phd in engineering reddit

Is a PhD in Engineering worth it?

I’m wondering if there are any real benefits to getting a PhD in Engineering. Obviously, a lot of work and time goes into getting a PhD. Pursuing a PhD would make sense for fields like English, where career options in the private sector are highly limited and therefore the PhD a much better option.

However, for engineering, there is a relatively large amount of high paying jobs available outside of academia. My older brother had a starting salary of $60,000 with only a B.S. in ME from a mediocre college. He now makes 6 figures and just turned 30. Pretty good by anyone’s standards.

This makes me wonder if obtaining a PhD is a waste of time, spending many more years on theoretical subjects that are rarely used in industry. Furthermore, I worry that I’d be limiting my career by getting a PhD. By that I mean, limiting my career so that I could only be a professor and a university or a research scientist for a company.

I always believed that the engineers that ultimately make the most money are the design engineers that work in the private sector and move up to engineering managers and ultimately become more involved in the financial operations and contracts of the company. In this path, a PhD seems useless, and even destructive as it could prevent you from getting the jobs that allow this vertical movement.

I’m wondering this because I find engineering curriculum very enjoyable and I’ve been pretty successful with it. What are the benefits of a PhD? Does a PhD help your career? Does it limit your career?

It all depends on your career goals. Anyone who does a Ph.D. in engineering for the money clearly doesn’t know what he/she is doing, as it won’t typically net you any major monetary advantage over an M.S.

A Ph.D. both helps and limits your career. If you want to get into research, it is absolutely essential. If you aren’t interested in staying on a technical career path, it is useless. What it all comes down to is this: what do you want to do with your career?

In general, if one is interested in doing research, it is worthwhile to pursue a PhD.

@TechGuy342, you should go to phds.org and read the material there. It will give you a variety of perspectives on obtaining a PhD.

Most people who argue that a Phd is not necessary or is a foolish idea are just bitter that they themselves don’t have one. Google “cognitive dissonance”.

@JamesMadison

Or maybe they came to the realization they don’t need to go tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt for diminishing returns on a degree they won’t use and don’t need. What a terrible sweeping generalization.

I think it is pretty clear the money is in finance. So if you want the money get an MBA after your BS. However if you want to work for JPL you might just want to get your PhD. @JamesMadison there is a big difference between not necessary and foolish. Plenty of times an advanced degree is benefitcial but not absolutely necessary. I’m not even going to deal with the foolish. That would indicate that your goals where in a completely different direction and depends heavily on the debt load in the equation. I’m mean heck if you’ve got a trust fund and want to get PhD’s until the day you die, go for it.

I’m sure 90% of Ph.D are paid with waived tuition. Who would pay for graduate school lol.

MasterKuni, I’ve never heard of a single engineer paying for his/her PhD. They are almost always paid for through the research grant that funds their work.

I can’t imagine what my life would have been had I not pursued my PhD, but I doubt that it would have been nearly as intellectually fulfilling, and probably not been as profitable either.

These calculations about whether it would be worth it seem really silly now, though I admit thinking like many people here do before I took the plunge.

I made sustenance wages teaching and doing research for 6 years a grad student, got a great paying job at a research lab, which paid more than my salary would have been after 6 years of working. I then rose rapidly with leadership positions due to offshoots of my own research. From that, I was able to join a pre-IPO startup that later went public. That was a life changing event. Then another startup, not so successful, but still great fun. I now hold a leadership position in research for a great company with a great salary and benefits still doing significant work. The hours are better and I can be an involved parent. Once the last is off to college? Who knows what lies ahead?

Could I have made as much without the PhD? Perhaps, but the intellectual satisfaction of creating something of great value, which I doubt I would have had quite the same opportunity to do, is priceless to me.

(Sorry if this is a hijack…I weighed the options and this seemed a little less annoying than a new thread)

I would like to ask my own question, and I will delete it if this is not proper etiquette. But I hope that it’s something the answer to which is also hopeful in shaping OP’s decision:

I am not even a freshman yet, and don’t know at all how the engineering world works. But when I try to describe the sort of things I want to be doing, it always seems to be seen by others as “research.” Same with the job listings I see that sound coolest. I bounce around a lot (like a week ago I made a stupid thread about a PhD in biomed), but what seems consistent is that I want to be sort of “on the cutting edge,” developing new ideas for technologies, often specifically in energy. I feel like I want to be almost as much a scientist as an engineer, working in a in a lab for NASA or a company like GE or something. I am currently not concerned about the money at all ($50K/year sounds like plenty), but am concerned with prestige, respect and making cool impacts on the world.

I am not sure this is even a real job or how this work at all (I am totally uneducated), but from what little I can articulate, does this sound like something that would require graduate study likely, or could I get that sort of job with a BS?

A PhD is required for a career in academia. A PhD is almost always required for a career in research, although even with a PhD a job in research is not guaranteed. If either academia or research are of interest, a PhD may be worth it. Otherwise, perhaps not.

There is an opportunity cost in time of being in a PhD program. Most engineering PhD students are supported by grants or RA or TA positions, so almost nobody pays the costs directly. But time spent in grad school living on a small stipend is time not spent earning a decent engineering salary and gaining valuable work experience.

I dropped out of a EE PhD program with a master’s. I’m one of the lucky few who was able to work in research without a PhD, eventually moving to a management position, although I have since moved on to a non-research, advanced development management position. I know an awful lot of people who prefer research work to development work.

I don’t think having a PhD is an impediment to getting a management position, if that is of interest to the individual engineer.

If you are going into biomedical engineering, is a PhD worth it?

What about if you want to become a surgeon?

@sacchi - what exactly is the difference between Development work and Research work? As in, what do you do and how high if a degree do you need to have to best chance at getting a job in either?

So far I dont think I have known any phDs holding manager positions. However alot of phDs that I know of started multiple companies due to their access to alot of stakeholders and alot of time spent on inventing new stuff.

I’m a EE, so I can best speak to that, rather than other types of engineering. Lots of EEs work in development, and a BS degree is all that is required. However, having an MS or a PhD can sometimes help to find a job, or a more interesting job. When I say development, I mean that the engineers develop products. Company X wants to make a product Y. Someone defines the requirements, and then developers implement them: select or develop the hardware platform, develop the algorithms and software to build the product. A QA (quality assurance) engineer then tests the product, before it is delivered to customers. Down the road a few years, another engineer supports the product - adds new features, fixes bugs, etc. Advanced development (what I do now) tends to be be bleeding edge, developing brand new types of products using better, newer technology than what is available now (as opposed to developing a product that is “me too”.) Although I don’t work in the automotive industry, an example would be that developing the Volt would be advanced development since it uses a lot of new, advanced technology, while designing the model 2013 year Camry would be development.

Researchers tend to work in central research labs of large companies, rather than in the business units where developers, QA, support, etc. work. Researchers generally don’t work on specific products, but on technologies that eventually are used in products. Researchers are much more likely than developers to apply for patents, publish papers in conferences and journals, participate in international standards bodies, etc. A PhD is usually required to work in research, but not always. Sometimes an MS can be good enough. Sometimes there are BS engineers in research, but they tend to work in more of a support role, than as a “researcher”.

Sticking with the automobile example, for many years before the Volt was first developed, researchers would have studied everything about electric cars, batteries, etc.

I’ve worked in both research and advanced development throughout my career, both as an individual contributor and as a manager. My highest degree is an MS - I was in a PhD program, but dropped out. Even though I didn’t end up with a PhD, I think the fact that I had been in a PhD program helped me get that first research job.

Lots of engineers aspire to work in research, and it is considered by many to be higher status than development. (And development is considered to be higher status than QA, support, etc.) However, I think a lot of people find advanced development to be the most exciting work. While “regular” development typically requires only a BS, “advanced” development often requires an MS or PhD, or else some really relevant work experience in the field.

On the other hand, I know many, many PhDs holding manager positions. But they are in research and advanced development organizations, where many of the people who they are managing also have advanced degrees.

Thanks for that amazing breakdown, sacchi. I have a much clearer idea of the landscape than I did before. I have been looking for something like this for months. Cheers

POPULAR STATES

Search sat scores, search act scores, search gpa’s, subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay informed with the latest from the CC community, delivered to you, for free.

CONNECT WITH US

Industry Partners
Aerospace & Automotive
AI, Machine Learning, IoT & Data Science
Biotechnology & Healthcare
Building, Design & Construction
Business, Management & Consulting
Cybersecurity
Electrical & Electronics
Energy & Sustainability
Entrepreneurship & Startup
Government & Non-Profit
Manufacturing & Materials
Research & Academia
Biomedical Engineering
Computer Science & Engineering
Electrical & Systems Engineering
Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
Greater St. Louis Region
Women & Engineering
Multicultural
Featured Jobs

Should You Get Your PhD in Engineering?

Share This: Share Should You Get Your PhD in Engineering? on Facebook Share Should You Get Your PhD in Engineering? on LinkedIn Share Should You Get Your PhD in Engineering? on X

Is it worth it to continue the academic track towards an engineering PhD, or are you be better off going into the industry, paying back those student loans? The answer depends on what you want from your engineering career.

Do You Enjoy Research?

The greatest advantage of the PhD is that it gives you experience in carrying out detailed research. Your Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees are focused on learning things that are already known, but the PhD teaches you to find out new things, to carry out experiments, to report data, and learn from your mistakes.

Ideally, you become a subject matter expert in your chosen focus. That puts you in a great position for jobs that require that specific expertise, or where research skills are highly valued.

Preet Anand, CEO of technology company BlueLight , says that you need to think about what role you want. “A PhD is incredibly important for anyone involved with scientific innovation and research. However, if your aspirations are to be involved with implementation and quickly moving into the business side, a PhD is probably not effective from a time-ROI perspective. It’s especially not helpful if you’re working in software, where the speed of innovation in industry is quicker than the speed of academia.”

Forensic engineer Robert McElroy specializes in technical failure analysis related to automobiles, heavy trucks, and all types of industrial vehicles, and is an internationally recognized expert on the causes of industrial and transportation accidents. He stresses that his PhD has both commercial and technical benefits. “As a serial entrepreneur and forensic engineer, without the PhD, I could never have accomplished what I have been fortunate enough to achieve.”

An Engineering PhD Opens Doors…

Karen Thole, Department Head of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Pennsylvania State University and member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers , explains that the usefulness of PhDs in industry quite depends upon the industry itself. “Many high tech industries continue to develop “tools” to help their engineers determine better designs. The development of such tools generally requires a graduate level understanding. And, a company’s tools are what set apart the competition. For example, there are several companies that make gas turbine engines with the basic architecture being the same. What sets companies apart, however, are those that do their own tool development such as predictive codes, design codes, standard work practices, etc. As tools improve, it helps to advance technology and develop better engines. To improve the tools, however, it requires a high level of understanding of the physics, which is where PhDs come in. The more technologically advanced the company, the more it takes some sort of research center, which generally employs PhDs.”

“I have yet to find a jobless, homeless PhD in engineering.”

Naturally, this means that some industries have far more demand for PhDs than others. “The aerospace industries as well as the high tech electronics industries both look for PhDs,” says Thole. “They’re generally the ones which require ME and EE disciplines.”

David Gantshar, CEO of engineering recruiters Shepherd Search Group Inc. notes that the value of a PhD often depends on the character of the senior management. Companies founded or led by PhDs tend to have more respect for those who have been through the same academic training. “A PhD is highly valued in some circumstances and not necessary at other times,” he says. “For a vice president of engineering or another senior executive position, it can be a big plus, especially if the company president himself has a PhD. The PhD degree reflects intense and successful research and would be valued in an R&D environment. If the president of the organization has one, he/she will value those individuals that are “on par” academically and offer credentials similar to those around the table. However for a senior engineering or manager’s position, it is rarely required.”

… Unless It Closes Them

However, one problem faced by many PhDs is that they’re often regarded as “too academic,” and therefore not suited to the pace and pressures of commercial engineering.

Should You Get Your PhD in Engineering Engineer Jobs NASA

Credit: NASA

Whether or not that’s true, it’s certainly a perception you have to battle with, as Gantshar notes. “It really depends on the organization. Some companies might see a Ph.D. as too research oriented and would identify the engineer as insufficiently hands-on. We have seen many instances where a PhD has actually worked against a candidate in these circumstances and the individual with less academic credentials is selected based upon these perceptions.”

What About Non-STEM PhDs?

If you’re thinking of going into the management role, then it may be worth considering a PhD which proves your business credentials. Combined with your engineering experience, it can give you a major advantage over other managers.

Sonja Fisher recently completed her PhD in business. “It has been very helpful,” she says, with evident pride. “I am getting opportunities left and right. I seem to be more in demand since getting my PhD.”

Should You Get Your PhD?

If you’re looking for a research role, a job requiring very specific expertise or a position in a company that’s known for innovation or R&D, then a PhD can pay great dividends. According to the latest Engineering Income and Salary Survey , on average, you’ll earn about 35% more than an engineer with a Bachelor’s degree – typically about $30,000 a year. That’s a huge payoff for those few years of research.

Equally importantly, a PhD will give you a level of job security that a lesser degree won’t give you. “I have yet to find a jobless, homeless PhD in engineering. That’s my simple answer,” grins Thole. Not only that, but it opens up new opportunities. “The PhD really allows you to tailor your own career a bit more. Generally companies want their PhDs to seek out new ideas and think bigger about the field. So, it presents more opportunities to do what you want.”

Source: Engineerjobs.com

Should Engineers Get a PHD? 11 Truths!

Should engineers get a PhD? Depends on what you want to achieve in your career. There are ups and downs to pursuing a PhD in engineering.

To figure it out, start by asking yourself what kind of career you’re after. Your decision will be based on factors like:

Your interests
How much money you want to make
The lifestyle you desire
Your other career options

We’ll chat about these four pointers, and then dive headfirst into 11 extra tips to help you size up the pros and cons of pursuing a PhD in engineering.

Important Note: I’ll be generalizing each factor I discuss, so keep in mind that there are always exceptions. And don’t forget that some superstar engineers will fly high whether they have a PhD or not. Success can come either way!

What really interests you in engineering?

A PhD can give you a leg up when tackling groundbreaking technological challenges. Without one, you might find it tough to access such work. But if you’re into more typical engineering gigs in the industry, then a PhD won’t be worth the time and money.

Usually, people go for a PhD if they want to become a specialist or researcher, or if they have their sights set on an academic career. A PhD can provide flexibility between industry and academia, letting you explore fresh ideas and spearhead innovative projects.

Here’s my two cents on both academia and industry:

In academia

In this world, your work might not make an immediate real-world splash. It could take years or even decades for your research to be recognized and applied. So, if you’re looking to become an overnight sensation, you might want to think again.

But you know what? To a select few who are passionate about your field, your work will be a big deal. You’ll have the chance to share your unique ideas with like-minded folks and make a difference in your little corner of the world.

And never forget that every small step you take will ultimately contribute to the greater good of humanity.

In industry

Meanwhile, in the industry, your work can make an instant impact. You’ll tackle awesome projects that are directly tied to a company’s goals, making a real difference in people’s lives.

Take, for example, working on R&D for batteries. Batteries are essential for our future, and every tiny improvement can change our lives in a big way.

The downside? Your company might not give you the credit you deserve for your groundbreaking work. But don’t sweat it – there are loads of similar opportunities for PhD holders who are motivated and inventive.

All in all, whether you pick academia or industry, you’ll have plenty of chances to change the world. Just keep cranking out top-notch work, and everything else will fall into place.

How much money do you want to make?

First off, don’t pay for your PhD yourself. If you can’t get funding, it means the market doesn’t see the value in your research.

Even with funding, you might only make $20k to $40k a year, depending on your university. If you’d gone straight into the industry, you could be pocketing $150k or more each year. Then you could invest that salary in real estate, businesses, you name it.

So, if money’s your main concern, you’ll lag behind your peers who jumped straight into the industry. Because while you’re spending 3 to 5 years earning a PhD and living on ramen noodles, they’ll be making bank.

And if you’re thinking about academia after your PhD, buckle up for even more financial hurdles.

Let’s be real: a PhD is a massive investment of time and money. If dollar signs are all you see, don’t bother with a PhD.

Important Note: Engineers with PhDs who start multi-million dollar businesses are exceptions, just like college dropouts who start multi-billion dollar businesses.

PhD stipends from major U.S. universities

Check this shortlist of engineering department stipends from major universities, put together by PhD Stipends :

As you can tell, diving into a PhD in engineering might not make you rich overnight. But, hey, it does give you the chance to work on some mind-blowing research and help shape the world of tomorrow.

Important Note: Don’t forget to weigh in the cost of living when you’re checking out those PhD stipends. Higher stipends usually come with a heftier price tag on everyday life, like in the Bay Area where Stanford is nestled.

What type of lifestyle do you want?

Dreaming of a chill, easygoing life? Academia might not be your jam. You could grind away for years and never snag that elusive academic tenure. Even in the industry, you might land just an ordinary engineering gig, making your PhD feel like a waste.

The professional stress from this uncertain journey can seep into your personal life. Financial struggles might become your constant companion, impacting every corner of your life. But hey, with a PhD, you get the keys to the world’s coolest toys and can work in top-notch national labs and fancy universities.

If you’re down to embrace uncertainty into your golden years, a PhD could be worth the ride. You may trade short-term comfort for the shot at doing what sets your soul on fire in the long run.

Mind you, I use the term sacrifice lightly. If you’re head over heels for your research, nothing else will even matter.

Do you have other options in life?

If you’re still feeling the PhD vibe after all this, ask yourself:

Do you have any other career options?
Is there another gig that’s tugging at your heartstrings?

If you said yes to either, hold your horses! Give some serious thought to whether a PhD is really your destiny. I’ve got friends who ditched their PhD programs to start businesses, and now they’re swimming in millions!

On the flip side, I know folks who chased a PhD just to immigrate to the US for a better life. But listen, don’t just follow the crowd. Committing to a PhD is a massive deal and can change your life in a big way.

This is further highlighted by the low number of U.S. students going for a PhD in engineering each year. The data below, from ASEE , includes all engineering fields combined.

Important Note: The number of awarded engineering doctorate degrees is increasing. But the U.S. population is also increasing, and more foreign students are immigrating to the U.S. to pursue a PhD.

11 Pointers to consider in pursuing a PhD in engineering

Now, here are 11 pointers I’ve gathered from my pals and relatives who’ve gone down the PhD-in-engineering rabbit hole:

#1 Choose a research topic with real-world oomph

Picking the perfect research topic is the key to unlocking your PhD’s potential. Focus on fields that are shining bright, like:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Renewable energy

These areas tend to reel in more funding and have a higher demand in both academia and industry. After all, you still gotta pay the bills and keep a roof over your head.

#2 A PhD hones your thinking skills, not just your specialization

In the real world, you might not use all that fancy research know-how from your PhD. Instead, you’ll rely on your shiny new way of thinking to tackle problems.

So, a PhD isn’t just about becoming the go-to person in a super-niche field. It’s also about learning how to think and tackle the tough stuff.

And, hey, you can pick up these skills outside the hallowed halls of academia too.

#3 Don’t expect a PhD to put you on a pedestal

Sure, a PhD might make some folks go “ooh” and “aah,” but at the end of the day, it’s all about delivering the goods. Your skills and passion for the job are what really count, not the alphabet soup trailing your name.

I’m all about treating everyone equally, regardless of their academic fanfare.

Of course, a PhD can give you a credibility boost when making first impressions. But remember, it’s what you do next that really matters.

#4 A PhD can open doors, but it might close some too

A PhD can help you score high-level gigs at big-shot companies with in-house research and development. But beware – it might also slam some doors shut if you’re deemed overqualified for certain roles.

Choose your career path wisely and take time to think through your future pragmatically.

#5 Dive into a PhD in a subject that ignites your passion

Being passionate about your subject is the secret sauce to staying motivated during your PhD journey. Surround yourself with amazing people who share your interests, or you’ll struggle through the tough times – and trust me, there’ll be plenty.

#6 Don’t chase a PhD for the wrong reasons

Don’t go after a PhD just because “it’s what smart people do” or because you want to add some extra letters to your name.

Let’s get real here: a PhD doesn’t magically transform you into a genius. Heck, some of the brightest minds out there never even set foot in a college classroom!

If you were a regular Joe or Jane before diving into a PhD program, chances are you’ll still be one when you’re done. But hey, you don’t need to be a mega-brainiac to tackle a PhD. If you can snag a spot in a program, you’ve definitely got what it takes to see it through.

#7 Fear not the PhD pursuit

Some folks are scared stiff of the grueling trek to PhD-land. It’s like climbing a never-ending mountain, right?

Well, anything worth chasing is gonna be tough. If it were a piece of cake, everybody and their dog would be doing it!

#8 A PhD isn’t for everyone

To nail that PhD, you need a killer work ethic and a fierce dedication to your field. That’s what’ll help you conquer those hurdles and push through the lonely stretches.

Let’s face it: the PhD life isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Just look at the small number of doctorates awarded each year in the U.S., as reported by ASEE. The data below covers all engineering fields combined:

And if you’re bold enough to take on a PhD, you’re probably an ambitious go-getter. So you’ll no doubt find some other epic challenge to sink your teeth into.

#9 Pick your program and advisor like a pro

The right program and advisor can make or break your PhD ride.

Seriously, you’ll be bending over backward for your advisor for years. They’ve got the power to make your life a living nightmare. Keep your eyes peeled for these red flags:

A bad advisor:

Is a grade-A jerk
Makes everything about them
Squeezes you for free labor and grinds you down
Fills you with guilt and doubt

A good advisor:

Is super nice and supportive
Turns you into a top-notch researcher
Dishes out awesome life advice
Hooks you up with conferences and fellowships
Lets you visit other labs

So do your homework and pick your program and advisor with care.

#10 Weigh the impact on your loved ones

I’ve known people who juggled family life and a PhD. Sure, it was a bumpy road, but they made it work.

Keep in mind that a PhD can take ages, and your biological clock won’t wait around for you to finish.

#11 Industry jobs for PhD grads

Dreaming of a PhD to score an industry job? From what I’ve seen, here are a couple of paths for PhD graduates:

Work in well-funded government labs, doing the research thing.
Join big-league companies like Google, Apple, or IBM that can afford to splash cash on research.

If that doesn’t float your boat, a Master’s degree might be all you need for other engineering gigs in the industry.

Important Note: During recessions, R&D departments usually hold steady. R&D is a long-haul investment for a company, after all.

If an R&D project kicks off during a slump, it’ll wrap up just as the economy bounces back. That way, the company comes out stronger on the other side.

“Should engineers get a PhD” wrap up

Deciding to pursue a PhD is a deeply personal choice that deserves some serious soul-searching.

Don’t let peer pressure sway you. Take a good, hard look at the pros and cons, and make the call that’s right for you.

Now, I’ve met engineers who’d never trade their PhD experience for the world. But others reckon it was the worst decision they ever made.

At the end of the day, a PhD is all about the journey, not just the fancy certificate and those three little letters you get to tack onto your name.

Do you think a PhD in engineering is worthwhile? Will it be even more valuable down the road?

SUBSCRIBE TO ENGINEER CALCS NEWSLETTER

Author Bio: Koosha started Engineer Calcs in 2019 to help people better understand the engineering and construction industry, and to discuss various science and engineering-related topics to make people think. He has been working in the engineering and tech industry in California for well over 15 years now and is a licensed professional electrical engineer, and also has various entrepreneurial pursuits.

Koosha has an extensive background in the design and specification of electrical systems with areas of expertise including power generation, transmission, distribution, instrumentation and controls, and water distribution and pumping as well as alternative energy (wind, solar, geothermal, and storage).

Koosha is most interested in engineering innovations, the cosmos, sports, fitness, and our history and future.

6 thoughts on “Should Engineers Get a PHD? 11 Truths!”

The most insightful comparison I’ve found on this topic so far. Thank you.

Glad you found the article helpful 🙂

Thanks for that nicely summed up article – not too long and covers the important points on everybody’s mind! 🙂

Glad you enjoyed the read 🙂

Thank you, I have just been searching for info about this subject for ages and yours is the best I have found out till now. However, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you positive about the source?

I tried to capture all angles of the experience, so do your best to apply the lessons to your personality and reasons for pursuing the degree.

PhD (Doctoral) Admissions Overview

Our research-intensive program cultivates the next generation of leaders in academia and industry. Electrical Engineering doctoral students work alongside faculty, fellow students, and researchers who are leaders in their disciplines.

Application Timeline & Deadlines

Click on the links below to read about each step of the application process:

Did You Know?

• A master's degree is not required prior to applying to the PhD program in Electrical Engineering. • Applications are reviewed on an annual basis for autumn quarter start only. • December 7, 2023 is the application deadline for Autumn 2024-2025. • Typical completion time for the PhD degree is 5-7 years. • All PhD students who maintain satisfactory academic progress receive full financial support for the duration of the doctoral program.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is designed to build an interdisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges. The program awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. To be considered, you must apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and separately apply to the Electrical Engineering department.

Additional Resources

Choose Between a Master's, Ph.D. in Engineering

A doctorate in engineering requires a love of research and patience for several years of challenging study.

Weigh a Master's, Ph.D. in Engineering

Engineering students reviewing notes on clipboard in a machine lab

Students who pursue a graduate degree in engineering will be more competitive in the job market than those with just a bachelor's, experts say.

When it comes to employment, graduates with a bachelor's degree in engineering are on solid footing, relatively speaking. With high salaries and some of the best odds of finding full-time work , they can escape the career angst that often plagues their peers with freshly-minted English or history diplomas.

Still, many engineers may find themselves wondering what a graduate degree could do for their career.

"With the economy improving, significant numbers of job postings are now requiring higher levels of expertise," says Ken Little, senior graduate career development adviser at Georgia Institute of Technology . At the same time, high-tech jobs are becoming more globally competitive, drawing applicants from all over the world, he says.

Students looking to get a graduate degree in engineering can choose between a master's program and a Ph.D. It's a big decision, experts say, and one that can significantly affect a student's career.

Learn why engineers may be more

Before choosing what kind of graduate degree to pursue, students should think about what they want to do with their lives after graduation, experts say.

Master's degrees prepare students for careers in industry that don't have a research focus, says Babatunde Ogunnaike, dean of the college of engineering at the University of Delaware . "If you want to work in research either in industry or in academia or for a government research lab, you need to get a Ph.D.," he says.

Eddie Machek, who is earning a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Akron and who will start a doctoral program in engineering at Georgia Tech this fall, explains the difference between the degrees this way: "At a bachelor's level you are going to go out and do what's been done. At the master's level you are going to be in charge of the people who are doing that stuff. In a Ph.D., that's a whole other thing because you are doing the new stuff. You are in a lab."

Master's degrees in engineering can be a great fit for recent graduates who want to specialize within engineering or for those already in the field who want to switch their focus, experts say. The degrees can be research-based, which is the more common option, or professional, which lack a research component.

“It opens the door for more specialized opportunities in the workforce," Craig Menzemer, associate dean for graduate studies and administration at the University of Akron, said through email. "For example, a civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree may be expected to do a variety of day-to-day tasks, but a civil engineering major with a master’s who specialized in structures will have opportunities to work on structural-specific projects."

Discover the

Aditya Srinath, who earned his master's in industrial engineering from Purdue University in 2014, says he opted for the credential because it helped him bolster his professional skills rather than research skills. "A master's strikes a good balance between having more education than a bachelor's and not as much as Ph.D but still having a more rounded-out profile," says Srinath, who works as a project engineer at 3M, which manufactures a wide array of products, including Post-it Notes.

Engineering Ph.D.s provide even more specialization than master's degrees, and a higher earning potential, but they also come with significant risks, experts say.

Research jobs within government labs and industry are quite competitive, and tenure-track faculty positions are notoriously hard to come by, says George Haritos, dean of the college of engineering at the University of Akron. What's more, sometimes employers in industry won't hire Ph.D.s because they fear they are overqualified and would have to pay them too much, he says.

Doctoral programs require students to put in a great deal of time and effort, experts say. Not everyone finishes the programs, and those who do are both gifted and passionate about their subject.

Scottie-Beth Fleming, who is earning a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech, says she enjoys the independence that comes with a Ph.D.

"With the master's, a lot of times, your research is driven by the government or someone who is giving money and there is an expectation of what you are going to do," she says. "In a Ph.D. you don’t have that expectation. You get to explore an area that maybe nobody else would explore."

Before making a final decision about what kind of advanced engineering degree to pursue, students should also look into the requirements of their field, says Susan Fisher, director of graduate programs at Purdue University's engineering school.

For example, chemical engineering and biomedical engineering have more employment opportunities for Ph.D. students, she says. Civil engineering, on the other hand, has more employment openings outside academia for those with master’s degrees than for those with doctorates.

One way students can gauge whether they are ready for a Ph.D is to take a few research-focused courses either in undergrad or while in a master's program, experts say.

"The goal is to find out what you are truly passionate about and find a good way to apply that to the world," Srinath says.

Searching for an engineering school? Get our complete rankings of Best Engineering Schools.

Tags: education , engineering graduate school , graduate schools , STEM education , STEM , students

How to Choose a Law Career Path

Gabriel Kuris April 15, 2024

Questions Women MBA Hopefuls Should Ask

Haley Bartel April 12, 2024

Law Schools With the Highest LSATs

Ilana Kowarski and Cole Claybourn April 11, 2024

MBA Programs That Lead to Good Jobs

Ilana Kowarski and Cole Claybourn April 10, 2024

B-Schools With Racial Diversity

Sarah Wood April 10, 2024

Law Schools That Are Hardest to Get Into

Sarah Wood April 9, 2024

Ask Law School Admissions Officers This

Gabriel Kuris April 9, 2024

Grad School Housing Options

Anayat Durrani April 9, 2024

U.S. News Ranks Best Graduate Schools

Is getting a PhD in science or engineering right for me?

If you are excited about a PhD because you were a good undergrad student and aren’t sure what you want to do next, think carefully about whether a PhD is right for you. While you (may) find the jobs you are qualified for after a PhD more satisfying, and they may be better compensated, remember that you will first spend 4-5 years (or more, if you choose to pursue a postdoc!) making a stipend that covers the cost of living, but not much else. For context, PhD candidates’ salaries are typically in the high $20K to low $30K range per year, depending on if you’re in science (lower) or engineering (higher) and the cost of living where your school is located.

Now, if you’re still thinking about it, here are a few reasons pursuing a PhD might be a great fit for you:

You enjoy working independently on problems that nobody has solved before

In graduate school, you are, by definition, working on problems that nobody has solved before. That means that you’re responsible for both thinking about your work at a high level (how is this work interesting and important? What is the motivation for what I’m doing?) as well as proposing and developing solutions to technical challenges. NOBODY will give you a detailed description of exactly what you should be developing: YOU are in charge of both setting the goalposts appropriately AND reaching those goals. You will get feedback, advice, resources, and mentorship from many people along the way…. But, at the end of the day, the thesis is YOUR work. This is a tremendous change from the problem sets and exams of an undergraduate degree!

You want to eventually work at a company doing research and development at a high level

In many companies, only so much technical progression along a research and development path is available to people without a PhD. I have had several friends and colleagues who returned to graduate school after several years of working because they found they weren’t happy with the work they were doing, and there were no opportunities for the career advancement they wanted without a PhD.

You hope to pursue a career as a researcher employed at a government laboratory (NIH, one of the national labs or defense labs)

Many of these researcher positions are available only to people with PhDs, and the kinds of projects they work on range from basic science to applied research and engineering.

You want to be a professor

Some people think the only career option open to PhD graduates is to become a professor, which is not true! However, a PhD IS needed to become a professor. Some people choose to work at an undergraduate-only institution, where they can be more focused on teaching students, while others go to big research universities where they are expected to write grants to bring in funding for research, conduct research alongside graduate students and postdocs, as well as teach undergraduate and graduate-level courses.

You want to work as a consultant or technical consultant

Many firms such as McKinsey & Co. and the Boston Consulting Group (business consulting) and Exponent (technical consulting) recruit disproportionately among people with science and engineering PhDs.

You hope to pursue a scientific writing/communications-based career

Careers in technical writing for companies, as editors for scientific journals, and working with patent lawyers and intellectual property, all require a level of scientific literacy that is acquired during a PhD.

You are excited about producing new technology and launching a startup

Some schools have programs, competitions, and incubators to help PhD students interested in entrepreneurship turn their ideas and technologies into a company. Programs such as dual PhD/MBA programs even exist.

If one or more of these paths sounds exciting to you, applying to, and pursuing, a PhD in science and engineering might be a good choice. Depending on what career path you are interested in, you will want to find a school, program, and professor that matches your interests. For example, if you’re interested in eventually starting a company, joining a research group that has done this before at a school with entrepreneurship programs is a good idea. Looking up prior graduates from groups that you join and seeing what they end up doing is a good way to see if the experience you would have in that group will prepare you for your long-term goals.

Best Doctorates in Industrial Engineering: Top PhD Programs, Career Paths, and Salaries

If you want to become an expert in industrial engineering, then you need to learn about the best PhDs in Industrial Engineering. The educational requirement for most industrial engineering jobs is a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but an industrial engineering PhD degree prepares you for a career in research and senior-level positions.

In this article, we’ll discuss the admissions processes, cost of attendance, and selectivity of the best industrial engineering PhD programs. We’ll also cover what to do after you graduate with an industrial engineering PhD, including average PhD in Industrial Engineering salaries and industrial engineering jobs.

Find your bootcamp match

What is a phd in industrial engineering.

A PhD in Industrial Engineering is the highest-level industrial engineering degree you can earn. These programs teach both management science and engineering, and they prepare students to conduct original research. An industrial engineering PhD allows students to specialize in a field and become leaders in research, academia, industry, and government.

How to Get Into an Industrial Engineering PhD Program: Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for an industrial engineering PhD program is a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field of study like science, mathematics, engineering, or business. Other requirements to get into graduate school are a completed application, official transcripts, and a statement of purpose.

Some schools also require GRE or GMAT scores and an English proficiency test if you are an international student. Most programs also require you to submit an updated resume or CV and one or more recommendation letters before the application deadline.

PhD in Industrial Engineering Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution
Official transcripts
Statement of purpose
GRE or GMAT scores
3 recommendation letters
English proficiency test (for international students)

Industrial Engineering PhD Acceptance Rates: How Hard Is It to Get Into a PhD Program in Industrial Engineering?

It is very hard to get accepted into a PhD program in industrial engineering. To be considered for the program, you must have an impressive academic background and previous research experience. Most programs have limited spaces and only admit a few students each year.

How to Get Into the Best Universities

[query_class_embed] how-to-get-into-*school

Best PhDs in Industrial Engineering: In Brief

Best universities for industrial engineering phds: where to get a phd in industrial engineering.

The best universities for industrial engineering PhDs are Arizona State University, Auburn University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, and University of California, Berkeley. If you’re thinking about where to get a PhD in Industrial Engineering, our list below has details on the universities with the best programs and their admission requirements.

For the past seven years, Arizona State University (ASU) has been ranked as the most innovative university by US News & World Report. Founded in 1886, this public research university offers more than 500 graduate programs, including certificates, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. Nearly half of its 135,729 students are enrolled in online programs.

PhD in Industrial Engineering

ASU’s PhD in Industrial Engineering program is offered at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. To earn your degree, you must complete 85 semester credit hours of graduate coursework, a written comprehensive exam, an oral exam, a prospectus, and a dissertation with an oral defense. Students in this program will get to participate in applied or fundamental research.

PhD in Industrial Engineering Overview

Program Length: 4-10 years
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Tuition: $12,014/year (in state); $24,498/year (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Graduate research fellowships, scholarships, graduate assistantship
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution
Minimum GPA of 3.5
Graduate admission application with application fee

Founded in 1856, Auburn University was the first land-grant university in the South and was recently recognized as a Carnegie R1 public research university. Auburn has undergraduate degrees, graduate certificates, master’s degrees, and doctoral degree programs. It offers a diverse range of doctoral degrees in fields ranging from education to public administration to STEM.

PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering

The industrial engineering PhD program is offered by Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. PhD students will complete original research projects and contribute novel findings to industrial engineering technology. This program requires 60 credit hours, including nine credit hours of core courses and one credit hour of a graduate seminar.

PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering Overview

Tuition and Fees: $5,913/semester (in state); $15,993/semester (out of state)

PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering Admission Requirements

Online graduate application with application fee
Official transcript
Statement of purpose

In 1889, Clemson University was founded as a high seminary of learning for the public good. Clemson is an R1 research institution, and in 2021, the university secured a total of $114.4 million in external research funding . Clemson has 130 graduate degree programs in 85 fields and enrolls 5,538 graduate students. PhD programs include agriculture, engineering, and business administration.

This graduate program is designed for students who want academic, research, or technical industrial engineering careers. The program requires a total of 60 credits in research and core courses. Clemson partners with federal agencies and industry partners, so students can participate in cutting-edge research projects.

Program Length: 3-8 years
Tuition: $6,382/semester (in state); $13,755/semester (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Research assistantship, teaching assistantship, external funding
Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field from a recognized institution
Online application with application fee
Personal statement
2 letters of recommendation
GRE scores (optional for Fall 2022)

Georgia Institute of Technology , also known a Georgia Tech, is one of Georgia's most prestigious universities . It has many research initiatives, and it received $1.2 billion in research awards in 2021. Georgia Tech has six schools, and the College of Engineering alone has 23 master’s and 18 doctoral degree programs.

The industrial engineering PhD program at Georgia Tech has specialization tracks in General Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Statistics, Economic Decision Analysis, and Systems Informatics & Control. Students complete 30 credits of coursework, a two-part comprehensive exam, and a dissertation on an original research project.

Program Length: 4-7 years
Tuition and Fees: $586/credit hour (in state); $1,215/credit hour (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Assistantships, fellowships, outside sponsorships
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field from a recognized institution
Online graduate application
GRE scores (optional for Fall 2022 admission)
3 letters of recommendation

Oregon State University (OSU) is a public research university that was founded in 1868. In 2021, OSU secured nearly $380 million in research funding. Its 11 colleges offer graduate degrees and certificates at campuses in Corvallis, Bend, and online. Graduate programs are available in STEM fields, business, education, and liberal arts.

The College of Engineering at OSU offers a PhD in Industrial Engineering dedicated to teaching students to design, integrate, and optimize systems for maximum efficiency. You'll work with a graduate advisor to determine your course of study, then you’ll conduct research and develop a thesis with the help of your major professor and graduate committee.

Program Length: 4-9 years
Tuition and Fees: $5,397/term (in state); $10,119/term (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Four-year funding packages, external graduate fellowships, graduate teaching assistantships, and graduate research assistantships
Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering , Mathematics, Computer Science, or Business from an accredited institution
Minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate coursework
Online application and application fee
GRE scores (optional for Fall 2022)

Founded in 1855, Pennsylvania State University is one of only two schools in the US with land-grand, sea-grant, sun-grant, and space-grant status. Penn State is a very competitive public research university, with more than $1.01 billion in annual research spending. Graduate students at Penn State can study at six different graduate campuses.

Penn State's industrial engineering PhD program focuses on research and prepares students for high-ranking positions in industry, academia, and government. Students complete 45 credits of coursework and write and defend a thesis that provides new insight into industrial engineering. A dual-title program is available for a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.

Program Length: 4-8 years
Acceptance Rate: 39.3%
Tuition: $24,586/year (in state); $40,812/year (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Assistantship, traineeships, fellowships, scholarships
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related engineering discipline from a recognized institution
Minimum GPA of 3.0
Online graduate with application fee

Purdue University is one of the top 10 most innovative universities in the US , according to US News. Since its establishment in 1869, it has grown in size to house over 400 research laboratories and 100 discipline-specific centers and institutes. Purdue has over 160 graduate degree programs, and graduate students can study at four campuses across Indiana.

The School of Industrial Engineering offers concentrations in human engineering, manufacturing, operations research, and production systems. The program features several research areas including aviation, energy systems, and financial engineering. If you run into any roadblocks, you can get assistance from graduate faculty scholars, who are industry leaders in their own right.

Program Length: 4 years with prior master’s degree
Acceptance Rate: 30%
Tuition and Fees: $5,558/semester (in state); $14,959/semester (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Fellowships, research projects, teaching assistantships
Bachelor’s degree in a related field

University of California, Berkeley was founded in 1868, and today it is ranked as the second-best public school in the US by US News. UC Berkeley has a strong research focus with annual research awards worth $1.05 billion. UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division provides academic and financial support to nearly 11,000 students across more than 100 graduate programs.

PhD in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research

UC Berkeley’s PhD in Industrial Engineering is one of the nation's most highly-ranked industrial engineering graduate programs. A large part of your program will be devoted to research and developing your thesis, which is the final requirement to earn your degree. Students will need to pass a preliminary exam, a qualifying exam, and a dissertation defense.

PhD in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Overview

Program Length: 5-6 years
Tuition and Fees: $10,248.75/semester (in state); $17,799.75/semester (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Fellowships, need-based loans, grants

PhD in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in related engineering disciplines from a recognized institution
Minimum GPA of 4.0
Application fee

With more than $211.7 million in sponsored research funding in 2021, University of Central Florida (UCF) is committed to solving problems through research. The College of Graduate Studies UCF has over 8,000 graduate students, and it offers 81 doctoral programs in fields such as business, engineering, medicine, and arts and humanities.

UCF’s industrial engineering PhD program faculty has a wide range of specialties, so students can pursue research in areas like management systems, systems simulation modeling and analysis, operations research, and systems engineering. The curriculum is flexible, and you can design a program of study to focus on specific areas in your thesis.

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

Tuition and Fees: $369.65/credit hour (in state); $1,194.05/credit hour (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Fellowships, assistantships, graduate teaching appointments
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution
Resume or CV
Goal statement
Application interview (by invitation only)

Established in 1817, University of Michigan is one of the most prestigious universities worldwide, ranking 16th in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings . The university spent $1.5 billion on research in 2021 alone, and graduate degree and certificate programs are available in fields ranging from art to engineering.

PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering

Students who enroll in the University of Michigan industrial and operations engineering PhD program automatically receive funding for their entire degree. Students must complete all required coursework and an original thesis project to earn their degree. Some of the courses students take include simulation design, integer programming, and stochastic optimization.

PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering Overview

Program Length: 3-5 years
Tuition: $14,558/term (in state); $27,023/term (out of state)
PhD Funding Opportunities: Fellowships, graduate student research assistantships, graduate student instructorship

PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in engineering, science, or mathematics from an accredited institution
Graduate application with application fee
Official Transcripts

Can You Get a PhD in Industrial Engineering Online?

Yes, you can get a PhD in Industrial Engineering online. Depending on your school, your program may be fully online, primarily online with a few in-person requirements, or hybrid. In the section below, you’ll find our pick of the best online PhD programs in industrial engineering.

Best Online PhD Programs in Industrial Engineering

How long does it take to get a phd in industrial engineering.

On average, it takes five years to get a PhD in Industrial Engineering. You’ll spend the first two years of your program completing intensive coursework and the remaining three years doing original research. Along the way, you’ll have to pass oral and written examinations, as well as a final dissertation defense.

Many PhD programs allow you to design your study plan, and you might be able to complete your degree in as little as three years if you have a related master’s degree. Most programs require you to complete your PhD in a maximum of eight to 10 years.

Is a PhD in Industrial Engineering Hard?

Yes, a PhD in Industrial Engineering is hard. To get admitted to a program you have to show academic excellence and a strong aptitude for research. A year or two into your degree, you’ll take a preliminary exam to determine your eligibility for the program. After passing, you move on to tackle advanced math and project design courses.

You must also contribute to the existing body of knowledge by conducting independent and original research supervised by a professor. At the end of your program, you have to defend your findings before a panel of expert faculty. To succeed in the program, you’ll need strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills .

How Much Does It Cost to Get a PhD in Industrial Engineering?

It costs $19,314 per year to get a PhD in Industrial Engineering, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. If you earn your degree at a public institution, your degree will average $12,171 per year, while if you attend a private institution the average cost is $25,929 per year.

Besides tuition and fees, you should also factor in accompanying expenses when considering the costs of your industrial engineering program. Examples of things to consider are room and board, living expenses, and transportation.

How to Pay for a PhD in Industrial Engineering: PhD Funding Options

The PhD funding options that students can use to pay for a PhD in Industrial Engineering include fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, tuition waivers, traineeships, grants, and scholarships. Most PhD students do not end up paying anything and receive a stipend from research or teaching assistantships to live off of for the duration of their program.

Best Online Master’s Degrees

[query_class_embed] online-*subject-masters-degrees

What Is the Difference Between an Industrial Engineering Master’s Degree and PhD?

The major difference between an industrial engineering master’s degree and PhD is that PhD programs focus on research. While master’s degrees cover advanced courses on optimizing complex systems, PhD students delve into the unknown and conduct original research to bring new knowledge to their field of study.

Master’s degrees don’t have a dissertation requirement while PhD programs do. PhD programs also last longer than master’s programs, averaging five to six years, while master’s degrees take two to three years to complete. PhD students also need to pass a series of exams during their programs.

Master’s vs PhD in Industrial Engineering Job Outlook

Industrial engineering master’s degree jobs generally have a better job outlook compared to PhD jobs. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that a common role for PhD holders, post-secondary teaching in engineering, will grow 13 percent through 2030 , with roughly 5,800 new jobs available each year.

On the other hand, BLS predicts that jobs for industrial engineers will grow 14 percent through 2030 . That translates to 23,300 new positions each year for master’s degree holders, which is substantially higher than the number of new PhD-level jobs.

Difference in Salary for Industrial Engineering Master’s vs PhD

According to PayScale, the average industrial engineering master’s degree salary is $82,000 , while the average industrial engineering PhD salary is $118,000 . That means that industrial engineering PhD degree holders earn on average $36,000 more per year than industrial engineering master’s degree holders.

The major reason for this difference in salary is that industrial engineering PhD jobs often require extremely specialized knowledge, which you can only get from a PhD program. PhD holders are often considered the highest authorities in their fields, and businesses are willing to pay more for their expert knowledge.

Related Industrial Engineering Degrees

[query_class_embed] https://careerkarma.com/blog/best-industrial-engineering-bachelors-degrees/ https://careerkarma.com/blog/best-industrial-engineering-associate-degrees/ https://careerkarma.com/blog/best-industrial-engineering-masters-degrees/

Why You Should Get a PhD in Industrial Engineering

You should get a PhD in Industrial Engineering because it will transform you into a master in your field, giving you the skills you need to make meaningful contributions to the industry. In the section below, we’ll explain in detail the top reasons to get a PhD in Industrial Engineering.

Reasons for Getting a PhD in Industrial Engineering

Research opportunities. If you are passionate about research in industrial engineering, then a PhD program is the way to go. Throughout your program, you will thoroughly research an aspect of industrial engineering under the guidance of expert faculty and with access to top-tier research facilities.
Expertise. A PhD in Industrial Engineering is the highest academic degree you can earn and is proof of your expertise in industrial engineering in your chosen research area. You’ll encounter complex topics that pose a challenge to others in the field, and at the end of the program, you will be an authority on your subject.
Higher salary potential. PhD graduates have the potential to earn higher salaries due to their expert knowledge and strong research skills. Top companies for industrial engineers want PhD holders for high-level roles.
Career opportunities. Earning your PhD in Industrial Engineering opens up new career paths like researcher or professor. Next steps might include a post-doctoral research fellowship that will allow you to continue your research, hone your skills, and build your academic career.

Getting a PhD in Industrial Engineering: Industrial Engineering PhD Coursework

A woman with a pen and paper, looking at a floor plan on a computer

Getting a PhD in Industrial Engineering is hard work. Not only do you need to conduct independent research, but you also have to complete your required coursework. We’ve listed some of the most popular industrial engineering PhD courses you might want to consider enrolling in in the section below.

Linear Programming

Linear programming uses mathematics to determine the best possible result given a set of linear variables. In this course, students will learn to use linear programming to optimize outcomes given limited resources like money, time, and labor.

Financial Engineering

This course builds on the skills learned in multivariable calculus and probability theory. Students learn how to use mathematical models to make sound financial decisions. Topics covered include investment, portfolio theory, and techniques for managing risky investments.

Human Factors in Engineering

For work systems to be efficient, they must be user-friendly. In this course, you’ll learn to design systems that meet these requirements by studying human capabilities and limitations. Afterward, you’ll be able to design systems that consider the human factor.

Project Management

In this course, graduate students will learn about the critical issues involved in the management of industrial engineering projects. That includes how to manage costs and personnel, while still delivering on the project goals. You’ll cover topics like network optimization and simulation and learn new strategies to improve overall project efficiency.

Stochastic Optimization

Industrial engineers often need to make crucial decisions in uncertain environments. In such situations, stochastic optimization is a critical tool for guiding decision-making. This course introduces students to the Markov decision process, theoretical modeling, and computational aspects behind making decisions in random environments.

Best Master’s Degrees

[query_class_embed] *subject-masters-degrees

How to Get a PhD in Industrial Engineering: Doctoral Program Requirements

The section below covers everything you need to know about getting a PhD in Industrial Engineering. We’ll highlight all the doctoral program requirements you must fulfill to earn your degree, explain what they mean, and discuss how they affect your program.

Your graduate plan of study is the roadmap that will guide you to degree completion, and you will create it with the help of your academic advisor. It will cover the courses you plan to take during your program, which faculty will be on your graduate committee, and whether your degree will include a specialization or minor.

To earn your PhD, you must complete the required credit units while maintaining a minimum GPA. The number of credits you must complete depends on your program, but it must include industrial engineering core courses and electives.

Qualifying or preliminary exams test whether you are prepared for the PhD program. Students take a combination of written and oral exams after one or two years of study. You must pass this exam to continue on to the research phase of your degree. If you fail, you will be asked to leave the program with a master’s degree.

All your research efforts throughout your PhD program culminate in a thesis. It must be well-researched and accurate, and it needs to be presented following a detailed template. Together with your advising professor, you’ll complete your thesis and eventually publish your results.

The final requirement to earn your PhD in Industrial Engineering is the oral exam or thesis defense. You will present a seminar to your graduate committee, and they will critique your research and require you to defend it in an oral examination. If your performance is satisfactory, you will have fulfilled all requirements necessary to earn your degree.

Potential Careers With an Industrial Engineering Degree

[query_class_embed] how-to-become-a-*profession

PhD in Industrial Engineering Salary and Job Outlook

Industrial engineering is a very profitable field, with the best industrial engineering PhD jobs paying between $82,360 and $152,350 per year. There is also an enormous opportunity for advancement, as jobs in the industry are expected to grow between four and 25 percent over the next 10 years.

What Can You Do With a PhD in Industrial Engineering?

With a PhD in Industrial Engineering, you can work in government, independent research, or academia. Becoming an industrial and systems engineer, quality control officer, or mechanical engineer are just a few examples of what you can do with an industrial engineering degree .

Best Jobs with a PhD in Industrial Engineering

Engineering Consultant
Logistician
Operations Research Scientist
Systems Engineer
Quality Control Officer

What Is the Average Salary for a PhD in Industrial Engineering?

The average salary for a PhD in Industrial Engineering is $118,000 per year, according to PayScale. PhD graduate earnings can rise even higher depending on the job role, location, your work experience, and the company or organization you work for.

Highest-Paying Industrial Engineering Jobs for PhD Grads

Best industrial engineering jobs with a doctorate.

The best industrial engineering jobs with a doctorate are in consulting, research, logistics, manufacturing, and trade. In the section below, we’ll explore some of these options in more detail with job responsibilities, job outlook, salary, and locations with the highest pay.

Engineering program managers are responsible for allocating resources and personnel, monitoring work progress, and ensuring compliance with industry, company, and customer standards. While the programs they work on may change, their job is always to oversee the technical aspects of the project.

Salary with an industrial engineering PhD: $152,350
Job Outlook: 4% job growth from 2020 to 2030
Number of Jobs: 197,800
Highest-Paying States: California, New Mexico, Colorado, New Jersey, Texas

When designing devices, goods, and services, it is important to understand how people will interact with them and how they might impact human behavior. That’s where human factor engineers come in. They analyze products and devise ways to improve ergonomics, user experience, and function.

Salary with an industrial engineering PhD: $121,676
Job Outlook: 14% job growth from 2020 to 2030
Number of Jobs: 292,000
Highest-Paying States: Alaska, Washington, California, Louisiana, New Mexico

Industrial engineers analyze the production process in order to find ways to eliminate waste and boost productivity. They consider how to best allocate materials, machines, personnel, information, and energy. Their major focus is on utilizing resources to make their organization's products more efficient.

Salary with an industrial engineering PhD: $95,300

Organizations involved in large-scale production employ manufacturing engineers to research and develop methods to make the manufacturing process more efficient. The engineers determine the best way to structure the assembly line workers, where to place machinery, and what processes to implement to ensure maximum efficiency.

Salary with an industrial engineering PhD: $86,499

Operations research scientists use data to help businesses make efficient decisions and improve their products. They identify problems in the current system, analyze data, test models, and finally make recommendations to managers on new workflows.

Salary with an industrial engineering PhD: $82,360
Job Outlook: 25% job growth from 2020 to 2030
Number of Jobs: 104,100
Highest-Paying States: Virginia, Alabama, Maryland, Hawaii, New York

Is a PhD in Industrial Engineering Worth It?

Yes, a PhD in Industrial Engineering is worth it, especially if you want to become an expert in your field and work in academia or research. An industrial engineering PhD also opens up new career opportunities in consulting and qualifies you for higher-paying jobs.

Earning your degree will not be easy. First, you’ll need to meet all the admission requirements to be admitted into the program. Next, you’ll take advanced courses, carry out independent research, write your dissertation, and defend your research in front of your committee. However, once you graduate, you’ll have your pick of the very best industrial engineering jobs.

Additional Reading About Industrial Engineering

[query_class_embed] https://careerkarma.com/blog/industrial-engineering/ https://careerkarma.com/blog/best-schools-for-industrial-engineering/ https://careerkarma.com/blog/jobs-for-industrial-engineering-majors/

PhD in Industrial Engineering FAQ

Yes, industrial engineers are in demand. Industrial engineers can work in virtually any industry, so there is little risk of the job market disappearing. As long as there are new products being developed and manufactured, there will be a place for industrial engineers.

You can learn industrial engineering by earning an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering or some other closely related field. After that, you can learn even more by pursuing an industrial engineering master’s degree or PhD. If you aren’t ready to commit to a degree, you can learn industrial engineering by exploring online courses and resources .

Some of the best companies that hire industrial engineers are Canoo, Apple, Qualcomm, and Intel. These companies pay their workers well, and they also cultivate positive workplace environments and provide competitive benefits for employees.

The best industrial engineering track for you depends on your interests. You should only choose a track that aligns with your dissertation research project. You should also consider whether there is sufficient support from faculty and adequate research facilities in the track you want to follow.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

What's Next?

Get matched with top bootcamps

Ask a question to our community, take our careers quiz.

US News & World Report Releases 2024 Rankings Of America’s Best Grad Schools

Texas A&M University is one of the nation’s leaders in graduate education, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

The university has 33 programs in the Top 50 spanning across agriculture, business, computer science, education, health, law, political science, public affairs, psychology, science, and veterinary medicine. U.S. News announced this week that the release of rankings for engineering, medical and clinical psychology will be delayed.

In its Best Graduate Schools ranking, the publication placed 10 of Texas A&M’s graduate programs in the Top 20; among those, six are Top 10:

College of Arts and Sciences

Industrial and organizational psychology, No. 7 (No. 6 public)
Inorganic chemistry, No. 5 (No. 2 public, No. 1 in Texas)
Nuclear physics, No. 7 (No. 6 public, No. 1 in Texas)

School of Law, overall No. 26

Dispute resolution, No. 5 (No. 3 public, No. 1 in Texas)
Intellectual property, No. 6 (No. 2 public, No. 1 in Texas)

School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, overall No. 10 (No. 9 public, No. 1 in Texas)

According to U.S. News , the rankings are based on expert opinion on program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. Texas A&M currently enrolls 16,762 graduate and professional students (fall 2023), in more than 170 master’s, 94 doctoral and five professional degree programs.

“I’m so proud of our graduate students, the world-class faculty who mentor them and the outstanding programs that set them on a path to success in their chosen fields,” said Gen. (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University. “Post-graduate education at Texas A&M contributes immeasurably to our research enterprise and our teaching and service missions. Congratulations to the students, faculty and staff whose work is reflected not just in rankings, but each and every day on our campuses and in the world at large.”

Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth, which has seen a remarkable rise in the U.S. News rankings, this year rose three spots overall, an increase of 57 spots in five years.

The Bush School of Government and Public Service, which ranks No. 26 overall in public affairs, has seen gains this round in non-profit management, up six places to No. 21. “The Bush School continues to make strides as a world-class Public Affairs school,” said Frank B. Ashley III, interim dean. “Employers know that graduates of our Public Service and Administration program are career-ready leaders with a passion for public service.”

Other notable rankings include:

Analytical chemistry, No. 11 (No. 10 public)
Applied mathematics, No. 13 (No. 6 public)
Legal writing, No. 11 (No. 7 public, No. 1 in Texas)
Marketing, No. 29 (No. 9 public)
Management, No. 27 (No. 11 public)
Statistics, No. 13 (No. 7 public, No. 1 in Texas)

View the full rankings for Texas A&M here and review the U.S. News methodology here .

QS World University Rankings Place Texas A&M Programs In Top 10

When compared to universities around the world, two A&M programs rank in the Top 10 with an additional eight in the Top 30.

A photo of Jacqueline and Kristopher Knoop with their daughters, Sydney and Maddie.

Texas A&M Announces 2024-25 Parents Of The Year

Jacqueline and Kristopher Knoop are pillars of the Aggieland community.

a historical photo of Mt. Aggie showing students on skis

Fund Started For Campus Ski Slope, Out Of Commission Due To Storm Damage

For decades on the otherwise flat lands of College Station, Mt. Aggie rose above to offer ski classes, until it was destroyed by a windstorm.

Recent Stories

A conductor leading a trombone choir in a church.

Celebrating 20 Years, Trombone Choir Presents Spring Concert At A&M United Methodist Church

Dr. David Wilborn will be joined in leading the choir by Dr. James Van Zandt, Texas A&M’s director of orchestras

Gov. Greg Abbott, Chancellor John Sharp and other officials using ceremonial shovels during the groundbreaking ceremony

Texas A&M Facility To Enhance Advanced Manufacturing Workforce

Gov. Greg Abbott joined leaders from the Texas A&M System and the Rio Grande Valley area for a groundbreaking ceremony.

Subscribe to the Texas A&M Today newsletter for the latest news and stories every week.

UC architectural engineering alumna inspires high school students

Emma wilhelmus teaches engineering at a cincinnati high school.

University of Cincinnati alumna Emma Wilhelmus fell in love with engineering when she was in ninth grade. After taking drafting, architecture and engineering courses in high school, she set out to major in architectural engineering in college. Now, she is an engineering teacher at a local high school and hopes to inspire students.

Emma Wilhelmus earned her bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

At the time, architectural engineering was not offered at many schools in the state or even the country. Out of the schools Wilhelmus was considering, only a handful of them offered her major of interest. Her familial connections to the university along with the benefits of the co-op program led her to choose UC.

"My mom was a Bearcat, my sisters were Bearcats, so I just grew up wanting to be a Bearcat," Wilhelmus said.

After earning her bachelor's degree in architectural engineering , she accepted an industry position at an engineering company, the same one she worked at for several of her co-op rotations. She worked there, postgrad, for a few years but began yearning for more.

"I really needed a change, and education kept popping up in my head," Wilhelmus said.

An open teaching position fell into my lap, and I decided to take the leap. It was serendipitous.

Emma Wilhelmus CEAS alumna

Wilhelmus' interest in teaching stemmed from her volunteer experience in college. Through her years at UC, she volunteered at local libraries organizing engineering events for children to get them involved and thinking about STEM. This left a lasting impact on her.

"An open teaching position fell into my lap, and I decided to take the leap," Wilhelmus said. "It was serendipitous."

The position was a career technical teaching role in engineering, a role in which Wilhelmus could perfectly combine her passion for engineering with her passion for inspiring the next generation of scholars and engineers.

Through her industry career, Wilhelmus maintained close ties with Amanda Webb , UC assistant professor of architectural engineering. Wilhelmus often spoke on panels and shared her experience to Webb's students in class and in the UC chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) . When she left industry, Wilhelmus made sure to let Webb know to keep that connection alive.

UC students came to Emma Wilhelmus' class for an outreach event about engineering.

During her first year of teaching, Webb reached out to Wilhelmus and proposed a partnership between the UC ASHRAE students and Wilhelmus' high schoolers. Through the partnership, ASHRAE would come to the school and host an activity that is both fun and educational for the students.

Last year, the competition was called "keep the heat." Students were given a wooden box, a beaker of boiling water and materials for insulation. The objective of the activity was to insulate the water and keep it warm, the team that kept the water at the highest temperature won.

"The activity taught students about heat retention, ventilation and what ASHRAE focuses on," Wilhelmus said. "The kids really enjoyed it."

The event was such a success in 2023 that Webb, Wilhelmus and the ASHRAE students were eager to do it again in 2024. The focus of this year's competition was construction planning and management. Students were given Lego sets to build a predetermined structure. However, a constraint of the building process was that each student was assigned a specific role, and team members had to work together and communicate effectively with one another to build their structure correctly and efficiently.

"This year's event aligns perfectly with what I teach my students in class. I highlight collaboration, communication, critical thinking and how to multitask," Wilhelmus said.

Further action is required to make this image accessible

One of the below criteria must be satisfied:

Add image alt tag OR
Mark image as decorative

The image will not display on the live site until the issue above is resolved.

UC ASHRAE students teaching high schoolers about STEM.

The 2023 outreach was titled "keep the heat" — which challenged students to insulate a beaker full of boiling water with provided tools.

The critical thinking piece of an engineering education is what Wilhelmus wants to ensure her students take away from her class. This is what enables engineers, like herself, to be equipped to work in a vast range of roles and industries. Working as a teacher in the community Wilhelmus grew up in provides her with a deep sense of purpose and connection. In industry, many of her projects were not local, so she didn't get to experience the true impact of her work. As a teacher, she gets to witness this change daily.

"I teach at a school close to my house, I'm very involved in the community, and my job as a teacher is fulfilling," she said.

From the students' perspective, outreach like this one that exposes them to engineering and current college students can provide a model for them. The UC students show high schoolers who are interested in STEM where they could be in a few years. They can learn about the co-op program at UC and all of the opportunities at CEAS and college in general.

"For the students to be able to meet someone who is closer to them in age and learn about what they're doing in college, it gives them the ability to make that connection and start thinking about what they want to do after graduation," Wilhelmus said.

For Wilhelmus, connection is very important to her. Her connections with UC and Webb enabled her to provide enriching experiences like these events to her students. For years throughout her time as a co-op and working in industry, she was dedicated to building a network that could better help her in the future. When she transitioned into education, this was one of the ways her network was able to do that.

Featured image at top: UC Mantei Center

Impact Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

Alumni Association
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

Alumnus lays foundations for the future of construction

June 17, 2021

University of Cincinnati alumnus Steve Eder (Construction Management, '79) received the Engineering Technology Award of Distinction from the UC Alumni Association.

Alumnus honored for impact on construction, real estate fields

January 17, 2023

Chris Dobrozsi was presented the Engineering Technology Award of Distinction from the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science. He graduated from UC with an architectural engineering technology degree in 1989. He is now executive vice president of development at Neyer Properties and a city council member in Montgomery, Ohio, where he has made an indelible impact on the construction and real estate industries.

IMAGES

Reasons to pursue PhD in Engineering from Sandip University
Getting a PhD as an Engineer or Not?
What does a PhD in engineering do? Case Study of PhDs
How To Get A PhD In Engineering: General Requirements And Application
PhD in Engineering
Unless you got a 3.5 GPA in engineering, don't bother applying. If you

VIDEO

What Purpose does Spiritual Knowledge Serve?
#PhD #engineering #annauniversity #guideship#karur #namakkal
A look at Jackie Ding's Verus Engineering Equipped BMW G87 M2
Reddit Phd

COMMENTS

What is it like doing a PhD in Engineering? Is it worth it and ...
Engineers apply the knowledge of math & science to design and manufacture maintainable systems used to solve specific problems. AskEngineers is a forum for questions about the technologies, standards, and processes used to design & build these systems, as well as for questions about the engineering profession and its many disciplines.
Is a Phd in Engineering worth it? : r/EngineeringStudents
With that said, there are jobs where a PhD will benefit you or be necessary (e.g. research, academia, high-tech, more technical engineering roles in certain industries, etc.), so getting a PhD is a good idea if these type of end destinations interest you. As a general rule, if you get a PhD then you should be applying to jobs that require (or ...
Advice on whether a PhD in Engineering is worth it.
PhD starting salary = roughly $90k-120k. BS salary after 7 years = roughly $80k-100k (mine was $125k with a BS and 7yrs experience) The point I'm making is that a PhD is no guarantee of a higher salary than what could be attained with a BS and equivalent years of experience. In my case my career grew rapidly.
Engineering PhDs, do you regret it? : r/GradSchool
I got my PhD in Mechanical Engineering. I don't agree that it is a waste of time. Getting a PhD in engineering really depends on the job you are applying for. Your post implies your husband has a PE in EE. For the work I do (I also have a BS in EE) a PE would not be useful in my job. I know a lot of EEs and none of them have PEs and are doing ...
What sorts of things can you do with a PhD in engineering that ...
Because a PhD is meant to train you to do research, the job you should be looking for is a job in research. This is obviously found in acacemia, but only 30-40% of engineering PhDs pursue this route. Most engineering PhDs find positions doing research for the government (Los Alamos, NREL, NIST, etc.) start-ups, or big corporate research labs.
PhD in engineering? : r/EngineeringStudents
in addition i doubt getting PhD will give flexibility, PhD research thesis is usually highly specialised. But you get the honorific tittle "Dr". Legitimately speaking of you want to go down this route, you can get an online M.S. in engineering and a short 1 year professional D. Eng degree in 30 credits aka 1 year.
To PhD or not to PhD : r/engineering
The general consensus online (even here in r/engineering) was: the only reason why you should do a PhD is because you want to. You like research, you like the academic environment, and in the future you want to either become a professor or you want to to lead a research project at the frontiers of your engineering field.
PhD in industrial and Systems Engineering : r/BinghamtonUniversity
PhD in industrial and Systems Engineering. Hey y'all! I'm planning on pursuing a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Binghamton University. I've heard that some funded PhD students work for companies for their entire PhD and they do the courses online. Is that true?
Is a PhD in Engineering worth it?
I'm wondering if there are any real benefits to getting a PhD in Engineering. Obviously, a lot of work and time goes into getting a PhD. Pursuing a PhD would make sense for fields like English, where career options in the private sector are highly limited and therefore the PhD a much better option. However, for engineering, there is a relatively large amount of high paying jobs ...
Should You Get Your PhD in Engineering?
Equally importantly, a PhD will give you a level of job security that a lesser degree won't give you. "I have yet to find a jobless, homeless PhD in engineering. That's my simple answer," grins Thole. Not only that, but it opens up new opportunities. "The PhD really allows you to tailor your own career a bit more.
Should Engineers Get a PHD? 11 Truths!
Electrical Engineering. $23,070. 2020 - 2021. MIT. Electrical Engineering. $43,150. 2019 - 2020. As you can tell, diving into a PhD in engineering might not make you rich overnight. But, hey, it does give you the chance to work on some mind-blowing research and help shape the world of tomorrow.
I wasted six years of my life getting a PhD degree. What should I do
With a PhD in Chemistry, you don't have to be a great programmer. There are companies that will hire you to figure out some chemistry, and team you up with Comp Sci or Info Sys folks that will do all the coding and stuff for reports, data science, etc. If you don't like what you have a PhD in, then go figure out what you do like.
PhD (Doctoral) Admissions Overview
The program awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. To be considered, you must apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and separately apply to the Electrical Engineering department. Knight-Hennessy Scholars [links away]
What Can You Do With a PhD in Engineering?
Graduates of PhD in Engineering programs can work as professors at research universities, dedicate their expertise to industrial or government research labs, or create a business around their own innovation. Consider building your career as the developer of a green energy trend, discovering a life-saving biomedical process, or taking the world ...
FAQ: Should I Get a PhD in Engineering?
A Ph.D. in engineering is a research degree that provides candidates with highly specialized knowledge of a specific engineering subfield. Candidates learn about quantitative research methods and complete advanced coursework. They also conduct independent research to prepare a written dissertation and an oral presentation.
Choose Between a Master's, Ph.D. in Engineering
At the master's level you are going to be in charge of the people who are doing that stuff. In a Ph.D., that's a whole other thing because you are doing the new stuff. You are in a lab." Master's ...
DEng vs. PhD
At Johns Hopkins University, both the Doctor of Engineering and the Doctor of Philosophy involve mentored research and in-depth investigation. There are a few key differences, though (although these are not hard and fast rules). DEng. PhD. Guiding Philosophy. Engineering practice and application. Engineering theory and scholarship.
Is getting a PhD in science or engineering right for me?
For context, PhD candidates' salaries are typically in the high $20K to low $30K range per year, depending on if you're in science (lower) or engineering (higher) and the cost of living where your school is located. Now, if you're still thinking about it, here are a few reasons pursuing a PhD might be a great fit for you:
Best PhDs in Industrial Engineering
If you want to become an expert in industrial engineering, then you need to learn about the best PhDs in Industrial Engineering. The educational requirement for most industrial engineering jobs is a bachelor's or master's degree, but an industrial engineering PhD degree prepares you for a career in research and senior-level positions.. In this article, we'll discuss the admissions ...
What the heck do you do with a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences?
In fact, from a simple employment perspective those with Ph.D.s in science, engineering, and health are doing much better than the general population. In February 2013, the unemployment rate for the general U.S. population was at 6.3% while that of U.S. science, engineering, and health Ph.D.s was way down at 2.1% (7).
How Long Does It Take To Get a PhD?
A PhD program typically takes four to seven years, but a variety of factors can impact that timeline. A PhD, or doctorate degree, is the highest degree you can earn in certain disciplines, such as psychology, engineering, education, and mathematics. As a result, it often takes longer to earn than it does for a bachelor's or master's degree.
US News & World Report Releases 2024 Rankings Of America's Best Grad
U.S. News announced this week that the release of rankings for engineering, medical and clinical psychology will be delayed. In its Best Graduate Schools ranking, the publication placed 10 of Texas A&M's graduate programs in the Top 20; among those, six are Top 10: College of Arts and Sciences. School of Law, overall No. 26.
UC architectural engineering alumna inspires students
Next Lives Here. University of Cincinnati alumna Emma Wilhelmus fell in love with engineering when she was in ninth grade. After taking drafting, architecture and engineering courses in high school, she set out to major in architectural engineering in college. Now, she is an engineering teacher at a local high school and hopes to inspire students.