Master’s vs. PhD: Which Degree Is Right for Your Career?

Executive Summary

If you only have three minutes to read this article, I hope you remember four things.

A higher degree is not always better. A degree is valuable only when it aligns with your career goals.

The greatest value of a master’s degree is usually not salary. It is the opportunity to change fields, build stronger expertise, and expand your global career options.

A PhD is not an “advanced master’s degree.” It is a training process that teaches you how to conduct independent research and solve problems without clear answers.

In the AI era, real competitiveness is no longer built on credentials alone. It comes from the combination of education, portfolio, hands-on experience, and the ability to keep learning.

When people think about graduate school, the first question is often:

“Should I get a master’s degree?”

Or:

“Do I need a PhD?”

But I think the more important question is:

Can this degree help you become the person you want to become?

If the answer is yes, then the investment may be worthwhile. But if you are considering graduate school simply because you do not know what to do next, then it may not be the best choice.

Introduction: Before Asking Master vs PhD, Ask Who You Want to Become

If you ask me:

“After college, should I go directly to graduate school? Master vs PhD?”

My answer is usually not yes or no.

Instead, I would ask a different question:

“What career options are you trying to buy with this degree?”

Many people treat education as a source of security.

A bachelor’s degree does not feel like enough, so they pursue a master’s degree. After finishing a master’s, they start wondering whether they should continue to a PhD.

I completely understand this mindset, because I also took a long academic path myself. I started with chemical engineering, civil engineering, and economics at National Taiwan University, then moved to Cornell University for biomedical engineering and biological engineering. Eventually, I earned two bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees, and one PhD.

If I could go back to my twenties, I probably also believed that the higher the degree, the more options I would have.

But looking back now, my thinking has changed a lot.

A degree itself should never be the goal. It is only a tool.

What really matters is whether that degree helps you gain the skills you need, enter the industry you care about, and solve the problems you truly want to solve.

Today, I like to describe education in another way.

A degree is a way to buy career optionality.

Every degree means you are willing to invest years of time, money, and opportunity cost in exchange for more possibilities in the future.

The real question is not whether the degree is valuable.

The real question is:

Is it worth investing these years of your life?

Do Not Use Graduate School as a Pause Button for Life

I have worked with many students and talked with many people preparing for graduate school applications in the United States.

One sentence I hear very often is:

“I still do not know what I want to do, so I will go to graduate school first.”

This sounds reasonable, but it carries a major risk.

Graduate school can help you explore a new field, but it is usually not the lowest-cost way to explore your life direction.

A master’s degree usually takes one to two years.

A PhD often takes four to seven years, sometimes even longer.

During that time, you are not only paying tuition and living expenses. You are also giving up the chance to accumulate work experience, build industry networks, understand market needs, and start investing in your future earlier.

In other words, the real cost is far more than tuition.

It also includes the career assets you could have built during those years.

That is why I do not recommend asking:

“Should I pursue a higher degree?”

Instead, ask:

“Does the job I actually want require this degree?”

If the answer is yes, such as becoming a research scientist, professor, or someone working in a research-intensive role, then graduate school may be a necessary investment.

But if your reason is only:

Everyone else is doing it.

I do not want to look for a job yet.

I am afraid my degree is not competitive enough.

I still do not know what to do next.

Then you need to pause and rethink.

Very often, this is not an investment.

It is simply delaying the question you eventually need to face.

In the AI Era, Education Still Matters, But It Is No Longer the Only Answer

If I had written this article ten years ago, I might have emphasized the importance of education even more.

But today, my answer would be different.

AI is changing what companies expect from talent.

In the past, companies often used degrees as a quick way to filter resumes.

Today, AI helps people access knowledge faster and complete many tasks that used to require significant manpower.

As a result, companies are paying more attention to other questions:

Can you actually solve problems?

Have you completed real projects?

Can you collaborate and communicate across disciplines?

Are you willing to keep learning instead of relying only on what you already know?

This does not mean education is no longer important.

On the contrary, education is still an important signal, especially for research roles, multinational companies, and highly specialized industries.

According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, higher educational attainment is generally associated with higher median earnings and lower unemployment rates.

But these are population-level averages.

What truly determines your career development is not the diploma itself, but the capability behind it.

Two people may both have a master’s degree.

One person may have completed three industry projects, accumulated one year of internship experience, and built a strong portfolio.

Another person may have only completed coursework and a thesis.

They may hold the same degree, but their market value can be completely different.

That is why I often tell students:

Education is an accelerator, not a steering wheel.

If your direction is right, education can help you get there faster.

But if your direction is wrong, even a prestigious degree may only help you move faster toward a life that does not fit you.

The Biggest Difference Between Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD Is Not Time. It Is the Capability Model.

When people compare bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees, the first thing they usually think about is time.

A bachelor’s degree takes about four years.

A master’s degree takes one to two years.

A PhD takes four to seven years, sometimes longer.

But if you only look at time, you may miss the most important difference.

The real difference between these degrees is not duration.

It is the capability model each degree is designed to build.

Each degree answers a different level of question.

A bachelor’s degree teaches you how to understand problems and build foundational skills.

A master’s degree teaches you how to apply knowledge to solve problems in a specific field.

A PhD teaches you how to ask new questions and develop new methods to answer them.

That is why no degree is universally better than another.

The real question is:

What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?

Bachelor’s Degree: An Entry Ticket and the First Building Block of Your Career

I have always believed that the main purpose of a bachelor’s degree is not to turn you into an expert.

It is to help you build the basic language of a field.

In engineering, biomedical science, computer science, or business, college does not teach you every answer.

It teaches you:

What are the core concepts in this field?

What are the classic methods?

What problems are people trying to solve?

What skills will you need if you enter industry?

That is why the most important outcome of college should not be GPA alone.

What matters more is whether you have started building your first professional capability.

I usually recommend that students try to accumulate at least a few of the following during college:

An internship.

A complete capstone project.

A research assistant experience or lab experience.

A side project or portfolio.

A few professors or supervisors who are willing to write recommendation letters for you.

If you only complete coursework without any hands-on experience, it is often difficult to stand out after graduation.

A Common Example

Imagine two chemical engineering graduates.

The first student has:

A 4.0 GPA.

No internship.

No project.

No research experience.

The second student has:

A 3.5 GPA.

One year of semiconductor process internship experience.

A DOE project.

Experience with JMP and Python.

Cross-functional project experience.

If I were the hiring manager, I would probably interview the second candidate first.

The reason is simple.

Companies are not hiring exam scores.

They are hiring people who can solve problems.

Do Not Underestimate the Value of Your First Job

Many students ask me:

“Should I go directly to a master’s program?”

My answer is often:

First, see whether your first job can answer some of your questions.

If you already have a general direction and a decent job opportunity, entering industry first may be more efficient than continuing school immediately.

For example, if you studied chemical engineering and want to enter pharmaceuticals, biotech, or semiconductors, working for two years in process engineering, manufacturing, quality, or technical service can teach you a lot.

You will quickly learn what kind of work you actually enjoy.

You will also learn what you are missing.

Maybe you need:

Statistics.

Regulatory knowledge.

Data science.

Biology.

Project management.

Business skills.

At that point, if you decide to go back to graduate school, your decision will usually be much more focused than going straight after college.

Many people I know pursued master’s degrees after working for a few years.

What they had in common was that they knew exactly why they were there.

As a result, they learned more efficiently and approached job searching with much clearer goals.

Master’s Degree: Its Greatest Value Is Not the Diploma, But Career Acceleration

If I had to describe a master’s degree in one sentence, I would say:

The greatest value of a master’s degree is that it shortens the time required to become your next career self.

Many people think:

Master’s degree = better than bachelor’s degree.

But that is not really the point.

The real value of a master’s degree is that it can help you complete a transition.

Type 1: Changing Fields

This is the most common and often the most valuable reason to pursue a master’s degree.

For example:

Chemical engineering to biomedical engineering.

Biology to bioinformatics.

Electrical engineering to AI drug discovery.

Mechanical engineering to medical devices.

Statistics to clinical data science.

If you rely only on self-study, it may take a long time to build new knowledge, networks, and projects.

A strong master’s program can help you build several things at once:

Structured coursework.

Project experience.

Faculty recommendations.

Alumni network.

Internship opportunities.

Campus recruiting.

That is why using a master’s degree to make a field transition can be a very reasonable investment.

Type 2: Raising Your Technical Ceiling

Some jobs do not require a PhD.

But a master’s degree can clearly improve your competitiveness.

In U.S. biotech, I often see roles such as:

Process development.

Analytical development.

CMC.

Manufacturing science.

Regulatory affairs.

Clinical operations.

Bioinformatics.

Many job descriptions say:

Bachelor’s with 4–6 years of experience.

Or:

Master’s with 2–4 years of experience.

This means companies often treat a master’s degree as a partial substitute for work experience.

That is one reason why a master’s degree can help people enter certain roles faster.

Type 3: A Global Career Bridge

This is something many Taiwanese students underestimate.

If your goal is to work in the United States, graduate school in the U.S. is not only about the diploma.

It also gives you:

A U.S.-based resume.

Recommendations from U.S. professors.

Internship opportunities.

Campus recruiting.

An alumni network.

Familiarity with the U.S. job search system.

I experienced this myself as I studied, conducted research, and later entered biotech in the United States.

Very often, a company is willing to interview you not only because of your GPA.

It may be because:

They know your professor.

They recognize your internship company.

Your senior classmates already work there.

An alumnus is willing to refer you.

These are forms of value that are difficult to see from outside the graduate school system.

The Biggest Trap of a Master’s Degree

Many people think:

As long as I get a master’s degree, it will be easier to find a job.

But companies are not really evaluating the degree itself.

They are evaluating:

What did you do during those one or two years?

Two people may both graduate with master’s degrees.

One person may have:

Published a paper.

Completed two internships.

Built a GitHub portfolio.

Finished an AI project.

Worked on an industry collaboration.

Another person may have only taken classes.

They graduate with the same degree.

But their resumes are completely different.

That is why when someone asks me:

“Which graduate program is better?”

I usually do not start with school rankings.

Instead, I ask:

Does this program have:

Internships?

Industry projects?

A strong alumni network?

Clear alumni career outcomes?

Capstone projects?

Co-op opportunities?

Campus recruiting?

Because these factors often matter more than rankings when it comes to your post-graduation career.

My Own Observation: The Greatest Value of Graduate School Is Often Not the Coursework

Looking back at my years at Cornell, I do not think the biggest change came from a single course.

It came from the environment.

Every day, you are surrounded by people thinking about new problems.

Professors are discussing emerging research directions.

Classmates come from different countries and backgrounds.

Companies, venture capitalists, and startup teams often come to campus to share their work.

You start to understand that research is not only about publishing papers.

It can become a startup, a patent, or a product that truly improves patients’ lives.

Later, when I came to MIT and had more exposure to the research model around Professor Robert Langer’s group, this idea became even stronger.

I realized that good research is not done for the purpose of publishing papers.

Good research is done to solve real problems.

This mindset has stayed with me in startups, biotech, and now consulting:

Do not just pursue a higher degree.

Pursue greater impact.

PhD: You’re Not Buying a Diploma—You’re Building the Ability to Solve the Unknown

Many people think of a PhD as simply an “advanced master’s degree.”

I don’t.

The biggest difference between a master’s degree and a PhD isn’t the number of years you spend in school, nor is it the number of papers you publish.

A PhD trains you to identify important questions, develop new approaches, test hypotheses, and continue moving forward even when there are no obvious answers.

That is also why PhD training can be so challenging.

There is no answer key.

Your advisor rarely tells you exactly what to do next.

The literature doesn’t contain the solution.

More often than not, nobody in the world knows the answer yet.

Your job is to discover it.

If that process excites you, then a PhD can be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.

If spending years working on an uncertain problem sounds miserable, then a PhD may not be the best path for you—and that’s perfectly okay.

Who Should Consider a PhD?

From what I’ve observed throughout my career, a PhD is particularly valuable for people who want to build careers such as:

• Discovery Research

• Drug Discovery

• Platform Technology

• Gene Editing

• Cell Therapy

• RNA Therapeutics

• AI for Drug Discovery

• Principal Scientist

• Academic Research

• Deep Tech Entrepreneurship

These careers aren’t simply about executing established workflows.

They’re about creating new knowledge.

Companies expect you to develop new methods, build new technology platforms, and answer scientific questions that no one has solved before.

That’s where PhD training becomes incredibly valuable.

The Reality of U.S. Biotech Careers

One of the most common questions I receive is:

“Do I need a PhD to work in biotech in the United States?”

My answer is almost always:

It depends on what you want to do.

Many people think “biotech” is a single career path.

In reality, biotech companies include dozens of completely different functions.

If your goal is to become a:

• Discovery Scientist

• Principal Scientist

• Platform Scientist

• Translational Scientist

• Computational Biology Scientist

then a PhD often provides a significant advantage.

Many job descriptions explicitly state:

PhD required

or

PhD with 0–2 years of experience

because these positions focus on creating new scientific knowledge rather than applying existing knowledge.

On the other hand, if your interests lie in:

• Process Development

• Manufacturing Science

• MSAT (Manufacturing Science & Technology)

• CMC

• Analytical Development

• Quality Assurance

• Regulatory Affairs

the story is very different.

These organizations care less about discovering new biology and more about answering questions like:

Can this process be scaled to commercial manufacturing?

Can it consistently meet GMP requirements?

Can we successfully complete technology transfer?

Can we manufacture this product reliably and reproducibly?

In these environments, professionals with a master’s degree plus several years of industry experience are often extremely competitive.

In some situations, they may even be a better fit than a newly graduated PhD.

A Simple Example

Imagine two candidates.

Candidate A

• Recently completed a PhD

• Spent five years studying a novel lipid chemistry

• No GMP experience

• No manufacturing scale-up

• No CDMO collaboration

Candidate B

• Master’s degree

• Five years of CMC experience

• Led multiple technology transfers

• Worked in GMP manufacturing

• Managed CDMO partnerships

• Supported IND submissions

Now imagine your company is preparing for commercial manufacturing.

Who is more likely to be hired?

The answer is fairly obvious.

Not because a master’s degree is “better” than a PhD.

But because companies hire capabilities, not diplomas.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions I see among students.

The Biggest Cost of a PhD Isn’t Time—It’s Opportunity Cost

People often think the hardest part of a PhD is the workload.

I disagree.

The hardest question is much deeper:

Are you willing to invest four to seven years of your life into a problem that may never work?

Research is inherently uncertain.

You might spend six months on an experiment.

Only to discover that your original hypothesis was wrong.

You submit a manuscript.

It gets rejected.

You revise it.

Your grant application isn’t funded.

You submit again.

This is simply part of research.

That’s why I believe the most important qualities for a successful PhD are not intelligence alone.

They’re:

• Curiosity

• Resilience

• Delayed gratification

• Self-discipline

If your primary motivation is simply:

“A PhD sounds more prestigious.”

it becomes very difficult to stay motivated during the inevitable setbacks.

Test Whether You Actually Enjoy Research

One thing I often recommend to students is surprisingly simple:

Don’t wait until the third year of your PhD to discover you don’t enjoy research.

Instead, test yourself first.

Join a research laboratory.

Become a research assistant.

Participate in undergraduate research.

Apply for summer research programs.

Talk to PhD students.

Spend time in a laboratory every week.

These experiences will tell you far more than reading lab websites or publication lists.

Many students only see the exciting part:

Nature.

Science.

Cell.

High-impact publications.

But they don’t see the reality.

Months of failed experiments.

Endless troubleshooting.

Constantly redesigning controls.

Questioning your own assumptions.

Most research isn’t dramatic.

It’s quiet.

It’s repetitive.

And it’s built on thousands of small steps forward.

Scientist vs. Engineer: They’re Solving Different Problems

When I talk about career development, I often use the movie Inception as an analogy.

Every character has a different role.

Some design the dream.

Others execute the plan.

Others keep the system running.

I think scientists and engineers work in a similar way.

Scientists ask:

“Why?”

Why is this receptor activated?

Why does this lipid preferentially target the liver?

Why isn’t this protein expressed?

How can we build a completely new delivery platform?

Scientists are primarily interested in:

• New knowledge

• New mechanisms

• New technologies

• New scientific questions

Engineers ask:

“How?”

How can we manufacture this at 200 liters?

How can we reduce production costs?

How can we improve yield?

How can we make the process more robust?

How can we satisfy GMP requirements?

How can patients actually benefit from this technology?

Engineers focus on transforming scientific discoveries into products that people can use.

Neither role is more important than the other.

Without scientists, many breakthrough technologies would never exist.

Without engineers, many scientific discoveries would never leave the laboratory.

Take mRNA therapeutics as an example.

Developing a novel ionizable lipid is only the beginning.

Without process scale-up, microfluidics, tangential flow filtration (TFF), sterile filtration, GMP manufacturing, CMC, and countless engineering innovations, that lipid will never become an approved medicine.

That’s why I believe the better question isn’t:

“Should I become a scientist or an engineer?”

The better question is:

“Which type of problem do I enjoy solving?”

My Own Journey: Why I Ultimately Chose to Pursue a PhD

Many people assume I always planned to earn a PhD.

That wasn’t true.

What I knew early on was that I wanted to work in biomedical science.

That’s why I chose an engineering background first.

I wanted to do more than understand biology—I wanted to learn how to translate science into technologies that could eventually help patients.

When I arrived at Cornell, I became increasingly fascinated by interdisciplinary research.

I discovered that I genuinely enjoyed breaking complex problems into smaller pieces, redesigning experiments, and gradually building solutions.

Later, learning more about Professor Robert Langer’s research and entrepreneurial philosophy at MIT had an even greater impact on my thinking.

For the first time, I realized that world-class research doesn’t have to remain inside academic journals.

It can become a startup.

A medical technology.

A therapy.

A product that improves patients’ lives.

That realization continues to shape how I approach research, biotech, consulting, and entrepreneurship today.

I care less about publishing another paper.

I care much more about whether a technology can ultimately leave the laboratory and create real-world impact.

For me, that’s what a PhD was truly about.

Not another diploma.

But learning how to move forward when no one else knows the answer.

And perhaps that’s why I never encourage everyone to pursue a PhD simply because I did.

Every career path has its own definition of success.

Your goal shouldn’t be to copy someone else’s journey.

It should be to build the one that’s right for you.

Your Career Goal Should Determine Your Degree—Not the Other Way Around

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably noticed something.

At no point have I told you:

“Everyone should get a master’s degree.”

Or:

“A PhD is always the better choice.”

That’s because there is no universal answer.

The right decision depends entirely on your career goals.

Too often, people treat a degree as the destination.

I see it differently.

A degree is simply one of many tools you can use to build the career you want.

The more important questions are:

Who do you want to become?

What kinds of problems do you want to solve?

Let’s look at a few common career scenarios.

Scenario 1: I Want to Work in Biotech R&D

This is probably the question I hear most often.

“Do I need a PhD to work in U.S. biotech?”

My answer is always:

First, define what you mean by “R&D.”

Within a biotech company, research and development can mean very different things.

If you’re interested in Discovery Research, including:

• Immunology

• Cell Biology

• Gene Editing

• RNA Therapeutics

• Drug Discovery

• Platform Technology

then a PhD is often the preferred—or even required—qualification.

These roles focus on discovering new biology and driving scientific innovation.

Companies expect you to generate new ideas, not simply execute existing experiments.

However, if your interests lie in Development, such as:

• Process Development

• Analytical Development

• Formulation Development

• Manufacturing Science

• MSAT

• CMC

your role becomes fundamentally different.

Instead of asking:

“Can we discover something new?”

you’re asking:

“Can we manufacture this consistently?”

“Can we scale this process?”

“Can we meet GMP requirements?”

“Can we develop reliable analytical methods?”

These teams often value:

• Practical problem-solving

• Process development

• Cross-functional collaboration

• Manufacturing experience

A master’s degree combined with several years of industry experience can be extremely competitive in these roles.

That’s why I always encourage students to focus less on the company name and more on which team they actually want to join.

Scenario 2: I Want to Work in MedTech or Biomedical Engineering

Another common misconception is that biomedical engineering always requires a PhD.

In reality, the field is incredibly diverse.

Biomedical engineers work in areas such as:

• Medical Devices

• Diagnostics

• Robotics

• Digital Health

• Medical Imaging

• Wearable Technologies

Many of these careers focus on:

• Product development

• Verification and validation

• Human factors engineering

• Clinical engineering

• Systems engineering

• Quality engineering

A bachelor’s or master’s degree is often sufficient to begin a successful career in these areas.

A PhD becomes more valuable if your goal is to lead advanced research programs, develop novel technologies, or build next-generation platforms.

Scenario 3: I Want to Transition into AI or Data Science

This is one of the fastest-growing career paths today.

Many people ask me:

“Should I get a master’s degree in AI?”

My response is usually:

Before looking at your degree, I’d like to see your portfolio.

Today’s AI employers care far more about what you’ve built than what you’ve studied.

Can you demonstrate:

• GitHub projects?

• End-to-end machine learning pipelines?

• Technical blogs?

• Kaggle competitions?

• Public demos?

• Real deployments?

• Well-documented failures and lessons learned?

Hiring managers are increasingly looking for evidence that you can solve real problems.

Not simply that you’ve completed a list of courses.

If you pursue an AI master’s degree, don’t let your GPA become your primary goal.

Instead, graduate with a portfolio that clearly demonstrates your ability.

Scenario 4: I Want to Work in Business Development, Product Management, Strategy, or Consulting

Interestingly, many PhDs eventually move into these careers.

But if you already know that you enjoy business more than laboratory research, pursuing a PhD may not be the most efficient route.

These careers demand different strengths.

For example:

• Strategic thinking

• Communication

• Presentation skills

• Financial analysis

• Market assessment

• Leadership

• Cross-functional collaboration

rather than publishing scientific papers.

Take Business Development as an example.

A typical day may involve:

• Market research

• Partner identification

• Licensing opportunities

• Due diligence

• Commercial negotiations

• Strategic partnerships

If you already have a technical background, a master’s degree combined with industry experience—and perhaps an MBA later—may provide a more direct path.

Scenario 5: I Want to Become an Entrepreneur

Another question I often hear is:

“Do I need a PhD to start a company?”

Again, the answer is:

Not necessarily.

What matters is the problem you’re trying to solve.

If you’re building a company around:

• Gene Editing

• RNA Therapeutics

• Novel Delivery Platforms

• New Biomaterials

• Deep Tech

then a PhD can certainly strengthen your technical credibility.

Investors want confidence that you truly understand the underlying science.

But if you’re building:

• SaaS

• AI Automation

• Digital Health

• Healthcare Services

• Educational Technology

execution often matters more than academic credentials.

Over the years, I’ve met founders with PhDs, founders with bachelor’s degrees, and founders who never completed graduate school.

What they all shared wasn’t education.

It was that they deeply understood a real problem that customers were willing to pay to solve.

If entrepreneurship is your goal, stop asking:

“Do I need another degree?”

Instead ask:

“Do I truly understand the problem I’m trying to solve?”

Scenario 6: I Still Don’t Know What I Want to Do

This is perhaps the most common situation—and the one that deserves the most honesty.

If you’re genuinely unsure whether you want to pursue research or engineering…

Stay in Taiwan or move abroad…

Join a startup or a large company…

Then my advice is simple:

Don’t spend five years using a PhD to explore questions you could answer much sooner.

Start with lower-cost exploration.

For example:

• Internships

• Research assistant positions

• Summer research programs

• Side projects

• Job shadowing

• Industry visits

• Informational interviews

A few months of exploration can often answer questions that would otherwise take years to discover.

My Career Decision Framework

When students come to me for career coaching, I rarely begin by asking:

“What’s your GPA?”

Instead, I usually ask:

If this degree came with no diploma, no title, and no prestige, would you still want to spend every day doing the work it requires?

It’s an uncomfortable question.

But it’s also one of the most honest.

If your answer is yes,

you’re probably genuinely interested in that work.

If your answer is no,

it’s worth pausing before making such a significant investment.

Because what ultimately carries someone through a master’s degree, a PhD, or an entire career is rarely prestige.

It’s curiosity.

Purpose.

And the desire to solve meaningful problems.

Five Questions to Ask Before Applying to Graduate School

Before submitting your applications, I recommend writing down answers to these five questions.

Not just thinking about them.

Actually writing them down.

1. What are the three specific jobs I want after graduation?

Be specific.

Don’t simply write:

• Biotech

• AI

• Engineering

Instead, write:

• Process Development Scientist

• CMC Scientist

• Biomedical Engineer

• Product Manager

• AI Scientist

The more specific your goal, the easier it becomes to determine whether a graduate degree is actually necessary.

2. Do those jobs really require this degree?

Don’t rely on assumptions.

Read actual job descriptions on LinkedIn and company websites.

You may discover that your assumptions are completely wrong.

3. Will this graduate program actually fill my skill gaps?

Don’t focus only on rankings.

Ask questions like:

• Where do alumni work?

• Are internships available?

• Are there industry-sponsored projects?

• Is there a co-op program?

• Is there a capstone project?

• Are companies actively recruiting on campus?

These factors often matter much more than university rankings.

4. Is there another way to achieve the same goal?

Could you learn the same skills through:

• Work experience?

• Professional certificates?

• Bootcamps?

• Open-source projects?

• Side projects?

Graduate school is only one path—not the only path.

5. Five years from now, will I regret this decision?

There isn’t a right answer.

But it’s a powerful question.

Many people don’t regret earning a PhD.

They regret pursuing one before truly understanding themselves.

Build Career Assets—Not Just Educational Credentials

I often distinguish between two types of assets.

The first is Education Assets:

• GPA

• Degrees

• Publications

• Certifications

These are valuable.

But the second type is what sustains a career over decades:

Career Assets

Including:

• Problem-solving ability

• Communication

• Leadership

• Professional network

• Industry experience

• Judgment

• Execution

AI can increasingly automate knowledge work.

But it still struggles to replace human judgment, leadership, trust, and the ability to integrate complex information into decisions.

That’s why I believe the most competitive professionals in the future won’t necessarily be those with the highest degrees.

They’ll be the people who learn fastest, adapt fastest, and continue creating value throughout their careers.

Final Thoughts: A Degree Is Not Career Insurance—It’s an Investment

People often ask me:

“Should I go to graduate school?”

My answer today is very different from what it might have been ten years ago.

I won’t simply say yes.

And I won’t simply say no.

Because the real question isn’t which diploma you’ll earn.

It’s whether that training brings you closer to the life and career you actually want.

I don’t regret earning my PhD.

The most valuable thing it gave me wasn’t another credential.

It taught me how to think through uncertainty.

Break down complex problems.

Develop sound judgment.

And continue moving forward when there are no obvious answers.

Those skills have shaped everything I’ve done—from Cornell and MIT to biotech startups, consulting, and entrepreneurship.

But that doesn’t mean everyone should pursue the same path.

If your dream is to become a research scientist, a PhD may be one of the best investments you can make.

If your goal is to solve practical problems in industry, a master’s degree—or even entering the workforce directly—may be the smarter choice.

And if you’re still unsure what you want to do…

Go explore.

Go ask questions.

Go experience real work.

Many of life’s most important answers don’t come from sitting in a classroom.

They come from taking action.

I’ll leave you with one final thought that has guided my own career:

Don’t let your degree define your value. Let your ability to create value define your career.

A diploma may open your first door.

But your curiosity, judgment, adaptability, and willingness to solve meaningful problems will determine how far you ultimately go.

LuTra Studio Career Coaching

If you’re currently asking yourself questions like:

• Should I apply to graduate school in the United States?

• Is a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD the right path for my career?

• How can I transition from Taiwan into the U.S. biotech, MedTech, or AI industry?

• How should I prepare my resume, research experience, and career strategy?

LuTra Studio provides one-on-one career coaching designed specifically for students, researchers, and professionals pursuing careers in life sciences and biotechnology.

Rather than simply helping you earn another degree, our goal is to help you build a career strategy that aligns with your long-term goals.

Our coaching services include:

• U.S. graduate school application strategy

• Career planning for Biotech, MedTech, and AI

• Career transition planning

• Resume and CV review

• LinkedIn profile optimization

• Mock interviews

• U.S. biotech job search strategy

• Personal branding for scientists and engineers

At LuTra Studio, we believe that a successful career isn’t built around collecting degrees.

It’s built around continuously developing the skills, judgment, and leadership needed to create meaningful impact.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Education Pays. Updated August 28, 2025. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/unemployment-earnings-education.htm

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical Scientists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2024–2034).https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/medical-scientists.htm

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2024–2034). https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm

• Taiwan Ministry of Education. University Information Disclosure Platform. https://udb.moe.edu.tw/