Sorry, I am so late to this conversation.
Stephanie, it really depends on what one wishes to do in their career. However, it also has to do with your degree's age and program structure. Current U.S. bachelor degrees have less credit hours than previous ones, thus less education. If you graduated since roughly 1995- 2000, your four year BS degree has at least three and more likely four less classes (9-12 credit hours) than those 30 year older (say 45 - 65 age) firm principals to which you are comparing yourselves. They also have about two to four less classes (6 -12 or more) credit hours than their predecessors had.
Universities have been slowly cheapening the BS degree to cut expenses. Students pay more but get less credits. Thus, the unstated reason the technical societies (which are full of academics) are pushing the five year plus program. They need the master degree students to make budget but also realize (but do not admit) the four year BS degree is becoming less and less sufficient. Most engineering BS degree programs now (since 1995-2000) are in the 120-126 (semester) credit hour range and have had engineering content classes removed. In the 1960s - 1980s, the degree programs were in the 132-140 credit hour range and before that, the approached 150 credit hours. Now, those classes are cut back. For example, a engineering geology may now be combined with the soils class vs. two separate classes in the past. This is happening across the technical degree spectrum.
In addition, to the surprise of most people, the actual educational content of accredited degree programs varies greatly from institution to institution. School A's BS graduates may not even be aware of concepts taught to School B's BS grads. This is easily determined and exposed in the work place. Thus, many of those principals and managers you are looking at may have technical or business knowledge other members in the firm (and you) do not, simply based on the degree program they followed.
In summary, today's BS grads may need that additional MS technical degree just to be adequately educated in their field let alone stay abreast of advances. While I did not think so before, I am seeing a need now.
MBAs or MPAs are subject to debate. They can help in certain organizations. But, not very many smaller private firms (and most private engineering firms are small) can afford to pay a $150K-$200K+ salary most such MBA grads want to receive to pay for their degree. Business management classes may be more cost effective than a full degree for some.
This issue does not get the airing and understanding it should as it is politically incorrect to point out the universities (and regents they report to) are ripping the students off.
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Bradley Novacek P.E., M.ASCE
Senior Engineer
Stanley Consultants, Inc.
Phoenix AZ
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-18-2017 19:03
From: Stephanie Slocum
Subject: Are additional degrees beneficial?
Hi everyone! A number of my friends and I are PE's. We were discussing if getting an additional degree once you have your PE is "worth it" in our field. We've observed that the founders/presidents/principals of our respective (small) firms only have a bachelor's degree, and for those who have been promoted it seems to be based largely on years of experience. I am personally interested in getting an MBA. Alternately some of my friends with a bachelor's degree would be looking at a technical master's degree. In theory we would do this part time while still working. Do you think the additional degree would be beneficial and if so how?
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Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Associate Principal
Hope Furrer Assoc Inc
State College PA
(814) 234-8191
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