Thesis Vs Non-Thesis What to choose and Why

Lets start this topic by giving you a real example I encountered.

Q: If we are an aerospace company making aircraft, do we hire only aerospace engr students?
A: Well, we make aircraft, so we need ppl in IE, EE, ME and Aero. Also we need ChemE ppl for the manufacturing and analysis process. An IE person may not know what an empennage is, while an aero guy wud know. But the IE one can learn and if his operations skills r good, we can use some1 like him.

Q: So why do u say "BS required for job"? But u also hire MS students, does doing MS give u an edge over a BS student?
A: A talented MS student has the edge. But if we have a guy doing MS, we want him to be specialized in something, like his research project or thesis must be something specialized that sets him apart from BS student. Otherwise if he just has an MS but no specific skill, then we may hire the BS guys if they have more skills like a senior design project in final yr related to aero.

Q: Now that u mentioned thesis, ppl say thesis is true only for PhD ppl , not for those looking for jobs Whats ur take on this?
A: Well, doing the thesis is ur stepping stone to PhD. Also if u want a job and later decide to do Phd, it helps a lot. Now frm a job point of view, it defintely helps. The US govt has imposes strict laws bout hiring foreign students when many americans r getting laid off. SO we really need to show the govt why we hire a foreign person. And a good way to show that is if we say that the MS stduent has a specialized skill and has good research skills. Here is where a thesis comes in.
When I see some1 with thesis, i dont actually care about teh details of d thesis, just the fact that he does thesis tells me that:
1. he has good time management skills
2. he is a hard worker and knows how to prepare slides and status reports.

3. He can carry on multiple work assignments.

Q: But I guess the thesis shud be specific to the industry , right?
A: yes, some companies like Comp Science and IT dont require thesis coz they r non-specialized industries, so u may get the job.
But if it comes down to candidate A and B, the one with the thesis will get the higher paid job. But overall. IT fields are fairly common and even a BS student will do as MS person doesnt have that much specialization for common fields like IT and Comp Sci.

Q; Every1 seems to be comin in for Comp Sci. How do u distinguish which comp Sci degree holder to hire?
A: Comp Sci MS is not specialized like EE, AERO, AE, BIO, CE etc. So many smaller hire these students. I dont see why so many ppl who did EE in undergrad are switchin to Computers when its a saturated field. And in these times, the more skilled u r, the better ur chances of gettin a job in the US and the company has better reason to hire u instead of an american.


From students side :
Q: "i dont agree that taking non thesis will close your gates to PhD, but certainly it will make it tough to qualify for same"
A: This is more a response. All good phd programs need u to hve thesis. PhD ppl always get funding, so u may get a phd, but with no funding if u have no thesis. From my 7 yr experience, MS thesis is way better and makes u more attractive to companies in times like these coz they can justify to the govt why they want to hire a foreign kid when so many jobless americans r there. They can see u have a specialized skill (i.e th topic of ur thesis) and will hire that person instead of some1 who just has a MS with general courses. -- of course , this is of it coems down to the wire between candidate A and B.
If u have PhD thoughts, its a win-win situtaion for u to do thesis. A lotta ppl will discourage u and tell u its tough. but dont listen. It will be very hard (5% chance) of phd admit with funding if u dont have an MS with thesis.

With the thesis option, you are required to complete a dissertation at the end of your Masters' program and defend it orally ! On the other hand, with the non-thesis option you are required to complete a project at the end of your course !

What I wanna know is what EFFECTS do these options have on our career in general !

Q:Is it that if we opt for the non-thesis option, we are not eligible for Ph.D and we have to compulsorily get into workforce ? Is thesis an absolute requirement for applying to Ph.D programs after we complete our Masters' ?

:Yes, good that u got all d facts. If u do MS w/o thesis, you are closing your academic career at MS.
With thesis, u have an option of doing PhD later.

It varies from major to major, but in engineering, thesis is more looked upon by companies bcoz it tells the employer u r responsible to academic commitment and basically u can be trusted with work and produce proposals, reports n presentations ina timely manner.
Lets put it this way to be be fair. If many MS students apply for the same job with same credentials, the thesis guy is given preference if all other factors r contsant.

Why students dont do thesis ??
People dont do thesis for a variety of reasons. Some are financial, prof doesnt recommend it or they are just plain lazy coz they see their friends do it.
They dont want to do PhD.
Industry is their final destination.