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Is there an MBA. graduate, doctorate crowd here on GAF?
- Thread starter Dr. Feel Good
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iRAWRasaurus
Banned
Good luck!
Dr. Feel Good
Banned
What school is this?
The Last Emperor
Member
Daddywall,
Ima come over and help you study.
Ima come over and help you study.
Those numbers seem a little inflated, at least for age
There might be some people who take 20 years to get their PHD which inflates the mean
I wonder what the median is
I believe most people complete their PHD in 5-6 years, which is still a long time
How about the number of people that aren't doing PhD full time? Like school administrators doing part time studies for a D.Ed or in Public Administration to advance their careers. Those seem to be the most popular options for online degrees at least.
Davis_McGee
Member
Preamble: I am a Big Data Bod. My background is CS (MEng, Manchester) and I work for a global systems integrator wrangling clusters across western europe.
If you go back to the original question of "Why is big data not stats when big data is about analysis?" (for anyone still wondering) that's a pretty easy one. Statistics, as a practice (rather than a theory) is generally about accounting for unknowns. Questions like "How do I model a population of millions from a sample of 1,000?" or "What's the chance this result is wrong?". These are great questions to ask and of course have applicability across technology-oriented analytics. Focusing just on those analytics, Big Data (as a practice) is generally concerned with much finer-grained resolution. Traditional statistical techniques are great for modelling how a population is going to behave, they're not great for telling me how you are going to behave, while you're doing whatever it is you're doing, before you even know I'm involved.
And that brings us onto the core definition of big data, courtesy of IBM: The Four Vs. Volume (big data gets big, quickly), Velocity (big data changes, quickly), Variety (lots of formats, sources, targets etc.) and Veracity (this one is marketing fluff).
That definition of the field is an answer to a question: How does big data differ from, well, data? And that is the beginning of the answer to the question of "What do I need to know to get into big data?"
An earlier poster pretty much nailed it. Big Data is Normal Data, just with more configuration files. As much as we talk about legacy frameworks like MapReduce and its newer cousin Spark, 90% of the work done on most clusters is launched through a SQL interface from a business intelligence tool. 90% of the effort expended is in traditional practices like ETL, MDM and schema design.
This applies even in cutting edge environments with mature and high quality data science groups. A great example of this is a recent blog from Jay Krebs. Despite talking about the hottest technology in the ecosystem (Kafka) on the website of one of the hottest startups (Confluent), he's talking about the importance of robust schemas and change control.
And that is the foundation of a good big data bod; certainly what we look for in our hires. Do you have a good grounding in data warehousing and business intelligence? Can you tell your 3NF from your snowflake?
But that's just the beginning, and for a CS bod, pretty mundane. What makes you great? The full stack. You need a range of knowledge covering hardware, networking, operating systems, java+scala+python+SQL and security, plus at least one framework/platform of choice. Plus you need a solid grounding in at least the fundamentals of modern analytics: statistics, machine learning, graphs and search. Or more of one than the other if you prefer analysis to engineering.
Now, you might be thinking to yourself, 'holy shit my university doesn't even offer that many courses!' That's an ugly truth. University is poor preparation for the actual work. The #1 most valuable thing for a big data person? Hands on experience. Every time.
There are definitely reasons against getting a PhD, but I think this is a poor list. It's highly skewed towards "I want a PhD to become a professor". I really disagree with her final point as well
Being smart is nearly orthogonal to having knowledge and the wherewithal to apply it. I'm smart, but the amount that I've learned since starting grad school is ridiculous. Sure, I could have self-taught myself (that's what grad school is!), but I would never have learned the things I've learned to the depth that I've learned without the pressure cooker that is grad school.
Grad school is ultimately about problem solving. It's hard to describe, but trying to solve something that may not have an answer is a very unique process. It's a skill. In undergrad, I knew even the "hard" problems had a solution. Now, I need to build the intuition to steer myself away from deadends and towards something resembling insight.
terrisus
Member
I'm sure I've said it before, but, my Master's was a piece of cake compared to my Bachelor's.
Of course, that's mostly to do with my Master's being in Education, and my Bachelor's - for some strange, twisted, demented reason - being in Mathematics.
I have my defense in August and graduate in September and I am totally confused on which job I want to apply for.
Basically should I do what I love, or should I do what I studied during my phd studies?
It's AR/VR industry vs. Helping the elderly with technology situation.
Shit is confusing the hell out of me and I am in this mental limbo at the moment.
I'd like to take some time off as I've been working and studying non-stop for years now but I ain't got the funding for that kind of luxury. Help me.
Basically should I do what I love, or should I do what I studied during my phd studies?
It's AR/VR industry vs. Helping the elderly with technology situation.
Shit is confusing the hell out of me and I am in this mental limbo at the moment.
I'd like to take some time off as I've been working and studying non-stop for years now but I ain't got the funding for that kind of luxury. Help me.
terrisus
Member
I really should have done just about anything different for my Bachelor's.
Mathematics... what in the heck was wrong with me? >.>
Yeah, I just had my diploma mailed to me too.
My wife insists on hanging it on the wall, as if it's actually something noteworthy.
Yeah, that piece of paper and a buck fifty will get me a cup of coffee, as the saying goes.
Money is not that important as I can manage with little income fairly well so that is definitely not the issue.
I do love interacting with the elderly as they are always so interesting with all the stories they have, and I have a knack to talk with them and making them excited over technology. The general problem is also important, so it would be a good thing to do overall. For all of us. And this option has a lot of money from governments and research projects all over the world. I know this stuff very well.
But I love interaction design stuff and virtual reality lacks proper methods for those things. So that interests me a lot. Problem is that I do not have a lot of VR experience, but more on the AR side of things. I really want to learn as my brain craves to know more like Rico in Starship Troopers. I met this Oculus guy and he filled my head with so many questions that I need answers. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
terrisus
Member
If you wanted to make money you should have picked a different graduate major
c'est la vie. I'm not in tax because I love tax, or even like it. I'm in it because it's an investment into my future earnings (as opposed to my BA in English).
Well, I did my Master's in that because I wanted to be a teacher.
I know it doesn't pay well, but it would have been enough for me.
But, apparently, no school in New England between 2009 and 2011 wanted me to be a teacher for them.
As you said, c'est la vie.
But, yes, there are many, many, many different paths that I could have taken which would have produced a better outcome for me.
Technology acceptance is an issue but if it's useful and convenient for something, they love tech, so it's possible.
I was thinking if I could do some sort of VR with the elderly and see how they like it and what applications could it be used on exactly... just and idea at the moment.
As and example the granny with the VR headset in Youtube seemed so excited over it so I got this idea a while ago but haven't acted upon it yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAC5SeNH8jw
Dedication Through Light
Member
There are more things to do with a PhD then become a tenured professor at a school, gov't jobs higher positions require PhD's, companies could use it to gauge your experience, also what if someone likes doing research, then a PhD is a great way to do that and challenge oneself.
"More than 50 percent of faculty are part-timers." this was a vague point - schools have multiple levels of what qualifies as faculty, Instructors, Professors, Assistant Professors, etc which may or may not even require a PhD, then the school youre in could vary, what if its a non research focused school, or small school focused on teaching rather than a grant based top tier research university.
-You probably won't get tenure. - that really depends on how much you want it if youre in a scientific research place, since thats largely dependent on can you bring in funds for your research. If you can sell your idea, then you really shouldnt have an issue.
-You could drop out. - again this really depends on the person. "You could drop out of [insert level of education]" If youre not really making progress towards your PhD then of course you would be dropped from the program, if you dont pass your qualifier or prelim (some places give you two chances even), then perhaps a PhD wasnt for you.
terrisus
Member
Not passing my comps...
feelsbadman.jpg
Probably for the best, though.
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
Bit the bullet and dipped into my savings to pay for a prep course. I refuse to lose this time! I believe in myself!
Thanks
Hogwarts.
I am being diligent
I feel like getting in is the hard part at the moment :/
Thanks
Hogwarts.
You are Asian, so shameeeeeeeee. /s
But yeah, you need to learn self discipline. Even in schools that are not top tier, graduate school is more difficult than undergrad.
Right now one of my friends in my program, a bright girl that went to a good undergraduate (far better than mine), is having trouble in grad school. Getting in is the easiest part of grad school as far as I can tell. It's not like undergrad when getting in was the hardest part.
So be a good Asian and go study(lol)
I am being diligent
I feel like getting in is the hard part at the moment :/
clockworkinyou
Banned
Anyone here that has completed/currently enrolled in a Master's program related to business or an MBA (specifically related to Project Management) that would be willing to proofread my statement of purpose?
For reference, this is the program I am applying to at Penn State - http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/project-management-masters/overview
For reference, this is the program I am applying to at Penn State - http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/project-management-masters/overview
1. My PhD took 3 years.
2. I use the resources of professors to publish papers and further my career.
3. I didn't.
4. I lived like a prince.
5. All good jobs are hard to find.
6. I got paid to do a PhD.
7. I WILL get tenure.
8. Tenure is now a tiny part of college budgets. It is a non-issue.
9. STEM tenured faculty are most assuredly not part-timers.
10. Look at the statistics for job prospects for: a) Bachelors b) Masters c) PhDs. Yeah.
11. So does corporations and government.
12. I live for the glory of science. People will bend the knee.
I'm tempted to make a thread about this, but this seems like a decent starting point.
how many people with a BS in engineering have benefited from a MS?
I have a BS in Chem Eng, and have been working for two years. I'm not thrilled with my job, and i'm trying to keep my options open. I'm tempted to take two years off and get a masters of some sort in engineering. i know most end up with a MBA or something. I'm tempted to get something in another branch of eng. electrical or mechanical.... not sure
how many people with a BS in engineering have benefited from a MS?
I have a BS in Chem Eng, and have been working for two years. I'm not thrilled with my job, and i'm trying to keep my options open. I'm tempted to take two years off and get a masters of some sort in engineering. i know most end up with a MBA or something. I'm tempted to get something in another branch of eng. electrical or mechanical.... not sure
RumblingRosco
Member
This is basically me except I'm still working on my PhD (been here for 3.5 years, graduating within a year). People that pay their own way for a PhD are the really unfortunate ones. Not only are they paying a substantial opportunity-cost, but they're also paying money straight-up for their degree. It's like a net loss of at least $40,000/year if you have to pay for your own PhD. I'm fortunate to have received two fellowships so far, which results in a full tuition/fees waiver and getting a stipend on top of that.
GoldenEye 007
Member
Three classes left of my Master of Education at Northeastern. Two for this summer quarter in an accelerated six week session, then my capstone in the fall.
The only complication is that I may be faced with a cross country move this summer for a potential job. Debating hard if I should just take the summer off and either do all three in the fall or take two in fall and one in the winter quarter.
The only complication is that I may be faced with a cross country move this summer for a potential job. Debating hard if I should just take the summer off and either do all three in the fall or take two in fall and one in the winter quarter.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
RE: Paying for one's own PhD. The median PhD student does not get a tenure-track position (depending on the program, the median PhD student doesn't even finish). If you are paying for your own PhD, it is because the department thought you were a below-the-median candidate. If you put these two things together, it's pretty clear what the department thinks your future prospects are. As a result, paying for your PhD seems like a pretty bad idea. I'd go so far as to say that if you have to pay for your PhD, you're better off taking a year to put together a better application and lowering your target school to get into a worse school that can actually pay you.
That advice--which I generally don't agree with, so I'm on your side--is pretty clearly for an American audience, where completion below 4.5-5 years is exceedingly rare and average time to completion for a lot of fields is more like 6-7, because of a 1-2 year coursework period required at the beginning + most PhD programs in the US not assuming that students have an MA/MSc and thus mostly students starting don't have well-defined research interests or knowledge of the field. There are significant differences in norms in Europe, more research focus, and so time to completion tends to be much quicker.
That advice--which I generally don't agree with, so I'm on your side--is pretty clearly for an American audience, where completion below 4.5-5 years is exceedingly rare and average time to completion for a lot of fields is more like 6-7, because of a 1-2 year coursework period required at the beginning + most PhD programs in the US not assuming that students have an MA/MSc and thus mostly students starting don't have well-defined research interests or knowledge of the field. There are significant differences in norms in Europe, more research focus, and so time to completion tends to be much quicker.
My first rejection. Feels bad man 
. Are "the paper is out of scope" and "consider some other journal that will be more suited" euphenism for your work sucks? Well, I should have seen it comming when the work didn't quite fit on any of the categories of the journal... But I can't help but feeling down.
Plz, encourage me PhD GAF!
. Are "the paper is out of scope" and "consider some other journal that will be more suited" euphenism for your work sucks? Well, I should have seen it comming when the work didn't quite fit on any of the categories of the journal... But I can't help but feeling down. Plz, encourage me PhD GAF!
Doing a summer research program at an ivy. I get along well with my mentor and feel like I'm actually helping out and adding to the conversation, but the people in charge of the program (who are no where near my discipline) are trying to steer my research in another direction and it's frustrating as all hell. I get so anxious and down about this stuff I really wonder if I have the right temperament to go for a Ph.D.
I do think that sounds like a valid reason for not accepting a paper even if it's really good.
I get so anxious and down about this stuff I really wonder if I have the right temperament to go for a Ph.D. Wish I could help make you feel better.My first rejection. Feels bad man
Plz, encourage me PhD GAF!
I do think that sounds like a valid reason for not accepting a paper even if it's really good.Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
My first rejection. Feels bad man
No, that's not a euphemism for "your work sucks"; it means what it says. Read the last ten years or so of the journal and try to find papers in the journal that seems like they're comparable to your own in terms of subject matter, methodology, etc. Put it this way--if you can't find something published in the journal that you'd cite in your own paper, that might be an indication you didn't choose the right journal.
Of course if you submitted to Science or Nature or something, it probably means "We only publish groundbreaking, important research and yours isn't"--but that's OK. A desk reject is better than getting stuck in a pedantic reviewer #2 R&R cycle for a year and then getting rejected.
BronzeWolf
Banned
PhD STEM student here, 2 years into a 4 year program. Full paid tuiton+grant.
My job prospects seem decent enough if I don't want to continue the research path, with the lowest paid job being $85K and the highest $140K. I know engineers make that out of the gate but the advancement opportunities are greater if you hold the grade.
The difficult part for me right now is the big daunting scope of my thesis. I have to construct and test a fairly delicate and difficult system, and just now I have completed the material characterizations and will have 1 year to complete and test the system. IF it works as intended. Looking at the size of the beast that I have in front of me is intimidating even though I am doing good.
I have my first accepted paper though, so anything else is an advantage. Boy does the Peer Review process is taxing, especially if it takes a long time! Some Journals are not very professional
My job prospects seem decent enough if I don't want to continue the research path, with the lowest paid job being $85K and the highest $140K. I know engineers make that out of the gate but the advancement opportunities are greater if you hold the grade.
The difficult part for me right now is the big daunting scope of my thesis. I have to construct and test a fairly delicate and difficult system, and just now I have completed the material characterizations and will have 1 year to complete and test the system. IF it works as intended. Looking at the size of the beast that I have in front of me is intimidating even though I am doing good.
I have my first accepted paper though, so anything else is an advantage. Boy does the Peer Review process is taxing, especially if it takes a long time! Some Journals are not very professional
RumblingRosco
Member
My first rejection. Feels bad man
Plz, encourage me PhD GAF!
I've had more papers rejected than accepted outright. But, all those rejected papers were eventually accepted and in each case made better by the review process. You'll need to be optimistic about rejections if you want a career in research. It's just part of the game, nothing to lose sleep over.
I encourage you to take the comments literally and look for another journal. What field is your paper focused?
Well, my adviser said that this first rejection was kinda expected. :O
A fringe field of CS.
A fringe field of CS.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Did you submit to a top-5 general CS journal? If so, try submitting to a top-5 area-specific journal (I don't know CS journals, but if your paper is on lexical parsers, then try submitting to a journal on parsers, rather than a general CS journal)
Dr. Feel Good
Banned
No seriously tell us the school and we can help you get an idea of what you need to aim for given your profile.
AstroNut325
Member
Any opinions on regular MBA vs an Executive MBA? I'm having trouble deciding between the two.
Also, how reliable/accurate is US News ranking? Are there any other good lists of MBA program rankings?
Also, how reliable/accurate is US News ranking? Are there any other good lists of MBA program rankings?
Madnesslink5
Member
Starting an MSc in Information Security in September
RumblingRosco
Member
Well, if it means anything to you, most papers are rejected from those journals. Gonna try PNAS or eLife perhaps?
I'm considering a PhD. My job would be willing to pay for most of it but I'm not sure I want to do it anymore. I see that lots of interesting classes are available but I'm not an academic. I do well on applied tasks and not so well in classroom settings. My MS was a nightmare because it was so memory focused. I have the memory of a goldfish in regards to things I haven't done hands on. If I could find a local program that was less concerned about about midterms and more concerned about homework and projects I'd consider it. Writing quickly for 90 minutes while a TA squints at me isn't really my thing.
The rejected Science paper is going to be sent to Nature Communications next.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Its so odd working in a lab now when one of the other people who was on PhD track was told by the advisor that they have to finish this semester with a masters since they didnt pass their prelim. I didnt know what to even say.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Absent the field you're taking the PhD in, it's hard to say whether you're a good fit. A lab science PhD often involves joining a pre-existing multi-year lab project run by a professor who is known in his field and then joining a medium to large team working to make incremental progress on that project over the years you're working on it--if you enter one thinking you're going to individually make some great breakthrough or have a ton of control over the parameters of the project on your own, that's probably an error. You say you had an MS, but that could be anything from Econ or Math to Comp Sci to hard sciences, so it's hard for us to tell you what your experience would be like.
The issue with learning styles isn't midterms and finals but rather comprehensive exams and general ability to review the literature.
Finally, while most new PhD candidates don't have a specific project in mind, they are relatively certain they can commit to a project for 2-3 years. What was your experience writing your MSc thesis?
What country is this in?
In my experience with Denmark and the US, being booted from your PhD studies would be unusual.
I have a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a MS in Mechanical Engineering. I got paid to get the MS, so I left college with zero debt. My graduate school was funded by a research grant that covered what I needed to do for my thesis anyways, plus I was paid for teaching junior and senior level students as well. The pay was good enough to cover any expenses, plus I wound up making more than my spouse, who had an accounting degree and worked for the county.
I would have been paid to pursue the PhD as well, but married life was difficult due to the amount of time that I invested in the course work, research, teaching, and publication/thesis writing. Any mention of a continuing on at that point was basically divorce talk. It took me 2 years to finish the MS and that's partially b/c the research became a rabbit hole and the thesis was 300+ pages on top of some other papers I published.
I would have been paid to pursue the PhD as well, but married life was difficult due to the amount of time that I invested in the course work, research, teaching, and publication/thesis writing. Any mention of a continuing on at that point was basically divorce talk. It took me 2 years to finish the MS and that's partially b/c the research became a rabbit hole and the thesis was 300+ pages on top of some other papers I published.
Bay Maximus
Banned
Traditional, full-time MBA programs tend to naturally take up more of your time so whether or not you want to work while in the program is a major consideration. Generally, I feel that full-time programs tend to be seen as a bit more prestigious though as they usually require better stats to get in.
I mean it's all subjective. The information is as reliable/accurate as is reported by the schools. The most widely consulted are USNews, Forbes, the Economist and Businessweek. Businessweek has been screwing up on its MBA rankings recently though.
RumblingRosco
Member
Our lab did that exact process. Rejected from Science, accepted by Nature Communications. Good luck.
Nothing to say. They'll be gone soon, don't make it too weird and they'll move on with their lives soon enough.
In the "hard" sciences, I think about 20-30% of PhD students never get their degree in the US. There are actual studies out there on this, but that's roughly the range I remember. I definitely wouldn't call it unusual.
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