I’ve got a UT Mech E BS (2010 grad) and a USC Petroleum E MS. I work for a well known integrated oil and gas company, and have since 2012. They also paid for my MS (75% reimbursed). In 2016 I got pretty sick of the layoffs and applied for five full time MBA programs (top 10 schools only). I didn’t get in to a single one of them, man what a slap in the face that was. It’s been a blessing though, honestly. I’ve been able to go expat and doubled my salary while working half the year. I currently make significantly more than the average starting pay for MBA grads.
I have several friends who quit the oil and gas business and both ended up getting their MBAs. One from USC and the other from Rice. They were both engineers and they have both said the schoolwork is not exactly hard but it is a very heavy load, enough to keep you very busy. Then you add in the social commitments, recruiting dinners, etc. It’s pretty full on.
One of these guys ended up working VC in biotech / medical devices. The other one is in consulting in the O&G space.
If you’re looking to make a career change don’t underestimate how tough it is to escape your past industry. Both of them had to work very hard to change career paths. It’s very competitive right now in the MBA space.