I took a Masters degree in 1990, a couple of years after graduating from my BEng, it was an MSc in Real-Time Electronic Systems (hardware and software - including Ada and Occam, 68xxx and Transputer). I'm not sure I would recommend doing so a number of years into a career unless there is a specific work/business reason for doing so, or you have a strong personal motivation to work in a particular area and were able to reduce your normal working week by at least a day. My MSc was one year full time, but a PhD (a minimum of three years full time research and lecturing in the UK) would take much longer alongside a day job and the danger surely is that current events overtakes your part time research subject - so what was a unique and new piece of research at the start of your study is neither unique or new by the time you finish.
As far as recommendations go I'd go back to what I said at the start. Deciding to do a PhD is a personal thing; you should have the drive to see this not insignificant project through to the end and therefore the subject should be one of your own choosing that can not just satisfy the criteria you need to meet but will also keep driving you on because it is your passion. My interests are not yours so I can't really suggest areas to look at. As far as developing an idea of which area to research and how, personally I'd go for an area I had a very strong interest in, and then try and project two, three or four generations of tech innovation cycles forward (without trying to solve the problems that you might envisage getting there), and use that as a basis for deciding what to research - "what's the biggest single challenge to get here?" As far as having a PhD goes, or any further degree beyond a BSc or BEng, if the opportunity arises then yes I would recommend people take it if they are research-minded people (and I know I fit into that group). The qualification at the end won't necessarily have a career- changing effect (in the way that Java Certification doesn't either). Some people would certainly benefit. Personally, adding PhD after my name instead of MSc or even my original BEng wouldn't change my charge- out rate unless the PhD was in a subject area that could give my customer a business advantage. Phil On Dec 4, 9:35 am, jitesh dundas <jbdun...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello All, > > I saw my school principal complete his PhD(part time) in Botany some > time back. I have seen the keen interest in computer > science,especially languages in the fellow members of this group. It > does cross my mind if any of you ever thought ( or infact persued ) > part-time studies in your area of interest. > > So I would like to put these questions and hope that you could be kind > enough to answer them:- > 1) Is it good to go back for a Phd to grad school after settling into > a good job? I prefer part time but I would surely love to hear other > types of programs as well. > 2) Which are the programs in PhD that you really recommend ( I hope > that you will stick to Computer Science and related areas) > 3) If you were to take up a research topic in this ever changing world > of Computer Science and Technology, what would it be. Also, with whom > ? > > It would be a surprise for me if you guys do not have a Phd. The way > you show your intellectual capabilities in your domain is worth the > time and money. > > I hope to hear from you soon. > > Regards, > Jitesh Dundas -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
