As more science occupations become specialized and require
graduate degrees, there is an undergraduate degree that is likely
to gain students a job right out of college ““
engineering.
Though people pursuing a career in engineering often go to
graduate school several years after graduating college, such a
degree is not a requirement for a well-paying job, and some
engineering businesses may pay either partially or in full for
their employees to attend a graduate program.
“This is a great time to be an engineer,” said Joe
Paz, a second-year electrical engineering student.
Carol Trigg, associate director of employer and alumni relations
and research at the UCLA Career Center, said it is common for
companies to recruit UCLA engineering students.
“Our students are getting jobs and they are sought after.
It’s at all levels ““ bachelor’s, master’s
and Ph.D.s in computer science and engineering,” Trigg said.
“A student will work at a company as an intern. … They are
converted over to a full-time employee if they accept the offer
because that’s the purpose of these internships.”
At on-campus job fairs where students can meet up with
employers, companies seeking engineering students are a significant
presence, Trigg said.
Kevin Sherbourne, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student,
was hired while in college to work for Raytheon, a technology
company.
“It depends on the job market, but grad school (may not
be) necessary. You get the same sort of job, but you might get a
slightly higher starting salary,” Sherbourne said.
Once employed, engineers have access to a solid career. For
instance, the average initial salary for a biomedical engineer with
a bachelor’s degree is $50,000.
The salary increases to $80,000 with a master’s degree,
according to a U.S. News & World Report article.
Based on data gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
salaries can vary depending on the specific type of
engineering.
An electrical engineer can earn an average starting salary of
$51,910, while a civil engineer can earn an average starting salary
of $40,616.
Most businesses that hire engineers do not require
master’s degrees initially, but after a few years in the
industry, engineers can attend graduate school for engineering or
business as a means of attaining a higher position in the business
where they already work, said Cindy Vogt, senior student affairs
manager of the Fully Employed MBA Program at the UCLA Anderson
School of Management, in a past interview.
“Once engineers have been in the engineering field for a
number of years, in order to move up into higher management, they
need a broader base of skills,” she said.
One reason for this is the ever-developing nature of the field,
Paz said.
“In the engineering world, things change rapidly and you
have to be able to update by going to graduate school or by getting
your Ph.D.,” he said.
It is common for companies to hire engineers with
bachelor’s degrees and then help finance their education in
exchange for their commitment to the company for a certain number
of years, Paz said.