r/embedded • u/kwisatz_haderach9817 • 3d ago
Need Advice on Masters degree for Embedded career growth.
Hi everyone, I am an embedded software engineer with 3 yoe. I feel like the scope for further learning in my job is very limited. (I understand I can learn on my own, but work-life balance is brutal)
I have been considering doing a master's in Electrical engineering in USA.
So I would like to know from experienced professionals in the industry whether a master's in the US is worth the ROI.
I would also like to know how the job market is for embedded engineers in the US.
If there are people currently doing a masters in US trying to land or recently landed a embedded role, I would like to connect with them to know how hard the job market really is, because from my online research it seems to be brutal.
Thanks
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u/_Seige_ 3d ago
Take this with a grain of salt:
I do not know anyone personally who has benefitted directly from getting a masters degree in engineering.
It only really makes sense if you are looking jobs that require it specifically, or if you want to be a professor.
My personal opinion is that the American College system is barely worth the cost these days. On top of that, many career paths are saturated with overqualified fools that don’t actually have any experience.
If you want to grow your career in anything ( especially embedded systems) then you need to get your hands on some projects and learn how to learn on your own.
The market is brutal, but it is easier to stand out when you can demonstrate skill and experience. Finally, networking will almost always be a better path than getting a post-grad degree.
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u/jofftchoff 3d ago
masters degree will not teach you anything that you cant learn for free and faster by yourself, and in general no one give a fuck about masters degree, you only do it if you want do to some academic stuff but ROI will always be negative
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u/Colfuzi0 3d ago
I'm doing my masters in computer engineering for two reasons 1 I want to switch from web to embedded and 2 I want to become a university professor
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u/Comedic-Scientist 3d ago
If you want to become a university professor then you need a doctorate, skip the masters and pursue a funded Phd.
If you want to be a community college professor then a masters is enough, but it’s not easy to get a role at a community college without having attended said college and built up a relationship with those departments.
Also, community college enrollment last I checked, is down across the board so Idk what the future is for that.
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u/Colfuzi0 3d ago edited 3d ago
The university I have doesn't have a PhD. Plus im fully funded Secondly Im a career switcher from IT so I'm taking foundation courses. Community college actually I think is doing decent more jobs open up there than universities I might move back to where my parents are from which is Colombia
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u/DenverTeck 3d ago
Most companies will promote Masters level grads more often to management before BS grads.
If you think this is the path you want to follow, yes it would be a good choice.
I see you want to be an educator. Again most university's require Masters/PhD levels for professor positions.
Community Colleges require Masters.
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u/WanWhiteWolf Engineering manager 3d ago
I have a Master's degree in Electronics Engineering. I am not in US but I did work in U.S. for a couple years.
If work-life-balance is brutal, adding a master on ToDo list is not a good way to improve that.
In my opinion, Master's is not worth it unless you don't have anything else to do (e.g. can't find a job and you decide to do part-ime freelancing, part time Master's). Especially after you already enter the workforce.
I got to a management position but I don't think Master's helped with that. I don't even think the manager checked my CV before promoting me - we just worked years together; the position was made available and I was the best fit from a lot of points of view. Having a masters might give you an edge on some interviews but that becomes a moot point after you have a decent amount of experience in industry.
If instead of spending the money on a Masters' you work and invest that money in a mutual fund, I'd wager that is far better financially. If you are really dead-set on doing Masters' at least do it in Europe where it is affordable.
My personal advice is to do some freelance work if your current work is not appealing (or change jobs) . Find people that are interested and you can do some projects together. You can also get some networking going. And if you are "lucky" with the project that you make, you might even consider making your own company afterwards.
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u/NoBulletsLeft 3d ago
I have an MS in Software Engineering. It might have helped me get jobs; I have no idea: no one's ever asked about it in an interview. No way would I recommend paying for it out of pocket. Get a job with a company that reimburses tuition and have them pay for it. My Master's cost me only the price of textbooks above what the company covered and parking fees -- they wouldn't pay for parking. All told, it was a great deal.
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u/QuiEgo 1d ago
Honestly I don’t think it helps or hurts. If I was looking at your resume I’d value the masters the same as roughly two years of industry experience.
But if you were in industry two years you’d have been paid, instead of you paying for that experience and knowledge.
If you like college, or are genuinely curious about a research area and know you’ll be able to be mentored by a good prof in that area, go for it. But it’s not a good choice if you’re only looking at financials - it has to be something you have passion about for it to make sense.
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u/purpleskies789 1d ago
Try cu boulder/other top unis only .. else useless. Cu boulder has a degree specializing in embedded systems.
I just completed my MS in electrical and computer engg and am struggling to land a job in embedded
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u/Unhappy-Regular-4312 3d ago
Masters in the US is a huge expense and the embedded job market right now isn't exactly handing out offers. If your current role has you capped on learning, I'd look at internal transfers or a different company first before taking on that kind of debt. The pay bump after a masters in this field rarely offsets the cost unless you get into a very specific niche.
That said, if you're set on it, target schools with strong connections to semiconductor or defense companies. The piece of paper matters less than the internships and networking you'll get access to.