I currently work in a position at a small company where I do everything from network administration to tech support to database design/admin to project management to programming. I'd like to advance my career but decided that certifications are a waste of time because I'm not a specialist and will never use 80% of the material in the books, so I've been thinking about a masters. There's a school in my area that offers a M.S. in Management of Information Technology. It's a mixture of MBA-level business courses and IT courses like e-commerce, ERP, and database management. Ther are about 18 classes to take which would take about 3-4 years if I go part time, and it would cost approx $15,000, not to mention the drive time and gas (the college is an hour away). Is a masters degree worth pursuing in this field? I rarely ever see jobs that require a masters and I wonder if the time wouldn't be better spent starting a side business to make extra money and then investing it.
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
How much value does a masters degree have in IT?
- Thread starter drago762
- Start date
A lot of employers see a masters degree as more than valuable because it says quite a lot about the applicant. The amount of ambition and pure work that it takes to get such a degree is attractive to employers.
Personally, I think if you're willing to go that route, you should. Costs aside, having a masters could end up being priceless to you.
Personally, I think if you're willing to go that route, you should. Costs aside, having a masters could end up being priceless to you.
langleymass
MIS
You are correct. Certifications are a waste of time. They do nothing for you in the job market. I know that from experience, as do other former and present certified professionals.
I agree for the most part certifications aren't that valuable, except for saying I passed exam such and such. However, there are a few certicates that are worth while ie. CCIE, GIAC etc. As long as the Master's degree covers material in your area of interest it can be beneficial. However, actual work experience is the best, and by that I mean variety of tasks/projects within a select area of technology. For Example a person with 7yrs experience only TFTPing config's onto cisco routers and switches, would not make him/her a networking specialist, but some who has segmented networks, added ACL's, provided redundancy to their network.
In short decided what you want within IT as a career and go for it. Good luck
In short decided what you want within IT as a career and go for it. Good luck
A master's degree will be beneficial outside of IT if you decide to pursue another career.
* Allow application of knowledge even in new and unfamiliar circumstances through a conceptual understanding of the specialization.
* Ability to adapt and innovate to solve problems.
* Capacity to critically analyze and question knowledge claims in the specialized discipline and other areas.
* Demonstrate the capacity to apply and adapt knowledge.
Master’s degree holders demonstrate knowledge of theories, models, and tools; and they are able to apply appropriate specialized theories, models, and tools to solve concrete problems.
* Allow application of knowledge even in new and unfamiliar circumstances through a conceptual understanding of the specialization.
* Ability to adapt and innovate to solve problems.
* Capacity to critically analyze and question knowledge claims in the specialized discipline and other areas.
* Demonstrate the capacity to apply and adapt knowledge.
Master’s degree holders demonstrate knowledge of theories, models, and tools; and they are able to apply appropriate specialized theories, models, and tools to solve concrete problems.
![[smile]](/data/assets/smilies/smile.gif "[smile] [smile]")
RhythmAddict112
Programmer
I'm in my 3rd of about 12 classes for my Masters in Information Science/Technology Mgmt. "and it would cost approx $15,000, " Wow, that's a bargain! I say go for it when you have the time, the sooner the better. I can't really imagine not getting paid considerably more with a MS degree....Thinking about a MBA afterwards (At the school I go to, it'd only be 8 additional classes after my MS) But I guess one thing at a time for now....
All hail the INTERWEB!
All hail the INTERWEB!
I start college in two weeks. I'm only about 20 years behind my peers, but I'm so excited I can't stand it. I started off this whole process thinking I needed a piece of paper that said that I really do know what I claim to know. My opinion of that has changed because I've gotten a glimpse of my future as well.
I know it's going to take me at least twice as long to get a bachelor's degree, but the rewards to having a degree have already started.
The encouragement, the excitement, the potential things I could do with a computer engineering degree... I think my employer is as excited as I am, and he's just as supportive as my family.
Look out world...street smarts, intarweb smarts, and book smarts are a lethal combination. I'd recommend it to anyone.
![[smarty]](/data/assets/smilies/smarty.gif "[smarty] [smarty]")
I know it's going to take me at least twice as long to get a bachelor's degree, but the rewards to having a degree have already started.
The encouragement, the excitement, the potential things I could do with a computer engineering degree... I think my employer is as excited as I am, and he's just as supportive as my family.
Look out world...street smarts, intarweb smarts, and book smarts are a lethal combination. I'd recommend it to anyone.
CajunCenturion
Programmer
Best of luck Dollie.
Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
If you can, please keep us up to date on how well this turns out for you, or if you find the learning experience other than what you expect.
Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RhythmAddict112
Programmer
No, but there is a "determined professionals" forum 
All hail the INTERWEB!
All hail the INTERWEB!
Currently finishing up a Master's in Computer Science. Since I'm late to the game, I was taking the coursework more for what I could learn and (hopefully) apply to my work. This, combined with actually WORKING in the field, has helped me considerably. My peers automatically think I'm smart and since I've recently been out-sourced to a IT placement company, my new employers are excited that they soon will be able to tout me as a holder of a Master's degree.
I am quite lucky, however, that my previous employer has paid for virtually the whole thing!
Good luck to you! School can be fun, but you will be ready for it to be over after 3 or 4 years! Definitely try to get through it as quickly as possible so you don't hit the burnout period! I took two years of classes (one at a time) just to get IN to the Master's program, then three more years of classes (1 or 2 at a time, summers off), and now I have to do my final project. I am READY for this to be OVER!
Again, good luck to you!
--Dave
I am quite lucky, however, that my previous employer has paid for virtually the whole thing!
Good luck to you! School can be fun, but you will be ready for it to be over after 3 or 4 years! Definitely try to get through it as quickly as possible so you don't hit the burnout period! I took two years of classes (one at a time) just to get IN to the Master's program, then three more years of classes (1 or 2 at a time, summers off), and now I have to do my final project. I am READY for this to be OVER!
Again, good luck to you!
--Dave
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question
- Locked
- Question
- Locked
- Question