Question about grad school

[rayrod]

Hi,
This fall I start graduate school. I will be pursuing a M.S. in database administration/management. I enjoy working with DB's and have worked on a data warehouse project. However, given the current job market I'm beginning to wonder if I will find a job when I graduate. My question is are DBA's still in demand?? From what I have read there continues to be a shortage. Any thoughts, opinions, answers are welcome. Thanks!

 

[CajunCenturion]

In a word - ORACLE. From the best of my knowledge, ORACLE DBA's are in demand, and an MS in database administration with an emphasis in ORACLE should serve you well.
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[hmohrmann]

Yes, Oracle is important, but also Microsoft SQL Server.
I work for a government agency and we have one large Oracle server. But because of the expense, all of our other databases are in SQL Server (200+ databases on six servers)

Because of this we have one Oracle DBA and 4 SQL DBA's.

 

[nagrajm]

I think Database administration is here to stay. One should be careful to keep himself/herself trendy. Like others have pointed out ORACLE and SQL servers should keep one going, at least for the time being. But that should not be the end of the road. One shouldn't hesitate to adapt, say from OLTP to OLAP or any newer concepts. Human need for Data Repositories, machanism to store and retrieve information in best possible ways, is the crux of database administration. In my opinion, this will be an evergreen field.

 

[AIXSPadmin]

In my opinion, it would be best to learn and study the concepts of databases in an advanced degree program. This would give you a foundation and as the previous posting stated, there is always constant change, and yes, it is possible that Oracle will not be "the" database in 5 or 10 years. Possibly, they will change the architecture and somebody will do what Ellison did with Oracle. Ellison read an IBM research paper on relational databases and started Oracle with IBMs ideas, beating the to the market with their own ideas and research.

A doctoral degree has two tracks, the PhD for research to generate new knowledge or reform theory and the EdD for application of theory and knowledge to improve practice. And as such most Master's programs have a thesis option for students who wish to have a career in research or further graduate study. The project option would be a terminal degree for those not considering research or further study.

Although one may choose a project option and want to work without research or further study in the field, I believe that project option and the study in the program should allow one to simultaneously plan, analyze, make decisions, evaluate results, avoid and solve problems, supervise, lead, train, and learn.

My opinions, and by the way I have a Master's degree in Education with postgraduate hours. And I love the field of education, and would very much love to teach again; someday!

 

[CajunCenturion]

Another area that I think may be an interesting area of study is neural technologies. Although still a few years aay, I think this is an up and coming area, and if you're entering grad school now, you have an opportunity to get in this field at the start.

Another factor to consider, more of a practical issue, is the areas of expertise and/or interests in the faculty available to you. You're going to get the most support from your advisors, if the line of study you choose is consistent with their interests and expertise, especially is your work dovetails the projects underway by your professors. Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[meadandale]

One of the hottest fields in IT right now is security. With a foundation in CS and some coursework in security/cryptography and networking you will be in an excellent position to find a job in the otherwise saturated IT field.

DBA's will always be in high demand but I wouldn't tie myself to a specific database. Most academic environments teach you database theory not how to use Oracle or SQL server. This kind of education will be of better use to you in the future as you can apply this knowledge to any specific vendors DBMS implementation.