1. Ph.D. vs Other Stuff

2. Questions BS, MS, MBA, or PhD?
Graduate school right after BS graduation?
Where should I go to graduate school?

3. Approximate Time BS MS MBA Ph.D. 4 years New Associates
1-2 years after BS
New Bachelors
MBA
2 years after BS
Usually work for a couple of years first
Ph.D.
Less predictable
About 4-6 years after BS
Not just for Professors anymore

4. B.S. and M.S. What will I make?
Starting salary of $55 - $75K
18-year salary of $90 - $130K
Unless you go into management, or are one of the lucky few to transition into higher-level research/strategy positions without a Ph.D. ...

5. B.S. and M.S. Lifestyle Typically quite predictable
Often a fair amount of travel (to visit suppliers, collaborators, etc.)
Crunch periods of intense work near product deadlines
Typically a decent work/life balance

6. What is a Ph.D. all about?
Exclusivity: The highest academic degree anyone can earn (less than 1% of the population attains the degree)
Mastering a Subject
Extending Knowledge
Explore, investigate, contemplate
Research
Industry? Relationship to products?
Sometimes research leads to new products or improvements, startups, patents, licensing deals, etc.
Not typically the measure of success for your work

7. Questions to ask yourself
Do you want a research career?
Do you want to direct scientific research and set the agenda for scientific studies?
Do you want an academic position?
Do you have what it takes?
Intelligence
Time
Creativity
Adaptability
Self-motivation
Competitiveness
Maturity

8. Some potentially wrong reasons to start a Ph.D. •
Prestige: Don’t think it’s such a great accomplishment. Once you get a Ph.D., all of your friends will have one too... :)
A goal in itself
A job guarantee
Trying it out to see how it goes: Ph.D. requires total commitment
Easier than entering the work force
Wealth: While most science and engineering Ph.D.s make very good livings, there are other more secure and optimal paths to wealth.

9. What can you do with a Ph.D.? (In your area of study)
Research position at a corporation (large or small)
Intel, Micron, Microsoft, National Semiconductor, HP, Agilent, GE, Siemens, Philips, Toshiba, etc.
Start-up
Research position at a National Lab
Los Alamos, Sandia, Berkeley, Livermore, INL, NRL, etc.
Academic position
Professor
Teaching Professor
Research Professor
Staff Scientist

10. What can you do with a Ph.D.? (Outside your area of study)
Consulting
In your area of expertise
Management consulting (McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Monitor, Accenture)
• Finance/Banking
Investment banks (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, etc.)
Hedge funds
Asset management
Management

11. What does it pay? Research position at a corporation (large or small)
Starting cash compensation range: $90 - $110K
18-year compensation range: $130 - $200K
Research position at a National Lab
Starting cash compensation range: $85 - $105K
18-year compensation range: $120 - $180K
Academic position (engineering)
Professor: Starting academic year (9 month): $75 - $95K 18-year: $110-$150K
Teaching Professor: Lower
Research Professor: Full year: $90-110K 18-year: $130 - $180K

12. What does it pay? Consulting
In your area of expertise: $0 - $400K (high end is extreme success, low end is much more common)
Management consulting (McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Monitor, Accenture)
Start: $120 - $160K 18-year: $400K - $2.5M
Finance/Banking
Investment banks (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, etc.)
Hedge funds
Asset management
Start: $110-$160K 18-year: $400K - $4M

13. When should you go to Graduate School?
Immediately after completing BS
Best option
You are use to working long hours and being poor
After working
Sometimes companies will pay for graduate school
Much harder and take longer

14. Financing Your Education
Education is worth some debt
Most Electrical Engineering Ph.D. programs
Pay your tuition
Pay a stipend
BYU $18k - $24k/year

15. WHERE TO GO
Can depend on whether you are interested in academia

16. BYU VS. SOMEWHERE ELSE Reasons to go to BYU
Head start – can finish faster
Social reasons – love it here, still looking for spouse
Like advisor, project you are involved in
Reasons to go elsewhere
Other schools have better reputations
Broaden your technical network
Diversity important for academic jobs
Other schools are doing specific research you like

17. YOUR ADVISOR Choice of research topics happens before graduate school
You choose your school and advisor
Advisor is often locked into long research cycles dictated by money and momentum