Degree/Education Path Questions

[dynamike]

I am a former Navy Nuke MM with a little over 8 years in.  I've been out for nearly 5 years and have been working in ops for a refinement facility for the past 7 months.  Recent DOE developments have forced me to consider what I will do without a job in a few weeks.

After some research and talking with fellow vets, I stumbled across the post 9/11 GI Bill.  I've still got 100% of my NCF kicker and qualify for 100% of the post 9/11 GI Bill and five years left to use it. I'm single, have no children, and nothing tying me down to any certain area.  I'm in a great position to go back to school.

Operations is nice, but I'd like to work more in an engineering role.  Yes, I've seen the money you can make in ops. I may change my mind later.

So, now on to my questions.

I am looking very hard at UTK (kinda wanna be a Vol) as they have a great NE program and relationship with Oak Ridge and TVA. Does anyone have any personal experience or know someone who does to back that up? They're ranked #10 by US News & World Report.

Is there any real advantage in getting your Bachelor's and Master's from different schools? UTK has an accelerated Master's program that I may be able to get into.  I also have 54 hours from another institution that may be able to transfer further accelerating the process.

I am considering a NE BS w/a minor in mechanical and a NE MS w/a graduate certificate in maintainability and reliability engineering.  Why should I consider a BS in mechanical w/a minor in M&RE instead? Yes, they do offer both a graduate cert and a minor in M&RE. There is no minor in nuclear.

Thanks in advance for your help, folks!

[DDMurray]

Here's a cut and paste from an older post.  UTK is part of this initiative. 

TVA Joins Effort To Help Military Veterans Fill Region's Technical, Scientific Needs.
TVA has signed on to an initiative begun by the Department of Energy to provide engineering employment and educational opportunities in Tennessee for America's military veterans.
TVA is among several of Tennessee's top technical, engineering and educational companies, institutions and organizations in the greater Oak Ridge-Knoxville area that have teamed together to create this unique consortium.
The new program, which focuses on the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics, is called "America's Veterans to Tennessee Engineers."
The program is designed to offer military veterans an opportunity to complete an engineering degree that will lead directly to full-time employment with one of the area's technical companies and institutions.
TVA is committed to filling a number of positions in its Fossil and Nuclear groups over the next several years under the auspices of this program.

More about the program
The America's Veterans to Tennessee Engineers program was made possible by regional business, government and academic institution education leaders working together on an initiative that was originally proposed by the Tennessee Valley Corridor Association.

Several senior leaders in DOE's Y-12 facilities in Oak Ridge helped establish the program.

The program is intended to use educational opportunities to help veterans make a transition from military service to employment in needed technical and scientific fields.

The program will match military skills to future regional technical needs. It will seek to attract veterans with math and science skills into nuclear, chemical, mechanical, electrical or civil-engineering careers. The program will offer part-time employment, community sponsors and academic mentors while matching graduates with engineering and technical jobs.

The search for candidates for this program is well under way through the work of an interim program Steering Committee representing participating educational organizations and industry. Several veterans have already been selected and are participating.

The program is expected to grow incrementally throughout 2009 to a sustained level of 30 participants per year.

More information about the program is available online at www.y12.doe.gov/jobs/stem.

Hope this helps.

Derek

[tr]

Your plans sound fine.  As far as getting both degrees from the same school, I don't see any difference in the real world.  In the engineering department at my plant we have a bunch of people with both degrees from the same place, others with degrees from 2 schools, a third bunch with a BS/MBA combination, a fourth batch with just a BS, and a then a few PhD's. 

Going to 2 schools has the benefit of getting you away from the same professors you've been seeing for 4 years already, and gives you a new set of contacts and life experiences.  Two schools also means the benefit/hassle of moving and getting used to a different area.

[dynamike]

tr,

Thanks for the real world on that.  My best friend is the director of jazz studies at NKU and told me that when they are considering people for staff positions one of the attributes they like to see is a varied education.  That means a Bachelor's and Master's from different schools.  I guess that may matter in liberal arts, but in science not so much.

Mike

[dynamike]

Derek,

That's a big help!  Thank you!  I am looking over that program right now!

Mike

[dynamike]

Hey Derek,

One of the companies on that list of Participating Corporations looks very familiar.  Maybe a trip to HR is in order!

Mike