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What Masters program is right?

Is it better to opt for a job as a site engineer at a reputed construction firm after graduation and  then return to graduate school like IITs to pursue a Masters program (Structural Engineering) after one or two years of work or pursue higher education right after graduation?

  • I'm pursuing a B.Tech. in Civil Engineering at NIT Calicut. My GATE Rank this time was around 4k,with out any preparation. My aim is to be a structural engineer, but my rank will not gaurantee me admission to a reputed university. I am confident that I will secure a much better rank next year. So I want to know whether if it is better to pursue M.Tech in Structural Engineering or M.Tech in Construction Management ( as I will have one year experience as a site engineer) after one year ? Or is it better to pursue M.Tech after graduation in some other specialization. Please mention them. I want know both  pros and cons. Which one has long-term benefits ? Which one you will prefer ?

  • Answer:

    That's a lot of questions. So here it goes. 1. Decide if you want to be a Structural Engineer or a Construction Manager. They are two TOTALLY different things and branches. Meet people to figure it out. See the life you are going to live. ( I am happy to clarify or elaborate on this if you want) 2. If you want to be a structural engineer, go for a designers job in a firm. The work is not going to be good, but still relevant, you will get a better hang of autocad and IS codes. None of which you will learn on site. 3. If you decide to be a construction manager, take up a site job and see if you would like to pursue it via distance learning. 4. If you have decided to join a Construction firm, delay your decision for 6 months and see if you like the construction life. Its quite different and at times very stressfull. Your site expereince wont matter at all when designing or applying for a course in design. 5. Construction offers you a very creative but stressfull work engvironment, and the working consitions are harsh to say the least. The pay initially is also not good. As a structural engineer, you pay will be decent and you will have a decent office to work in. Now figure out what you like :) 6. I chose to be in construction, because I wanted to. Pretty simple. Happy to clarify anything. :)

Kshitij Garg at Quora Visit the source

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Your question is about two completely different disciplines. A site Engineer is a problem solver. It consists, essentially, in solving day to day problems, while keeping schedule and costs under control. You will be powerful, you will take decisions on the spot, everyday. It is dificult to revert after that to Structural Engineering, with office hours and family-compatible work. But, essentially without the adrenaline of the radio/phone call at 3 a.m. asking you to come to the site because "we've got a problem here". So, look inside yourself, how do you see your life in 15 years from now, what do you prefer and act consequently

Carlos Griell Ventosa

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