When to get a Master's degree?

[Bass8987]

I am almost done with my bachelor's degree (only two more semesters). I am seriously considering getting a Master's degree. Is it better to get one right after your bachelor's degree or work a few years, then go back to get one? I know some companies will pay for your tuition if you go back and get a Master's degree so that is nice.

 

Also, what is the work load like in graduate school? Is it two years of hell and no social life? Do you think it would be possible to work and do grad school at same time?

 

Any advice?

[Thunderbroom]

 

Any advice?

 

 

What's your current major and what would your Master's be in?

[y-o-y]

I think it depends on the field of study and what the purpose of obtain the degree is. Do you want to work in a field where a Masters degree is a de facto (or stated) requirement?

 

I just started my MBA last week and I have been out of school for 7 years.

[King Kashue]

You left out the most important piece of info: Your field.

 

What grad school 'is' varies greatly depending on your field.

 

 

In general though, you increase your salary significantly with a masters, so in terms of sheer cost, you need to balance the loss of salary that working without the masters brings with the cost saved if a company is paying your educational costs.

[Bass8987]

 

What's your current major and what would your Master's be in?

 

 

My major is in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations

 

My master's would be either a MBA or MPA

[ezstep]

On the one hand, you are already used to getting up and going to classes and studying and doing certain projects/assignments, so working on your masters would simply be a continuation and would require no "culture shock" on your part.

 

On the other hand, you have been in school for a while and might be ready to simply put it all behind you for a while and get a job and get started on your career. There are also many employers who will foot the bill for employees who return to school while working. It might wreak havoc with your personal life, but you would have a job, car, insurance, etc., while getting a higher degree.

 

Only you can make that choice. I waited four years before returning (summers and many, many night classes once and twice per week), taking three years to finally get the degree. But, I don't regret going ahead and getting started on my career before returning to work on the masters. YMMV.

 

Good luck, either way.

[Zamfir]

What's your current major and what would your Master's be in?

 

+1. And: where do you hope to work (with what employers)?

 

Without that answer, we can't give you specific advice, other than Kashue's cost/benefit advice, and this:

 

Two years is a blazingly short amount of time. Plus, M.A.s are usually soooo much cheaper than doctorates, or even law or certainly med school...

 

Yes, most grad programs cut heavily into your social life, relative to the free time you have now. You're there to work and take it seriously, not screw around. That said, grad students almost always find a way to socialize in order to stay sane. Whether it's hell or not depends largely on how much you really like that field, deep down.

 

Ezstep's right that you are well trained to be a student already. But - it *will* be a substantial shift from undergrad. You're going to live, breathe, eat, and {censored} one field, instead of many. You better like that field.

 

If you're in a field where private sector employers or the government will be willing *and* likely to fund your master's, or if you're shooting for an MBA...probably better (required, in the case of most MBAs) to land that job first. But that's very context/field-dependent, so tell us more, please.

[Thunderbroom]

This is a timely thread.

 

About a year or two ago, I looked into an EdD program at Northern Illinois University. With my work schedule, I just couldn't do it as they only offered classes in the mornings at the same time I teach my classes.

 

This past Friday I was made aware of an EdD program in Community College Leadership at National-Louis University. This program has classes that meet on Saturdays which is doable to me. My concern is that I'm not familiar with the school though it's been around since 1886 and this is a new program. The program is only three years long with the dissertation being integrated into the curriculum. The cost to me would be $42k as my employer will not pay for it. I'm thinking about applying.

 

What say you KK and Zamfir? I know you two are educated dudes.

[Spark]

 

My major is in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations My master's would be either a MBA or MPA

 

 

Depends what kind of job you want. If you want a higher-level marketing/communications job in a large company, a master's can be helpful in securing one.

 

Otherwise, save your money and just focus on learning in the real world. Marketing is one of the only fields in which a master's degree can actually hurt your performance in the real world. (Not universally true, but often the case.)

[King Kashue]

 

This is a timely thread. About a year or two ago, I looked into an EdD program at Northern Illinois University. With my work schedule, I just couldn't do it as they only offered classes in the mornings at the same time I teach my classes. This past Friday I was made aware of an EdD program in Community College Leadership at National-Louis University. This program has classes that meet on Saturdays which is doable to me. My concern is that I'm not familiar with the school though it's been around since 1886 and this is a new program. The program is only three years long with the dissertation being integrated into the curriculum. The cost to me would be $42k as my employer will not pay for it. I'm thinking about applying. What say you KK and Zamfir? I know you two are educated dudes.

 

 

I don't know anything about the program itself, but I can speak about Doctorates in general.

 

 

The important thing to recognize about a doctorate is that they only provide a small increase in salary. In terms of cost:gain, they're the worst investment in academia. The Masters can double your income, if a doctorate raises it 10%, you're fortunate.

 

The reason for doing a doctorate is because it gives you opportunities you wouldn't otherwise have. For instance, in my case, the doctorate opens the possibility for a tenure track university position.

 

The question you need to ask yourself is "What do I want to do and is the Doctorate necessary to do that?"...

 

If you can do what you want without the Doctorate, then the three years of work and tuition is almost certainly not worth it. On the other hand, if you have goals (whether personal or professional) that cannot be met without the Doctorate, then it may be very worth it. What are your goals, what would the Doc do for you in that area, is it necessary? Those are your questions.

 

 

That's the best advice I can give: The doctorate opens new doors, it really doesn't open the existing ones much wider than they currently are.

[flatcat]

You might consider seeing if your university has programs for working professionals. I'm still debating pulling the trigger on one at UMass Boston (it's a Master's in Public Policy). And because it's UMass, the cost is very, very reasonable.

 

The problem with *that*, though, is time constraints. If you already have a busy life, then making time for a program like that might be extremely difficult.

 

Good luck with your choice.

[Thunderbroom]

 

If you can do what you want without the Doctorate, then the three years of work and tuition is almost certainly not worth it. On the other hand, if you have goals (whether personal or professional) that cannot be met without the Doctorate, then it may be very worth it. What are your goals, what would the Doc do for you in that area, is it necessary? Those are your questions.

 

 

I will never be a CC President without a Doctorate. I don't know that I want to go that far, but without one, getting a VP or higher level position isn't going to happen.

[Bassius]

as far as work load, a music major is the hardest degree to earn...i did my masters in performance and pedagogy in two years flat. Basically if you compare workload to that of a Batch degree, 15 credits in a MM or MA degree in music would equate to about 30 undergrad credits.... those two years are when most of my hair fell out...

 

i'm not sure on the comm degree...but if you can get it done while you're young go for it...

[Captain Fathead]

I'm applying to grad schools now. I got my BA in 2006, worked a couple of years, and came to the conclusion that I'll be able to go farther with an MA in my field.

[Bass8987]

My goal is to work in pr/marketing communications for a major corporation like Boeing or Microsoft OR work in the WA Health Department or some sort of government health communication field. I know one of my previous professors specializes in health communication and was going to talk to her some time soon.

 

I'm more interested in the business, political and health communication rather than broadcast journalism.

 

I'm also looking at a MA in Communication

[Pyralus]

this thread got me looking into Grad School again. I personally plan on going into Grad school as soon as I finish my Bachelors.

[Spark]

 

My goal is to work in pr/marketing communications for a major corporation like Boeing or Microsoft OR work in the WA Health Department or some sort of government health communication field. I know one of my previous professors specializes in health communication and was going to talk to her some time soon. I'm more interested in the business, political and health communication rather than broadcast journalism. I'm also looking at a MA in Communication

 

 

Employers like the ones you listed will generally be impressed with a master's degree. In your shoes, I'd actually research those companies and others like them to see if people in the positions you're interested in generally have advanced degrees. Also, check recruitment ads for those kinds of positions at large companies to see what they say about advanced degrees.

 

King Kashue's post above about making sure the effort/tuition is worth it given your goals applies outside academia too, and you should look into this carefully.

 

Just keep in mind that a master's degree will not generally make you a better marketer than you could become without one. If you intend to someday be a VP at a Fortune 500 company, I'd say you should consider the degree. If your goal is to be a kickass marketer and you'd be happy outside the Fortune 500, the degree is not necessary and could even be a setback.

[Adrenochrome]

I started my Masters degree after a gap of 8+ years. I'm also working full time and my company is paying for me to do my Masters on a very part time basis. I have sailed through all the lecture courses and exams, but have not found the time to start the dissertation I need to get my Masters. It's now been over a year since I did anything at all as I can't find the time with band and young kids. After the daily grind, I was full of enthusiasm for studying and I think I was far better at it than when I did my first degree.

[Super_Donut_Man]

I recommend to keep on going, it may be hard after a number of years to get back into the school mentality. Not saying it is impossible, but I know that in studying for the CPA exam, I have taken a year off, and it is very hard to start studying at the moment.

 

Also you may want to check the requirements of the program, I know that some of the masters programs that I saw at my school required work experience/you to be currently working in the field.

[RSBro]

I didn't get my Masters b/c I wasn't going to work for a large public accounting firm, so didn't think I needed really the extra school. Plus as long as I have a CPA and experience, it's gonna end up about the same.

 

I had a good many friends get their MBA right after their BBA, and that's what I'd suggest too. My sis is getting her PhD in Physical Therapy, and took the spring off before she started.

 

I will echo the sentiments above that it's hard as hell getting back into study mode after being out 2 1/2 years. I'm starting Becker review in-class courses next month for the CPA, cause I tried 2 parts while studying on my own and it didn't cut it. I don't have the discipline.

[Rezdog]

Greetings from the North,

 

DO IT NOW!

 

Rezdog

[Zamfir]

excellent comments snipped to save space >

 

Tbroom already has his master's, IIRC. And has clearer goals than 97-99% of grad students (including me among the latter, back in the day).

 

Tbroom - Off the top of my head? I'm worried that an EdD program that has only been around 3 years is likely a complete unknown for any employer outside of the 100 mile radius of the program. Seems like a relatively high cost for a huge gamble on that kind of rep, IMO. But - don't dismiss it. Ask the admissions people or the department if they have data on where the EdD alumni went and how they've survived (and whether you can contact those alumni for their take on the program, school, employment search pros and cons... ). If you can get names, where all else fails -- Google is your friend...

 

I'm guessing, but do not know for sure, that Northern Illinois is probably the far better known EdD program where employers are concerned. Is there any way you can get your classes rescheduled in future semesters to make that one do-able?

 

Other than that - I don't immediately know how to square that circle...

[Thunderbroom]

 

I'm guessing, but do not know for sure, that Northern Illinois is probably the far better known EdD program where employers are concerned. Is there any way you can get your classes rescheduled in future semesters to make that one do-able?

 

 

My classes that I teach here obviously take priority. Rescheduling them is really not an option since it's when my students can take my classes. Northern Illinois is also 65 miles from my home. IF I could arrange it, I'd have to travel 2 - 3 times per week, each week, to take classes as opposed to twice per month.

 

My office mate has a friend at NL. He's going to contact her for the scoop.

[Zamfir]

My goal is to work in pr/marketing communications for a major corporation like Boeing or Microsoft OR work in the WA Health Department or some sort of government health communication field. I know one of my previous professors specializes in health communication and was going to talk to her some time soon. I'm more interested in the business, political and health communication rather than broadcast journalism. I'm also looking at a MA in Communication

 

 

That helps. I don't know those fields, so this is merely a series of brainfarts to think about, and decide what's best for you:

 

1. Similar to what I told Tbroom, figure out where those alumni from each program go, and how well the school and department is viewed by employers. Departments love to brag about where their alumni have gone (and if their director of graduate studies is not able to answer the question, they don't give a {censored} about their students other than to take the tuition $$$).

 

2. If the MPA is more critical to what your career goals are, you can probably audit some business courses on the side.

 

3. Alternatively, you might consider a Policy / Public Admin M.A. with a focus on something like health care policy. Or, as previous, take some of the courses related thereto in the politics or public admin department, to supplement an MPA. Or an Econ MA, again stressing policy/communication issues? I.e. - it may be of great value to think in interdisciplinary terms, adding the right course here and there.

 

Definitely talk to that prof you know. And ask her/him if she can think of anyone else for you to quiz on this. This is all networking.

 

Btw - when you look at these programs, take a good, hard look at who the faculty are and what they do. You're trying to answer the following questions in selecting an adviser, who is such a huge influence on what your education will be:

 

1. Does this prof have an ongoing, well-regarded research agenda or specialization?

 

2. Does that research agenda or specialization fit closely with your own substantive interests?

 

3. Does the prof also have a rep for helping to get her/his grad students done and graduated efficiently, or do the latter languish in the program? (This answer is vital...)

 

4. Does the prof make use of her/his personal network to help their proteges on the market? They better be likely to go to bat for you...especially if there's a doctorate involved. That's less likely for an M.A., because profs tend to know, well, other profs...but who knows, you might hit the right subset who are plugged in with practicing professionals.

 

That's all I got for now. Hope it helps. Follow your instincts, but do the homework to make an informed choice.

 

Oh, and if you can find a great internship during the summer or one semester, especially if incorporated and well-organized in the department curriculum and execution...that may also pay off. Eyes open!!

[Zamfir]

My classes that I teach here obviously take priority. Rescheduling them is really not an option since it's when my students can take my classes. Northern Illinois is also 65 miles from my home. IF I could arrange it, I'd have to travel 2 - 3 times per week, each week, to take classes as opposed to twice per month. My office mate has a friend at NL. He's going to contact her for the scoop.

 

Nuts...

 

I woulda thought C.C. students, especially partly or fully employed ones, tend to prefer night classes like my mom used to teach, but... Have you talked to your chair or dean about it?