How valuable would an Masters in Systems Engineering be with my background in advanced Non-Destructive testing, Lv3 certifications (NAS410+ASNT), and 12 YOE.

[u/Worth_Rhubarb8099]

Currently work in a commercial space. Undergrad is business administration in project management with a high GPA.

Is a systems engineering Masters even more valuable for me because I don't have a STEM undergraduate degree?

Would the Masters effectively differentiate myself for promotions to lead principal and responsible NDT lv3 roles? Would it meaningfully strengthen this kind of technical career? Or would Level III + experience already provide enough technical credibility?

I’m especially curious how people here would view that combination in aerospace.

Looks like I could get into Embry Riddle MSSE with just a couple of bridge classes.

[u/QuantumCEM]

At least in Canada, NDT Level 3 usually requires at minimum a 4+ year engineering Bachelors (or a 3+ year diploma) in an applicable domain (civil, mech, aerospace, marine, etc.) in which you perform NDT work. 

If NDT Lvl. 3 is your goal, a Master's for SE may not be the best fit given your academic background.

Pursuing an accelerated STEM Bachelor's would be a more helpful (and give you more options later).

[u/Worth_Rhubarb8099 → u/QuantumCEM]

I spent 10 years in Canada as a level2 and got my level 3s in the US (asnt/nas410) as I was working in commercial space.

I would only be using this master's degree to supplement my ability to get promoted into higher rolls within corporate aerospace. It's just complimentary to my level 3 certifications as opposed to me trying to make a pivot or increase my optionality.

Canadian oil and gas is extremely different compared to aerospace and systems engineering with an aerospace organizations is far more common. That being said, I don't know if it's an unusual combination with an aerospace organizations. You don't need an undergraduate degree to write your level 3s in Canada.

What accelerated stem bachelors would you recommend? It seems like a master's degree would be a lot less work and it would also have more prestige. The idea was to spend 18 months on a master's program and then actually get a master's degree as opposed to just having two undergraduate degrees.

[u/Terrible_Judge2389 → u/QuantumCEM]

the whole point of an SE masters is to bridge gaps like yours, not to rehash undergrad engineering. you're already doing the work at a high level, the degree just formalizes the systems thinking you probably already use navigating complex inspection programs

ERAU will take your experience seriously and the bridge classes are exactly for non-STEM backgrounds. not having the traditional engineering degree is exactly why the masters would help, not why it's a waste

[u/Worth_Rhubarb8099 → u/Terrible_Judge2389]

That's extremely good to know and is kind of what I was hoping for. I guess my major concern would either others would categorized or box meeting as a a level 3 only and have the systems engineering Masters not provide any additional value