1. Master’s vs. Ph.D.: Which one to choose? How far to go?
Kathleen Fisher, Tufts University
Linda Apsley, Microsoft

2. Revisiting Choices
Given that you are at the end of your first year in either a Ph.D. or MS program, the questions are:
Am I in the “right” program for me, based on a better understanding of
What I want (what I love / what I dislike) in the graduate school experience?
What I want as a future career path?
If not, then how do I get onto the “right” track?
Carla will talk about the grad school experience
Laura will talk about career considerations in your choice of degree

3. Kathleen’s Story Education
B.S. and Ph.D. Stanford University (1991, 1996)
Positions
AT&T Labs Research ( )
Tufts University ( present)
Research
Programming Language Theory, Domain-specific languages, ad hoc data management
Service
CRA-W, CRA, SIGPLAN, ACM SGB, JFP,…
Family
Married to Steve ( )
Elaine born (1992)
Married to Bob ( present)
Fun
Ballroom dancing, studying Italian, traveling, cooking, watching hockey
But first…introductions of ourselves

4. Linda’s Story Education B.A., Organizational Behavior, BYU (1982)
MBA, City Univ. of Seattle (2008)
Positions
Comm. College CS Part-Time Faculty ( )
Tester, Technical Writer, Microsoft ( )
Technical Program Manager, Microsoft ( )
Group Program Manager, Microsoft ( )
Director of Program Management, Microsoft (2008-now)
Specialties
Enterprise computing: design and deployment
Business and technical strategy
Incubating new technology and teams
Service
Hopper’s, Women of Windows, Boy Scouts
Family
Married to Richard ( )
Married to John ( now)
Three sons (Allan, Patrick, John)
Three daughters (Arwyn, Julianna, Suzye)
Fun
Ballet, bicycling, cooking, reading

5. Grad School Paths Job industry / startup Reapply -based MS course
MS thesis project
Switch
You are at the end of your 1st year in grad school whether you are in a PhD or MS program at the moment.
The first year experience is very similar among most programs – taking grad level courses
Degree programs are about to diverge.
PhD
First year
Job lab / academia
coursework to dissertation

6. Experience of Course-Based Master’s Degree
Your educational goal: to acquire more knowledge (breadth & some depth) in the field via coursework.
Specialize in CSE courses more than in undergrad program
Select courses to match your interests (and, do well in your courses)
Short time to get what you need:
Job-hunting soon after starting the program
Cultivate & extend professional network
Reference letters? Future PhD advisers?

7. Experience of Research-Based Master’s Degree
Your educational goals:
To acquire depth and project skills via Master’s thesis under supervision of advisor
To get a taste of research (to decide about eventually pursuing PhD)
Research component is similar to Ph.D., but…
May be more “development” rather than innovative & deep independent research
May result in 0-1 published papers, rather than 3 or more
Choices (of adviser, project, etc.) have lower stakes: You’re committing to 1-2 years, rather than ~5.

8. Experience of Ph.D. Degree
Your educational goal:
To do original high-impact research
To learn the skills needed to be a contributing member of the research community
Technical, soft skills, and culture
Long process (4-6 years), multiple phases
Predictable challenges and stress points
I Research

9. Grad School Paths Choose advisor Qualifying exams Thesis proposal
Submit papers
Write dissertation
Job hunt
-based
MS course
MS thesis project
The PhD experience consists of a sequence of hurdles during the years.
PhD
First year
Job lab / academia
coursework to dissertation

10. Experience of the Ph.D. Write & defend thesis
Pick advisor, move from coursework to research
Reviewer comments
First submission
Advisor stress
Pick a Topic
Quals
Job interview invitations
It’s really more like this.
CRA-W Grad Cohort Workshop 2005

11. Lessons from the Roller Coaster
The ride is similar for most people
You are qualified for the ride. It’s scary for everyone.
You aren’t alone. Share your experiences.
It takes externally applied energy for the uphills
Your advisor will be a key person (later session on this).
Seek support from many sources (technical, emotional)
There are a lot of downhill sections
Frustration & doubt are guaranteed. Things can go wrong.
Momentum is important
Keep moving forward. No side trips to distract.

12. Setting Research Goals
PhD Research requires redefining success
Class performance is not as important as before
In research, nobody knows the answer!
And half the challenge is in asking good questions!
You’re in the pilot seat
not yet sure of your destination
need a capable crew to help you fly
Network, mentors, friends.
Discourse in graduate school very different from discourse in an undergraduate class. Then, you learned
the cannon, the wisdom passed down from the sages. Now, it’s normal to pick apart conventional wisdom; indeed it is often
by working to fix weaknesses in current knowledge that you can make new contributions

13. Career Paths -based MS course MS thesis project PhD First year
Development jobs in industry; Create a startup;
Project manager
Research in industry or government labs;
Project leadership in industry;
Create a startup;
University research/ teaching
-based
MS course
MS thesis project
Context switch to Linda
Maybe what you want to do as a career will be a determining factor in your degree choice.
PhD
First year
coursework to dissertation

14. Career Opportunities with Master’s Degree
Types of jobs you can do in industry with a Master’s
Operations
Consulting
Install and administer software
Technical support/troubleshooting
Web site management
Product or application development
Design, code and/or test new software
User interface design, human factors analysis and test
Write technical documentation
Program or product management, marketing
Project management
Research support (very similar to product development)
Contribute to prototyping new software ideas and to publications
List from Hristova/Schultz GC 07

15. Types of Employers of Master’s Degree Holders
Information Technology (IT) companies
Software or hardware or services companies
Start-ups
Spectrum of established companies (small to big)
Companies in other industries
Banking, insurance, telecommunications, healthcare, environmental engineering, manufacturing, travel, …
EVERY industry needs software engineers today
Universities
Typically in support roles
Actually, these are employers of MS and PhDs, in general. Sequence isn’t perfect here. But I think we can have it here and refer back to it later.

16. Course vs. Research Master’s
Course Master’s
Breadth of knowledge may qualify you for marketing, project management, product management roles
But if that’s what you want, take some business classes!
Lack of major project may be a handicap for development roles
Research Master’s
Deep project may qualify you for more interesting development roles
Potentially channeled more into development
Much more attractive for a research lab position
Thesis will help with publications
Not sure there’s enough difference to be worth a chart?

17. Career Ladders in Industry
Technical
Entry level: implement parts of products designed by others
Mid-level: lead design of product components
Senior: lead product design and implementation
Management
1st line: Direct single project/component to successful conclusion
Mid-level: oversee several related projects
Executive: oversee product and corporate strategy

18. One View of the Technical Ladder in Industry
Level
Contribution and Impact
Scope and Ownership
Who Knows You Are a Leader
Fellow
Major industry or market impact
Major corporate initiative
CEO knows you
Distinguished Engineer
Major group impact
Major group initiative
Many VPs know you
Senior Tech. Staff Member
Major division impact
Major division initiative
Your Sr. VP knows you
Senior
Major line of business (LOB) impact
Major LOB initiative
Your LOB director knows you
Advisory
Major product impact (or research area)
Major product initiative
Your department head knows you
Staff
Major department impact
Major department initiative
Your manager knows you
Entry
Major team impact
Major team initiative
Your team knows you
Needed? Haven’t addressed the ladder for industry until now… and we do for academia. This is not necessarily part of PhD, though. I’m not sure what is particular for PhD except Research staff roles.

19. Career Opportunities with Ph.D. Degree
I Research & Teaching (?)
Research or advanced development in industrial research labs
Development leadership roles in industry
Technical project management / leadership
Academic research and teaching in a university as a professor

20. Industry Career: Research and Industry Impact
Engage in scientific discovery, collaborate with peers, fund research (but typically later in career, possibly internal funding)
May involve university faculty and students
Develop creative thinking around technical solutions to problems
Technology Transfer
Contribute to company’s products, client engagements, open source…
Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills
Publish work and engage with academia
Service
Departmental (hiring committee, e.g)
Company-wide (promotion review board)
Professional
Expected to do all three well!

21. What can I do now to prepare for a job in industry?
Complete a project(s)
Will make you a more interesting candidate
Get an internship(s)
Try out a corporate culture, job type, industry
Experience counts a lot!
Acquire key skills
Building your professional network, communication, negotiation, making yourself visible
Find a mentor(s)
Provides a useful perspective
Hristova/Schultz GC 07
Same argument as for slide #18, but some of this is good to know before the job hunt... And we have the analogous chart for academia, same reasoning.

22. Finding Industry Jobs
Identify organizations of interest and do internships – real world and specific organization experience is valued
Know what positions are within your scope and focus on the right type of position for you
Plug into on-campus recruiting at your school
Apply through formal methods, but try to make contact with people who will get your resume into the right hands
Conferences, conferences, conferences – employers attend conferences specifically to find you
Network with friends, colleagues, and friends of friends to make contacts and get a foot in the door
Consider startup organizations – higher risk, but greater potential for increasing the scope of your responsibilities
Demonstrate good communication skills in addition to technical savvy
Ask for what you want!
Hristova/Schultz GC 07
We have too much material – while this is a good chart it’s somewhat off topic, and more pertinent for 3rd years – where, in fact, there is a session. I’d omit this.

23. Academic Career: Research, Teaching and Service
engage in scientific discovery, involve graduate and undergraduate students, fund research
Teaching
active teaching, mentoring, advising
Service
Departmental
University
Professional
No matter what type of educational instuition you chose to work in, there are 3 functions you must provide
Expected to do all three well!

24. Different Types of Colleges
Research universities: Ph.D. program - emphasize research – but teaching, service important
Colleges/universities: M.S. program- emphasize teaching – but research & service also important
Selective liberal arts colleges: B.S. program – emphasize teaching with research a close second, but service important
Teaching-oriented colleges: B.S. program – emphasize teaching & service but research can be expected

25. Academic Career Ladder
Professorial Ranks
Assistant
Associate
Full
Chaired Professor – endowed
Administrative Ranks
Department Chair, Dean, Provost, President
Instructor – teaching & service
Postdoctoral positions - research

26. What can I do now to prepare for an academic job?
Research
Apprenticeship: learn from adviser, doing it, and others
How do ideas come?
How to organize research?
Teaching
Teaching experience, teach some even if don’t have to
Service
Organizing student organizations/support groups – Women in CS
Working on department committees
Volunteering at conferences

27. Moving Between Research Lab and Academia
From University to Industry
Must build real systems
Establish visibility and knowledge in industry
From Industry to University
Must continue publishing
Establish visibility in research community

28. Thank you! Questions?

29. Progressing in Research
How to choose good problems
How to make progress
Relax: your adviser often gives you first research problem.
Balance: concrete enough to make progress ↔ far-reaching enough to be research.
Read: In other papers, think of what the authors didn’t do.
Notice: challenges that make your research hard. These may be future research opportunities.
Break the big problem into steps
Then break the first few steps into even more steps
Eventually: a to-do list becomes a roadmap for what to accomplish each day.
Use meetings with your adviser effectively: listen, take notes, follow-up.
Extra/hidden slide borrowed from old talk

30. Progressing in Research
How to choose good problems
How to make progress
The real research challenge:
Remaining confident, effective and happy while walking along an unmarked path to an unknown destination of unknown payoff !
Relax: your adviser often gives you first research problem.
Balance: concrete enough to make progress ↔ far-reaching enough to be research.
Read: In other papers, think of what the authors didn’t do.
Notice: challenges that make your research hard. These may be future research opportunities.
Break the big problem into steps
Then break the first few steps into even more steps
Eventually: a to-do list becomes a roadmap for what to accomplish each day.
Use meetings with your adviser effectively: listen, take notes, follow-up.
Extra/hidden slide borrowed from old talk

31. Example of Different Expectations
Research Institution:
60% - 80% Research
10% - 35% Teaching
5% - 10% Service
Teaching-oriented College:
% Teaching
% Professional Development
% Service
Extra/hidden slide borrowed from old talk