgraduate degree, take the time to speak to your employer, too. You’ll be able to gauge the level of support they can provide you with, such as financial backing and other benefits like a more flexible schedule to accommodate your schedules for work and school.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) courses
What it is: PhD courses are one of two doctorate course options available to engineering students, the other being the EngD. Critically, though, a PhD is a research degree.
The course is research-based, so you’ll be required to produce independent, ground-breaking engineering research theory work that pushes beyond the present boundaries of academic knowledge, under the eye of a supervisor. Over the course of your research, you’ll also come across many opportunities to work alongside other PhD students and researchers.
But take note – before being conferred your PhD, you’ll need to publish your research, and then defend it before a dissertation committee that consists of a panel of experts.
Traditionally, a PhD prepares bearers for an academic career in theoretical research and teaching in their chosen field of study, though it’s not unusual for PhD holders to return to the engineering workforce, as well.
Timeline: Typically, full-time PhD programmes take between three to six years to complete. If you decide to pursue it on a part-time basis instead, it may take up to seven or eight years.
Pros of pursuing this course: On top of acquiring new knowledge that adds to current knowledge, you’ll be able to dive much deeper into your chosen area of specialty than you do in masters’ courses. Other benefits include building vital and transferable skills like thinking in-depth and from different perspectives – which often leads to innovation – and networking with like-minded engineers.
Courses available: There are two options when looking at a PhD in engineering. You can opt to do a purely academic PhD, or incorporate industry-related training from an industry partner. The latter is preferred if the end goal is to return to the industry later, as it offers more practical and hands-on experience.
If you’ve chosen to add in industry-related training, you may have to commit at least three months to working on the premises of the industry partner, depending on your university and course requirements.
The future: Like an EngD, a PhD is one of the highest academic degrees you can earn in a field of study. Most PhD holders go on to become respected authorities in their chosen fields, and oversee others there.
Tip: As mentioned before, there’s no need to remain in academia after earning your PhD. In fact, it might boost your return to the industry. Over the course of your research and collaborations, you’ll form a wide professional network you can leverage on when you graduate. Use that to your advantage!
Engineering doctorate (EngD) courses
What it is: EngD courses are one of two doctorate course options available to engineering students – one is a professional degree while the other is a PhD.
Requirements for EngD courses are very similar to those for PhD courses, in that they’re also research-based, include producing new and original research under a supervisor, as well as publishing and defending your work before a dissertation committee.
But that’s where the similarities end – EngD courses combine PhD research projects with taught content, and focus more on finding both engineering and business solutions for contemporary industrial issues. Thus, if you apply for an EngD course, you’ll spend an estimated 75 per cent of your time working with an industry partner for onsite industrial training.
Like PhD holders, EngD recipients can pursue an academic career. However, most choose to return to their industries, as EngD degrees develop your technical leadership skills.
Timeline: Full-time EngD programmes take three to five years to complete as a full-time student. But if you take on the course as a part-time student, you may need six to seven years to complete it.
Pros of pursuing this course: In an EngD course, you’ll develop and build specialised skills that can be used in practical applications as part of the engineering workforce. Because of this, you’ll be at the forefront of solving real-world problems by analysing and applying practical research!
Courses available: As an EngD student, you’ll be required to go for taught courses on specialist technical and professional development subjects related to your chosen area of research.
The future: Like a PhD, an EngD is one of the highest academic degrees you can earn in a field of study. Most holders go on to become leaders and highly-specialised experts in their chosen fields, and guide others in their areas of expertise.
Tip: As most work is hands-on, you’ll likely graduate from your EngD course with an extensive portfolio of engineering plans, prototypes, simulations, manuals and even patent applications. This is especially useful later when you’re looking to demonstrate your skills and competencies to potential employers, or even to investors if you decide to venture into entrepreneurship.
The question of WHEN you should pursue a postgraduate degree
Before you register for the first postgraduate degree course you set your eyes on, it’s highly advisable to spend some time gaining experience on-the-job.
Why: On top of helping you gain vital exposure and experience that will help you in your postgraduate course, you’ll also get a better idea of which area you would like to specialise in over your course of study.
In addition, you may only want to start seeking out postgraduate studies and options if you feel that your present qualifications and certifications are limiting your career progression and holding you back from your goal.
Other benefits: If you’ve worked for several years in a company, you might be able to gain some form of support, whether financial or otherwise.
The question of WHETHER you should pursue a a postgraduate degree in an unrelated discipline
What: Taking up a postgraduate degree in a completely different field from engineering is perfectly fine, and is actually considered common in academic circles.
Why: There are any number of reasons why you might want to stir things up, from discovering lately that your academic interests lie elsewhere, or just wanting to expose yourself to more industries and experiences to boost your employment profile.
Other benefits: In an interesting twist, engineers who pursue a postgraduate degree in an unrelated discipline (like liberal arts) are also sought-after by employers for their new way of thinking and creativity.
Take note: The value of your postgraduate degree may not be consistent if it’s unrelated to the present needs of your industry, such as pursuing a Master of Arts in English. If this is the case, you may want to consider taking up shorter and more relevant certification courses first, and revisit your idea to apply for an unrelated postgraduate degree later.
The question of FUNDING
What: In Singapore, universities, government bodies and companies offer postgraduate students scholarships. However, each one has different requirements, and you’ll need to reach out and speak with the respective departments for more information.
Some options: The National University of Singapore (NUS) Graduate School offers the Commonwealth Scholarship for Integrative Sciences and Engineering for students from any of the Commonwealth countries.
Moreover, under the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS), A*STAR is willing to financially back successful applicants for four years at certain universities. Opportunities over the course of this scholarship include an attachment abroad for up to a year.
If you would like to look at companies that offer scholarships, ST Engineering offers scholarship opportunities (ST Engineering Scholarship) to students looking to further their studies.
Otherwise, if you would rather consider international scholarships, you can consider options such as the HM King’s and HM Queen’s Scholarships for Asian Students in Thailand.
The question of WHERE to further your studies
Staying local: Opting to return to your alma mater is a good idea! For starters, not only will you be familiar with the culture and staff in the university, you might even have a network you can leverage on there.
However, if you’ve managed to get special waivers or access to additional sources of funds, don’t reject the idea of pursuing your further studies in a different institution. There will still be a degree of familiarity and security involved, as you’ll be remaining in Singapore.
Going international: Doing your postgraduate studies in a new country and environment will give you the chance to explore new networks, academic sources and expertise. To you, that might be worth completely shifting your life to another country for the time it takes you to complete your degree.
Tip: Before you begin anything, be sure to run a basic check on the institution’s admission requirements, facilities provided, as well as the resources that will be made available to you (quality of staff, library, etc.).
Before you fully commit to your postgraduate studies, it’s good to take a moment and reflect on what you want, and how best to get there. All the best!