Issues Effecting Doctoral Students Returning To Engineering Education Following Extensive Industrial Experience

It can be said that the best time for an engineer who desires to enter academia to earn their Doctoral Degree is after a four to five year period working in industry. During this time period, a practicing engineering can be extensively exposed to the practical aspect of the engineering discipline. This exposure can aid to a more effective mentorship with students, better professional relationships with other practicing engineers, and a better understanding of the real problems faced by engineers solving real world problems. However, a practicing engineer who wishes to return for doctoral studies faces numerous hurdles not necessarily encountered by a traditional student. This article puts forth some of the challenges facing a practicing engineer who attempts to return to graduate school for Doctoral Study. Areas to be addressed include difficulties obtaining graduate admission, the lack of fellowships and grants for returning professionals, other financial aspects of graduate studies impacting practicing professionals, project management issues, and job search issues.