Advanced Degrees - The Extra Edge

By Donna M. Owens

“…The differentiator is no longer a bachelor’s degree. In the next decade, I think an advanced degree will be critical.”

— Erin Teague, Harvard University

“I think an advanced degree in management is beneficial for engineering students, because leading an organization requires a much different skill set than working as an engineer in the field.”

— Justin Steele, Harvard University

“I decided I wanted to have the ability to increase my career options, negotiate a salary and determine among a number of opportunities.”

— Iverson C. Bell III, University of Michigan

When Troy Stovall graduated from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, his heart was set on success. But he never imagined that the road to get there would take so many twists and turns.

“I thought my career path was going to be very different,” says Stovall, chuckling. “I think God must have a sense of humor.”

Stovall is a longtime NSBE member and former national officer who in January became the new COO and executive vice president of Howard University. His diverse career reads like a handbook on the value of hard work, taking professional risks and the power of education.

Stovall has held engineering and management positions at major companies such as Southwestern Bell, cofounded an investment firm with the former U.S. ambassador to Portugal and served in a top academic post at Jackson State University. Along the way, he's earned a master’s in computer engineering from Stanford University. Later, he graduated from Harvard with an M.B.A.

Stovall credits his engineering training and the advanced degrees with giving his career that extra edge.

“Being an engineer and having the ability to problem solve, to gather data and test it is something that employers value,” he says.

Graduate education, Stovall adds, “has allowed me to interface the tech and business sides. In my case, it’s given me the ability to interpret technical needs for business, which is necessary in Corporate America.”

Relevant Choice

In a changing, global economy that will need the skill sets of engineers, other tech professionals, and scientists, the question of whether to obtain an advanced degree is perhaps more relevant than ever.

According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, “Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008,” some 29.4 million women and 28.4 million men aged 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Women had a larger share of associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, whereas more men had professional degrees (e.g., medicine or law) or doctorates. African Americans held 1.2 million advanced degrees as of 2007, up from about 700,000 degree-holders a decade earlier.

“Even though I think you can do well without it, I recommend getting an advanced degree. Period. It does set you apart,” says NSBE member Novella Bridges, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State. “It’s like a key that helps you fast track through the system.”

Income Enhancer

As the nation grapples with a sluggish economy, an advanced degree can also impact potential earnings. Census data have shown that a worker with an advanced degree earns about $23,000 more per year on average than a worker with a bachelor’s. Other studies have placed that figure even higher.

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