Advanced degrees worth the cost?

[chiph]

One of the other members mentioned in thread656-556614 that he regrets not continuing on to get his PhD in computer science. I've recently been giving some thought to going back to school part-time and getting my Masters in CS, so I thought I'd ask:

Is having an advanced degree worth the cost in time & money?

What does it get you, salary and career-wise, beyond a Bachelor's?

I'm mostly interested because the local university (NC State) offers classes in areas that weren't taught at the school I got my bachelor's from -- Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics, eCommerce -- cool stuff!

Chip H.

 

[CajunCenturion]

Considering that I've spent a few years in Chapel Hill, I would definately say that for NC State it would not be worth it.

All kidding aside, I think that an MS will open higher level management positions within software engineering and development arenas. There will certainly be commensurate benefits, including salary, but you will also find the competition stiffer because of fewer available positions.

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[dogbert2]

I tend to agree, the return on a Master's or Ph.D might be realized in management, but at the standard job market level, it would be a hard sell for me (in terms of the added cost vs return on investment).

Most IT jobs don't even need a person with a 4 year degree (from a 'doing the job' standpoint), but it seems that HR wants to see this anymore (makes little sense to me).

 

[AIXSPadmin]

My input is that a Master's in Comp Sci would not be geared for one going into management. If one desires to have a management future and they have a bachelor's degree in CompSci then they should return to school and get an MBA or a Master's in Business Administration emphasis in management.

In no way would a MSc prepare one for a high-level management position in business and industry. The programs are divergent for a reason and do not intersect in any way.

Could one become a manager without an MBA or graduate business education? Absolutely. Would one be better prepared for management and have more career choices in management with an MBA vs. a Master's in CompSci? Definitely.

 

[Tarwn]

<offtopic>
Cajun: Funny that you mention that, when I mentioned the other school in the state that already had a masters in CS I was talking about the same school Thats why I'm waiting on Wilmington's MS program
</offtopic>

And we also have to add in that a masters shows probable interest and a devotion to improvement. I can't think of anyone that I know who has gone back for a masters simply to make a bigger paycheck or because they were bored, sometimes these can be additional factors, but usually it is because they want to add more depth to their education or even if it is for money or such, they at least like the subject, otherwsie they could just go back for a fast track bachelors in another field they like more and combine their two degrees for a higher paying job.

Then again, most of this is supposition because of the two people I know the best who have masters, one also has a PHD in another field (and teaches in both) and the other works with me and hasn't seen a great deal of return on his masters.

-Tarwn

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Do you know how hot your computer is running at home? I do

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[CajunCenturion]

I think AIXSPadmin makes a good point about management, and perhaps, for the sake of clarity, we should make a distinction between business management, and technical management.

In complex software systems development activities, the MS will open technical management or technical team lead positions.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[sleipnir214]

Lemme throw a hypothetical question to you wolves.

If someone had a BS in computer science and were trying to decide between an MS in computer science and something like an MBA or a master's in management, which would you recommend, and why?

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[chiph]

Myself, I'm not that interested in a management track. Team Lead or Lead Developer is about the max that I want to deal with -- I tend to get bored in constant meetings.

In the elevator the other day, I overheard some people from a local bank talk about a half-hour meeting about a product name change *that had already happened*. I can't stand the idea of wasting that much time on something that was in the past, unless it was up for reconsideration (which, according the people I heard, it wasn't).

Chip H.

 

[strongm]

Meetings, bah! I think my worst one was one in which the sole goal was to decide who was going to be at the next meeting.

 

[venkman]

Hey there everyone, good to see the same 10 people continuing the discussion form the other thread .

Anyways, I think we should again distinguish between Software Engineering and IT. dogbert2 mentioned that most jobs don't even need someone with a degree. First off, this is true in any field. All knowledge can be self taught at a certain point. However, it is easier to verify when someone has gone to school (sorry to rehash the arguments from the other thread). Secondly, this is more accepted in IT then it is in Sofware Development. It is generally more accepted that you can learn IT through experience and self-teaching. However, in general programming has to be learned in a college setting.

Okay, but back to the subject of this post... Personally, I'm considering going back to grad school to &quot;launder&quot; my resume as my best friend put it. Due to the economy I've been in and out of jobs over the past 2 years, and my hope is that a masters will make me look more solid and less like a vagrant. Any thoughts on whether that is actually the way things work?

Of course, this is not my only reason. In all likelihood I would've returned to school no matter what the economic situation, but I would've waited a couple of more years. I do enjoy learning for the sake of learning without a necessarily utilitarian end, and this desire would've probably led me back to school no matter what.

I also do not mind the idea of being involved in the development process from the top level, like an software architect. Don't most architects have more than a BS?

-Venkman

 

[CajunCenturion]

It's quite true that there are many jobs in the IT profession which do not require special training, or formal advanced education. In other professions you have similar situations: paralegals, attorneys, and judges; bookeepers and accountants; and paramedics, nurses, and doctors.

Although delineation may not be easily definable within IT, the same types of stratifications do exist.

You choice and level of education should be chosen with your long-term career objectives in mind.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[jwdcfdeveloper]

Here's my two cents: If you want to become a CIO, Vice President of technology, or someone who is simply in charge of IT. A BS in Comp Sci and an MBA is the best way to go. The BS provides the base for computer knowledge. To get a BS in Comp Sci, at the undergrad level a person has already taken a lot of the theory-based classes in math, and programming that help a person understand techie issues. The MBA will give a person a better understanding of how to deal with Finance, Marketing, Accounting, and relate that to IT. On the other hand, if you are looking to become a Senior Architect, Lead Developer, etc. Then the Master's in Comp Sci is the better route.

 

[jack1955]

And it may also depend on the company what degree you need. If everyone else has an MBA, PhD, etc. Just do something to make yourself a better person. I noticed over my xx years, that many managers have skills in everything but those relating to people. Just like teacher who can't relate to students but know their subject material very well, what's the use?

 

[Onyxpurr]

Question: How many here have a Masters? If so, in what? And if you have or haven't, did you regret your descision to pursue or not pursue your Masters?

 

[Tarwn]

I don't have an MS, but I plan on going back for it in '05 when the local university starts their program.

As far as getting an MS in another field for marketability, first I think an MS in any field is more marketable than not having it, second I love CS so an MS would actually be enjoyable, and third I get bored easily with other subjects and the piece of paper is not enough of a reward to sit through a couple years of high-priced boredom...

Plus I worked on a couple large grant projects the first time around and could probably convince them to get a few more if I go back, which makes paying for it easier



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The never-completed website

 

[venkman]

I was wondering what people thought about the prestige of a school. My friend contends that going to get a masters in anything but a top of the top program (like top 10 or top 5) is a waste of time as far as future job prospects go. I disagree (especially, since there's not a chance in hell of me getting into one of those programs), but I wanted to see what others thought.

-Venkman

 

[chiph]

The prestige of the school is indeed a factor - I myself wouldn't consider taking one of the &quot;get your degree online&quot; courses. But I also realize that there's no way I could get into one of the top-ten universities, like Cal-Tech or MIT (I'd flunk-out *so* fast!)

So all you can really do is try and get into the best course that:
1) You can afford.
2) Will admit you.
3) You have a reasonable chance of graduating from.

Of course, there may be other considerations, like are you willing to move to another town/state to attend the university? Married people aren't real likely to do that, but a single person might.

Chip H.

 

[jwdcfdeveloper]

I do think prestige does play a part in the degree you get, but that is moreso with MBAs, because there are so many out there, that companies have to have some way to distinguish an MBA from an mba. Like mentioned in an earlier post, find the best school you can get into that has courses in the things you are interested in. I'm currently working on my MS in Information Systems. I want to have a better understanding of how business and technology work, and perhaps translate that into a Project Lead/Manager position once I graduate.

 

[slay2k]

I'm in the same boat as many of you guys.

However, my so-called pipe dream would be to follow in the footsteps of giants such as Sergey Brin or S. McNealy or J. Clark.

But it seems more graduates of the Stanford farm have succeeded following an MS or Ph.D rather than an MBA, with McNealy being the exception.

I'm therefore still undecided on whether it's an MS or an MBA I want. I'm leaning 90% towards an MS right now, primarily because I don't believe in the notion that a "Lead Developer" or a "Technical Manager" is the most you can do after spending 2 years with the brighest minds in computing.

I don't want to be in a management position of a company that isn't mine. And I don't want to be the technical manager/CIO/CTO of a successful start-up, either. I want something I've made on my own... and it seems that most people who make it that far in Silicon Valley do it by utilizing their TECHNOLOGICAL skills/background rather than their business-administration skills. Like someone told me -- in Silicon Valley, your MS in CS *is* your MBA.

That's probably why Google was started by tech-heads and then the *CEO* was outsourced.

My .02, I welcome all contrary opinions.

RM.

 

[sostek]

I actually thought about getting a masters in Information Science but rejected it.

Instead I'll be starting an MBA program next September. Why? Because management has been a central theme of my career from day one.