AboutCynthia Wolfe Expertise Let me help you with questions about adult education and continuing education programs. If you are looking for a program or have questions about adult education in general, I can guide you. If you are a teacher looking for new ideas or methods, I can help. I have resources and ideas to share. I am a member of the National Business Education Association (NBEA), a professional organization devoted to the recognition that business education competencies are essential for all individuals in today's fast-changing society.
Experience I am an instructor at the University of Phoenix, working in online and classroom modalities. I am also a student at Northcentral University, where I am working on a PhD in Business Administration, with a specialty in Management. My MBA is from Troy University, 2001, and I have a BS, Environmental Science, from Troy University, 1980. Read about my experiences as an online student at my blog thinkPhD.
Question QUESTION: Can you help me decide on an area of study?
I have a good bachelor's degree in engineering (from Manchester University in the United Kingdom), and have worked in the field for over 12 years Now I am thinking of changing my career. I have always been interested in psychology and philosophy, and I am talented in writing and research. Can you help me choose a topic of research ? or at least tell me how to go about it? My aim is to receive a PhD. I am sure I want to go to a Canadian university (English speaking). Note1: I am from Jordan, the Middle East, Note2: I am able to fully support myself financially in Canada.
ANSWER: Hello Abraham,
Thanks for asking a question. A career change may involve other choices, as well. Have you considered teaching in your field? You could get an MBA or PhD in engineering and teach at university level.
If you are set on such a dymetrically opposite field, such as psychology or philosophy, you must go back to school to obtain such a degree. These fields are not near as lucrative or have as many opportunities as the one you are in. If you are interested in applied psychology as in becoming a psychologist or psychoanalyst, you will need a bachelors and then at minimum a masters degree, and then pass board certification tests.
But I have found a compromise for you, to build on your knowledge of engineering, love of psychology, and desire for research. There is a graduate program in ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGY at Georgia Tech:
"Engineering Psychology is the science of making technology accessible for all users. Engineering psychology operates at the intersection of experimental psychology and human factors by engaging in research that can best be described as “practically relevant”. As a science, the field of engineering psychology focuses on understanding the capabilities and limitations of human performance from the perspective of perception, cognition, and movement control. Engineering psychologists apply that basic knowledge to the design of systems and environments that accommodate those capabilities and limitations."
I think this program will be of great interest to you. Good luck with your search!
Kind regards,
Cindy Wolfe
www.thinkPhD.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you very much for your reply which is full of valuable information. Your thoughts gave rise to a few more questions, which I hope you can be kind enough to answer:
1.In what ways does the field of Engineering have more lucrative opportunities? Does this apply to the USA only, or to Canada as well?
2.is Georgia Tech in the USA or Canada? Which universities in Canada offer Engineering Psychology or similar courses?
3.in order to do a masters or phd in psychology do I necessarily a bachelor in psychology, or is it enough to have a bachelor in engineering?
Answer Hello Abraham,
Think of the role that engineers perform in our society, from roads to bridges to power plants to industry to NASA. Engineers specialize in various fields that are in high demand. Georgia Tech is in Atlanta, GA.
At the University of Toronto, their Bioengineering dept has an Engineering Psychology and Human Peformance course (http://www.bioengineering.utoronto.ca/mie)in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering department. Review this link for more information on the programs at U of T. (http://www.mie.toronto.edu)
When you apply to a school in pursuit of a Masters degree, the school will require transcripts from all of your previous institutions. Those courses will be weighed against their requirements for the Masters degree you choose. It is likely that your core English or History courses may be enough, but you must have undergraduate courses in the field. A Masters degree is simply the degree that builds on the Bachelor's. You may not have to have a BS degree in the subject, but you have to have taken the foundational courses. For example, I have a BS in Environmental Science, but when I went back for an MBA, I had to take undergrad business courses to get the right amount of credits to start on the MBA path. Normally, you also have to take a standardized test called the GMAT (or similar) before you can be admitted.
Each situation is unique - I suggest that you apply to a school and give them an opportunity to assess your credentials.
Good luck with your degree,
Cindy Wolfe
www.thinkPhD.com
