PhD for a Chemical Engineer

[u/Little_Classroom4421]

Hello guys, I am a chemical engineer working currently as a Coating R&D Engineer, and I am thinking of doing a PhD in chemical engineering whilst working; however, I don't know if it is worth it or if I must look for something else to do in order to sharpen my skills as a chemical engineer. What do you think guys?

[u/BellyFloppinChubs → u/[deleted]]

I want to echo this comment, also did a part time PhD while working in ChEE. It’s very hard to do both well, let alone manage a personal life and have some balance. If the PhD will get you to the roles you want, strongly consider doing it full time.

[u/Exact_Knowledge5979 → u/[deleted]]

All of what s/he said. 

Source: did a ChemE PhD full time. 

[u/Little_Classroom4421 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your insightful feedback 🙏

[u/imbroke828 → u/[deleted]]

Also have a PhD in chemE and vouch for this comment. In my eyes, it’s rarely worth it to go for the PhD monetarily. However, I now work in a research role that’s almost exclusive to PhDs, so I guess it worked out.

[u/derioderio]

I generally agree with what people are saying here. Some general facts on PhD vs BS:

• PhDs generally start with a higher salary than someone with a BS. However that's offset by the 4-6 additional years that the PhD must spend in school not earning a salary. When you look at total career earnings, it comes out to be not much of a difference. So if your primary motivation to get a PhD is the higher starting salary, it's not worth it.
• Many jobs in R&D are only available to those with a PhD. If that's the kind of job you know you want to do, then a PhD is definitely worth it.
• Though a minority, there are some people with a BS that are able to pivot/transition into an R&D role. Every single person I know that has been able to do this first had several years of industry experience before being able to transition to R&D.
• If you're stuck in process engineer roles and you know that you want to do research and don't see any other way there, then it might be worth it to quit and go to grad school for your PhD.

• Having your company pay for your PhD can be an alternative, but like others have said it can really eat up all your spare time. The one exception would be if

  1. Your company is paying all your tuition
  2. You can use work for your company as your dissertation work.

  I know two people that were able to do this and it worked out fine for them. They basically just kept on doing their job, while submitting portions of their work as papers for journals and their dissertation. If your dissertation work is completely separate from your job projects though, then it would be absolutely horrible for your work/life balance and sanity.

[u/Ernie_McCracken88]

I didn't even know a part time PhD was possible. That sounds like a fucking nightmare.

[u/somber_soul]

Ive never known an engineering PHD who looked back and thought that it was a good idea. Except professors.

[u/drdessertlover → u/somber_soul]

I have an engineering phd and I think it was a great idea. I graduated in just under 4 years, loved both my advisors and picked up a skillset that serves me well to this day.

[u/YesICanMakeMeth → u/drdessertlover]

Yeah, I also am happy with my decisions. I've found that non-PhD engineers are really invested in that idea for some reason. Part of it may be that most non-PhD engineers don't work in R&D, or even design/theory heavy roles. My whole family is BS/MS engineers and they all thought I wanted to be a professor as that's the only PhD's they've been exposed to, even though it's a minority of them.

[u/ballsydouche → u/somber_soul]

You have met one now who believes it was an excellent decision for my career

[u/derioderio → u/somber_soul]

It was great for me. I started in an R&D position immediately out of grad school with a much higher salary than professors start with.

[u/KryptonianGenius → u/somber_soul]

Andy Grove? Lisa Su? Jack Welch? The list goes on. They've all been CEOs and Chairmen of Fortune 500 companies.

[u/somber_soul → u/KryptonianGenius]

Sounds like a bunch of people who arent engineering.

[u/KryptonianGenius → u/somber_soul]

Surely you jest 😏

Andrew "Andy" Stephen Grove (born Gróf András István; 2 September 1936 – 21 March 2016)

• BSc Chemical Engineering (City College of New York)
• PhD Chemical Engineering (University of California, Berkeley)
• Third CEO of Intel

Lisa Tzwu-Fang Su

• BSc Electrical Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• MSc Electrical Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• PhD Electrical Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• AMD CEO & Chairman

John Francis Welch Jr. (November 19, 1935 – March 1, 2020)

• BSc Chemical Engineering (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
• MSc Chemical Engineering (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
• PhD Chemical Engineering (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
• Former General Electric CEO & Chairman

[u/somber_soul → u/KryptonianGenius]

Somewhat tongue in cheek. Somewhat.

[u/KryptonianGenius → u/somber_soul]

Then you've surely jested. 😜

[u/LaximumEffort → u/somber_soul]

Getting the PhD was the best thing I ever did for my career, and I’m not in academia.

[u/Little_Classroom4421 → u/somber_soul]

Thank you

[u/AsianMz]

Currently doing a PhD in ChemE, doing environmental research. I cannot imagine having a full time job outside of doing a PhD. A PhD is basically equivalent to a FULL TIME JOB, while getting paid as a part time employee.

Just this week I have been working from Saturday to Tuesday, 10am to around 3-4 am everyday, non stop. Think about that.

[u/Apart_Programmer_941]

My team has several chemE PhDs making $200-260k at my national lab. Some got their PhDs while working at the lab and others before starting at the lab. Way easier to move up at the lab with a PhD, and almost required to get to the fellow/director level making $300+. I'm a chem PhD and making $200k with 10 yoe post grad. Don't regret it at all

[u/CramponMyStyle]

Apply to positions at the national labs. One of the few places I've seen doing a ChemE PhD whilst in a career. Only other place I've seen is pharma. I'm sure there are plenty of other niche opportunities like that, but nat'l labs is the only I've seen multiple.

[u/Engineer_This]

Coatings R&D? Why not go Chemisty PhD? 

[u/Mundane-Remote2251]

There are already many great advices. I’ll just add some anecdotes.

I had a colleague that tries to do PhD part time. His first attempt when he was younger was squashed because he got his wife pregnant so he had to pause until 56, when his kid is finally out of the house and enter college. That’s when he returned part time. It still took him 7-10 years to finally graduate.

It is better that you commit to this full time if you decide to go back to school. Think of it as a marriage for 4-5 years. When I was a grad student, I definitely put in an average of 60-70 hrs per week into my research (I frequently came into the lab to do experiments on weekends because it’s less crowded). Got out in 4.5 years.

I can tell you that this experience does sharpen your skillset, but more so in R&D related work. I became more confident in my ability after graduating with a PhD than I was with just an undergrad degree. Given any problem, you would know the tools or what resources you need to give an answer. A better puzzle solver, if that makes sense. Hope this helps! Do it only if you see yourself in an R&D role for a long time.

[u/Left_Being_8066]

I know one person who did a PhD while working as a chemical engineer. It took him 10 years. If you're going to do a PhD then go all in and do it full time.