How much did your Master's Degree advance your career ?
Could you of climbed the ladder into the same exact job / salary without it ?
Could you of climbed the ladder into the same exact job / salary without it ?
How much did your Master’s Degree advance your career ?
- Thread starter Mr Nice
- Start date
Well if you are a teacher its pretty much mandatory around here.
I am in IT and all I needed was a BS. Not sure a MS would have helped much.
College professors typically are PhD for the most part.
I know if you want to get into IBM Research you need a PhD. Other parts of IBM a BS is fine.
Daughter has a MS in Public Health. Not sure her MS is helping her too much.
I am in IT and all I needed was a BS. Not sure a MS would have helped much.
College professors typically are PhD for the most part.
I know if you want to get into IBM Research you need a PhD. Other parts of IBM a BS is fine.
Daughter has a MS in Public Health. Not sure her MS is helping her too much.
While I am still working I am almost 2 years beyond retirement age. So I think the job I have will be my last.
Now going back to college after I retire. I doubt it but never say never.
Wife is a lawyer with a JD degree. I told her I have a BS plus a US patent issued, so that equals her JD. I don't she agrees but lets me think it anyway.
Now going back to college after I retire. I doubt it but never say never.
Wife is a lawyer with a JD degree. I told her I have a BS plus a US patent issued, so that equals her JD. I don't she agrees but lets me think it anyway.
I was a history major. Largely unemployable although it taught me a lot of things that have served me well.
In order to be a librarian you need a masters in library and info. science. In the late sixties there was supposed to be a shortage of them, although the shortage was based on standards of how many librarians you needed from the American Library Association, plus a lot of Great Society money to go to school on. When I started running them, I found I needed a second masters in public administration. So, having a masters might be the base for your profession, or it might simply nice to have. I got one of each.
I was a year ahead of the Baby Boom, so I was able to jump on the leading edge of job growth cause I got there first. Was a CEO for most of my career. My choice was not something I'd recommend to anyone today.
In order to be a librarian you need a masters in library and info. science. In the late sixties there was supposed to be a shortage of them, although the shortage was based on standards of how many librarians you needed from the American Library Association, plus a lot of Great Society money to go to school on. When I started running them, I found I needed a second masters in public administration. So, having a masters might be the base for your profession, or it might simply nice to have. I got one of each.
I was a year ahead of the Baby Boom, so I was able to jump on the leading edge of job growth cause I got there first. Was a CEO for most of my career. My choice was not something I'd recommend to anyone today.
None. By the time I finished my MS (EE) it became irrelevant as my undergrad (CS) were more valuable. Had I not spend my time on the degree and focus at work I would have advanced my career a lot further. The only way it would have helped is if your undergrad was from a foreign, not so famous school, and your graduate degree is from a developed nation and a more famous one (a school that people have heard of, not Harvard or MIT).
Most people I know with PhD tends to agree that if you are only looking for career growth MS and PhD are not worth the effort, and undergrad is sufficient. You should focus on majoring in the right field instead of advanced degree.
Most people I know with PhD tends to agree that if you are only looking for career growth MS and PhD are not worth the effort, and undergrad is sufficient. You should focus on majoring in the right field instead of advanced degree.
Last edited:
Kestas
Staff member
I agree. I have a Master's in Engineering. In some circles it denotes you as a professional, but overall it won't get you more money or better opportunities in the corporate world.
Originally Posted by Donald
While I am still working I am almost 2 years beyond retirement age. So I think the job I have will be my last.
Now going back to college after I retire. I doubt it but never say never.
Wife is a lawyer with a JD degree. I told her I have a BS plus a US patent issued, so that equals her JD. I don't she agrees but lets me think it anyway.
I think you can basically take college classes for free or just pay some minor fees once you're over 60 in NY. It's different in each state but a lot of them offer free classes for seniors.
While I am still working I am almost 2 years beyond retirement age. So I think the job I have will be my last.
Now going back to college after I retire. I doubt it but never say never.
Wife is a lawyer with a JD degree. I told her I have a BS plus a US patent issued, so that equals her JD. I don't she agrees but lets me think it anyway.
I think you can basically take college classes for free or just pay some minor fees once you're over 60 in NY. It's different in each state but a lot of them offer free classes for seniors.
In chemistry, a masters was never a big door opener. It was always viewed to some extent as the gratuitous degree they gave you when you could not make it through the Ph. D. program. The difference in starting salary and advancement with a doctorate vs a bachelors was very significant. Now, however, all those old research jobs no longer exist or have moved to China. Glad I got the doctorate and had a great career but glad I made it out of the rat race when I did. It was all starting to fall apart when I retired about 14 years ago.
I have a masters in Chemistry. Mine is a "thesis masters" which some people look on more favorably since a thesis is essentially a "dissertation lite" with the same total-immersion research experience but less of it, while others view it as a black mark because "you should have just gotten a PhD."(I was burnt out already on a masters).
I wouldn't be able to have my current job(which I love) without it, but I'd have been making a lot more money with a B.S. in Chemistry in industry.
I wouldn't be able to have my current job(which I love) without it, but I'd have been making a lot more money with a B.S. in Chemistry in industry.
My wife has an MBA or EMBA as she calls it from Brown U and it accelerated her career.
In Software/Cloud architect field of mine little difference. I think a MBA would help however.
I skipped getting my MS in Computer science because I got a developer contract that paid $75/hr full time from 2003-2009. I went for money instead of becoming poor for two years and paying $20k for degree.
I skipped getting my MS in Computer science because I got a developer contract that paid $75/hr full time from 2003-2009. I went for money instead of becoming poor for two years and paying $20k for degree.
I think a Masters in your field may get you a job interview, but not necessarily the job. That goes to the person with most experience in the area. Mostly to work you need a degree and to research you need a PhD, with the Masters sitting in between.
The Masters that gives you the most value is one that offers cross-fertilisation with another field, so that the company is getting two experts with one pay packet. The MBA on a science or engineering degree is the classic example. But I know of a guy with two engineering degrees, one in Mech Eng and the other in Elect Eng, he was very successful in lifts and conveyor belts. Mechanical devices that move stuff with electrical power and control systems.
To be a BITOG hero, you want a Science degree in Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering degree.
The Masters that gives you the most value is one that offers cross-fertilisation with another field, so that the company is getting two experts with one pay packet. The MBA on a science or engineering degree is the classic example. But I know of a guy with two engineering degrees, one in Mech Eng and the other in Elect Eng, he was very successful in lifts and conveyor belts. Mechanical devices that move stuff with electrical power and control systems.
To be a BITOG hero, you want a Science degree in Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering degree.
Originally Posted by 50jeffrey
I. too, have a Masters in Electrical Engineering. While I mostly enjoyed tackling the subject matter, I don't believe that advanced my career at all.
I got about halfway through my MSEE but it stalled when kids arrived--for a while, the company I worked for did the classes as a perk (as in, the prof's were traveling to us and we were meeting at work). But while some of the classes were real interesting, I don't think it would have helped--specialization in the wrong areas, especially as more things are outsources (not necessarily overseas as much as, find the companies that already do it, and just buy a working whatever).
I. too, have a Masters in Electrical Engineering. While I mostly enjoyed tackling the subject matter, I don't believe that advanced my career at all.
I got about halfway through my MSEE but it stalled when kids arrived--for a while, the company I worked for did the classes as a perk (as in, the prof's were traveling to us and we were meeting at work). But while some of the classes were real interesting, I don't think it would have helped--specialization in the wrong areas, especially as more things are outsources (not necessarily overseas as much as, find the companies that already do it, and just buy a working whatever).
Well I don't have one. And being a late bloomer, I did not wanna go to school anymore.
I joined AA at 33 and got my Bachelor in High Tech Business at San Jose State at age of 40.
Minored in Economics and Computer Science.
I was working 50+ hours per week and going to SJS 3 and 4 nights a week.
Things moved pretty quick at work because I was in Semiconductors and the Valley was HOT!
It may not have helped as a custom business need programmer, but perhaps if I was in management, who knows?
I joined AA at 33 and got my Bachelor in High Tech Business at San Jose State at age of 40.
Minored in Economics and Computer Science.
I was working 50+ hours per week and going to SJS 3 and 4 nights a week.
Things moved pretty quick at work because I was in Semiconductors and the Valley was HOT!
It may not have helped as a custom business need programmer, but perhaps if I was in management, who knows?
My Masters Degree helped me move from a Teacher position to Principalship.
