Non Thesis master from USA?

Is a Non Thesis masters fine to study in

USA?
As studies continue to show the career advancement and salary benefits of
completing a master’s degree, more and more students elect to pursue
advanced educations. When choosing to pursue a master’s degree, the most
difficult decision student’s face is picking where and what to apply. The other
important question is whether to enroll in a master’s requiring a thesis or not.

What is a Thesis?

The master’s thesis is an original piece of scholarship allowing the student to

dig into a topic. This produce an expanded document that demonstrates how
their knowledge has grown throughout the degree program. These
documents require significant independent research of primary and
secondary sources and, depending on the subject, may require interviews.

Difference Between a Thesis & Non-Thesis Master’s Program

When is it okay or preferable not to do a thesis?

The answer to this question depends on many factors, but typically it is okay
not to do a thesis if you plan to enter a field that doesn’t depend heavily on
research or writing, or if you don’t plan to complete a Ph.D.

When should you do a thesis?

Students wanting to work in academic, research, or writing should always opt

for the thesis track. They should also follow this path if they have any doctoral
degree aspirations.

Are there specific subjects that don’t require them vs those that do?

Master’s programs focused more on application than research typically don’t

require a thesis – although they may still give students the option. Examples
of common non-thesis master’s programs include nursing, business, and
education.
Difference between MEng and MS

To put the difference in simple words, a Master of Engineering (ME) Degree is

more oriented towards professional development. It is far less competitive as
compared to the MS, hence securing an admission into such programs is
much easier. Generally, there is no research requirement for this degree. If
you are preparing for a PhD, then this is not the degree to aspire for. People
who wish to take up jobs after graduation or return to their old jobs would
like to take up the ME course. Master of Engineering is also used by
professionals to speed up their climb the corporate ladder in the professional
field.

Now the MS, which normally students opt for, has a thesis requirement and
hence the admission process now more competitive. If you are interested in
pursuing for PhD, universities generally select students who have completed
their MS.

Impact in Recruitment

With an ME degree, you’ll simply have a Master’s degree and potentially may
have spent more time on your coursework. Whether or not this prepares you
better for a position in industry is debatable — as many ME programs are one
year, which may actually include fewer classes than an equivalent MS. If the
core content is similar and the academic outcomes are identical, it’s fair to
wonder whether there’s a big difference in the way employers recruit ME vs
MS grads.

Companies don’t mention specific degrees either; they provide the level
they’re recruiting at (bachelors, masters) and the departments they’re
specifically looking at, such as Mechanical Engineering. They also note
whether they’re interested in interns or full-time positions along with specific
skills and experience. According to PayScale.com, the salary figures are pretty
similar for grads of either degree based on the position they occupy.

The final verdict is, in the battle of Masters of Engineering vs Masters of

Science, the field matters more than the degree, as does the location of
employment.

Sources

1. https://www.gograd.org/resources/thesis-or-non-thesis-masters-
degree/
 2. https://prodigyfinance.com/resources/blog/MEng-vs-MSEngineering

http://usgraduatesblog.com/meng-vs-ms/