Admissions > Professional Master's Program

Student Profiles

Amanda Richards, 2014 Graduate

Can you tell us a bit about your educational and professional background?
I attended Eastern Washington University and got my bachelor’s in electrical engineering in 2008. I worked back East for a while, then in 2012 I moved back to Washington. I currently work at Crane Aerospace & Electronics as a sustaining electrical engineer.

Why did you decide to get your master’s in electrical engineering at the UW?
When I was in Virginia, I started at a distance learning program at another school but put that on hold when I moved back to Washington. I did research to figure out if there were any on-campus classes in the area, and the UW was just about the only one. I wanted to meet face-to-face with peers and professors because you do a lot of peer interaction in engineering.

How did the master’s program build on your engineering background?The master’s program for electrical engineering is very application based. As an undergrad, you learn theory, math and what all those equations mean. The master’s program involved a lot of application, meaning, “You already know the numbers and equations, but here’s what we’re doing in the real world with that stuff.” A lot of the professors have research opportunities where they’re applying what we’ve learned on a daily basis.

Do you feel like the program helps open up career opportunities for students?
The master’s in electrical engineering has done a very good job of opening doors for people. I know a lot of students from the program who have picked up research opportunities with professors.

How did the program format help you complete your degree?
The evening format was perfect. I was concerned about having to miss work. Being able to go to class one evening a week is totally worth it to fit into your full-time work schedule.

Were there any courses that stood out for you?
I really enjoyed the mobile apps class. We got to use a Windows phone for the quarter and develop apps on it. My group was one of the winners of a gift card from Microsoft for writing apps for the new Windows phone. That was a really fun class and a great opportunity to work with Microsoft and learn about developing apps. 

What does the faculty bring to the program?
Every professor is very knowledgeable in the subject they teach. Because they have their research opportunities and engineering jobs, they have real-world knowledge and common sense. They were all very willing to help with our schedules, and they were there at night on top of their day jobs, too, like we were.

 

Marie Grace Jacinto, 2014 Graduate

Can you tell us a bit about your current career?
I’m a principal engineer at T-Mobile USA, working on radio access network capacity planning. My job is to ensure that the radio network has enough capacity to support growth and provide a good network experience to our subscribers. It involves traffic modeling and forecasting, resource dimensioning, capacity and license management and lots of data analysis to derive insights for network strategies and decisions.

Why did you decide to take the UW electrical engineering PMP?
Since I graduated from college it has been my goal to have a post-graduate degree. I worked right after getting my bachelor’s degree, and I did not get a chance to go back to university until a few years ago. I decided to take the UW electrical engineering PMP because I felt that it was time to deepen my learning in different fields of electrical engineering. Plus, the flexibility of the program – once a week nighttime classes – allowed me to pursue this goal without conflicting with my work and family responsibilities.

How has earning your master’s in electrical engineering helped you in your career?
It’s helped me become better at my job. I learned important principles in mobile networks that I did not focus on before. I’m using technical skills that I learned, like advanced random processes and statistics, for my forecasting models, and theories from digital signal processing and communication networks for deeper understanding and analysis of current mobile technology.

It’s also helped me manage my time and projects more effectively. The skills I learned – like time management, goal setting, technical writing and research skills – are very useful for my current work and will be for my future work too.

Did any classes or subjects stand out?
The most interesting class I had was Social and Economics Networks. Understanding how everything is connected – people, behavior, events, etc. – and how you can analyze them using mathematics and sociology is very fascinating. I’m using the things I learned from this class inside and outside of my work, from when I’m bidding on a house to having technical discussions or building a professional social network.

What did the instructors bring to the program?
The instructors are very knowledgeable and experts in the fields they’re teaching. They bring valuable and relevant information to the program. Most of the instructors have ongoing research or are working outside academia, and we benefit from their wide knowledge, from theories to real-life applications.

What did you value most about the program?
I value the importance of education, and I always seek for opportunities to learn more. The UW EE PMP program allowed me to continue my formal learning through the flexible and nighttime classes. Being able to complete a master’s degree on top of work and family responsibilities is a huge achievement for me, and it enables me to set higher goals for myself and my career.

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