drinkTHEkoolaid Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I am almost to the point where my employer will pay for a masters degree. I have been looking into various programs and am not yet sure what i want to pursue as far as an MBA goes. It seems to keep advancing most promotions want the MBA box "checked". What did you look for when selecting a school, and specifically the program? How did it compare to your bachelor's? Did it help your career? Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) I'm about 1/3 into my MSA program. For education at least, in North Carolina, there's tons of options with state schools, plus there's the online route. Of the two schools close by, one continuously produces crappy school administrators and the other does not. I chose the better one. Also it's not too difficult, just very time consuming and you learn to loathe Microsoft word. Edited July 13, 2013 by Corp000085 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 None for me. Company paid for my daughter. Seems to have helped her. Son inlaw got his right when he got out and seems to Have helped him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Not that your answer really impacts my thoughts on it but how old are you, or how far into your career are you? Also what industry? I haven't been faced with the need for an MBA in my working career, but again, I really don't have aspirations to grow into something with a title, I simply want to be good at my job and be the go to person when people need to get stuff done, that has served me well so far. I do not want to be a manager, sr. manager, vp etc....i am happy in my non-descript worker bee roll. I would however like to go back to school for degree or certificate programs just to learn, but it has nothing to do with climbing the corporate ladder.... I am almost to the point where my employer will pay for a masters degree. I have been looking into various programs and am not yet sure what i want to pursue as far as an MBA goes. It seems to keep advancing most promotions want the MBA box "checked". What did you look for when selecting a school, and specifically the program? How did it compare to your bachelor's? Did it help your career? Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 Not that your answer really impacts my thoughts on it but how old are you, or how far into your career are you? Also what industry? I haven't been faced with the need for an MBA in my working career, but again, I really don't have aspirations to grow into something with a title, I simply want to be good at my job and be the go to person when people need to get stuff done, that has served me well so far. I do not want to be a manager, sr. manager, vp etc....i am happy in my non-descript worker bee roll. I would however like to go back to school for degree or certificate programs just to learn, but it has nothing to do with climbing the corporate ladder.... In my late 20's early 30's type. I'm in my 2nd real job post bachelors degree. Been with current employer almost 3 years.(at 3 years they pay for masters) so that's why this has come up. I work for a large fortune 300 company (nothing financial) that like many other large corporations likes education for advancement. I have already received 1 promotion which was from hourly to exempt and additional responsibility based on merit and work performance but with my current education it will be difficult to go more than 1 level higher than my current position or much past lower to mid management. I have a house..kids..family..dog..career etc... so I'm curious how the whole 1 day a week classes work out for people or if maybe online is an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 If they pay for your MBA what is your commitment when you get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I'm about 1/3 into my MSA program. For education at least, in North Carolina, there's tons of options with state schools, plus there's the online route. Of the two schools close by, one continuously produces crappy school administrators and the other does not. I chose the better one. Also it's not too difficult, just very time consuming and you learn to loathe Microsoft word. No joke about the education here in NC. It is confounding that the qualifications for teachers here are so high and the system so poor. It was a bit shot to the leg to have No Child Left Behind come down here. The funniest part is that so many educators in NC and SC are from the MidWest MAC schools - Bowling Green, Kent, Toledo, Ohio Univ. etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 No joke about the education here in NC. It is confounding that the qualifications for teachers here are so high and the system so poor. It was a bit shot to the leg to have No Child Left Behind come down here. The funniest part is that so many educators in NC and SC are from the MidWest MAC schools - Bowling Green, Kent, Toledo, Ohio Univ. etc. We like our teachers young and inexperienced. Most new teachers who move here last 1-3 years before moving back home. It's pathetic, but one of the reasons why we're #46! Yay for #46!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) BA here... But I am just a lock and dam operator w/the gov't. My wife has a MA in English and MLiS (Library Science... I think they call Library & Information Science now)... Her employer years ago paid for here to go back and get the more practical that MLiS many years ago. Good luck! Oh... One of the only schools to offer MLiS back then in IL was UofI @ Champaign. The first time she was there, for the MA in English... Back in 1990, It was a toss up between IL and UVA... IL gave here a stipend and teaching... UVA she would have had to work off campus to make ends meet. Edited July 13, 2013 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 i think i told you before...my current role is heavily involved with our companies taxonomy/ontology...all of my knowledge on the subject has been learned on the job...my former co-worker has an MLIS(?), so taxonomy/ontology is her expertise...we butted heads constantly because she was soooooo by the books(no pun intended) which may be perfect in a library setting, but in the practical world, especially in the world of on-line search, you need to almost go rogue and only use your book learning as a guideline and make it work....she could never do get her mind wrapped around going outside of her comfort zone...needless to say she was constantly being talked off the ledge...MLIS folk are a breed unto themselves...hopefully your wife is more 'normal' BA here... But I am just a lock and dam operator w/the gov't. My wife has a MA in English and MLiS (Library Science... I think they call Library & Information Science now)... Her employer years ago paid for here to go back and get the more practical that MLiS many years ago. Good luck! Oh... One of the only schools to offer MLiS back then in IL was UofI @ Champaign. The first time she was there, for the MA in English... Back in 1990, It was a toss up between IL and UVA... IL gave here a stipend and teaching... UVA she would have had to work off campus to make ends meet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 We like our teachers young and inexperienced. Most new teachers who move here last 1-3 years before moving back home. It's pathetic, but one of the reasons why we're #46! Yay for #46!!!!! but we are first in flight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 what a coinky-dink....so do i We like our teachers young and inexperienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle flap Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I realize I'm one of the exceptions, but I have a MLIS and I'm a pretty normal dude. To the above point, I often clash with my peers (and professors while I was in grad school) who live in a theoretical "by the book" fantasy land, whereas I approach things practically and rationally. To the OP, I would think the sage advice is get your Master's, as your career mobility and earning potential increase dramatically at a relatively low cost. Mead raises a good question: Are you prohibited from leaving your company once they bank roll your education? In general, I'd say attend a public university and seek out grants/scholarships to cover the cost- they're out there. Yeah, a degree from certain private universities might look a little better at face value, and open a few more doors, but IMO it is not worth the substantially higher cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 but we are first in flight! And here's how education and flight merge. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2003/12/61655 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 i think i told you before...my current role is heavily involved with our companies taxonomy/ontology...all of my knowledge on the subject has been learned on the job...my former co-worker has an MLIS(?), so taxonomy/ontology is her expertise...we butted heads constantly because she was soooooo by the books(no pun intended) which may be perfect in a library setting, but in the practical world, especially in the world of on-line search, you need to almost go rogue and only use your book learning as a guideline and make it work....she could never do get her mind wrapped around going outside of her comfort zone...needless to say she was constantly being talked off the ledge...MLIS folk are a breed unto themselves...hopefully your wife is more 'normal' LoL... I am not normal... I have doubts about her! I remember you telling me this... Your former co-worker sounds really off the deep-end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 what a coinky-dink....so do i Then NC is your land of opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blzrul Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Got an MBA via an executive program fully paid for by my employer. Cost them $60k at the time (2001). Was worth it at a very minimum for the business connections I made. Many of the courses were the same as undergrad (stats, accounting, etc). I enjoyed it, but it was hard. And yes, I think it's helped. I may not use a lot of that stuff but employers assuming I could is as you say the "tick" on the box. I work in the technology field and most people do have them. Every now and then you run into someone who never even finished a bachelor's program, but they only go so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 like i said, in an academic or actual library setting, i get it...but in search engine land you really need to be constantly tweaking your structures to ensure you are meeting your end users needs, she would actually reference 'rules' and 'postulates' to defend her point...we would counter with "well, google brings it back, so should we'....but again, she had a lot of other deeper lying issues, its a much nicer work environment since she left and to her credit, i have discovered i learned a crap load from her. I realize I'm one of the exceptions, but I have a MLIS and I'm a pretty normal dude. To the above point, I often clash with my peers (and professors while I was in grad school) who live in a theoretical "by the book" fantasy land, whereas I approach things practically and rationally. To the OP, I would think the sage advice is get your Master's, as your career mobility and earning potential increase dramatically at a relatively low cost. Mead raises a good question: Are you prohibited from leaving your company once they bank roll your education? In general, I'd say attend a public university and seek out grants/scholarships to cover the cost- they're out there. Yeah, a degree from certain private universities might look a little better at face value, and open a few more doors, but IMO it is not worth the substantially higher cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 like i said, in an academic or actual library setting, i get it...but in search engine land you really need to be constantly tweaking your structures to ensure you are meeting your end users needs, she would actually reference 'rules' and 'postulates' to defend her point...we would counter with "well, google brings it back, so should we'....but again, she had a lot of other deeper lying issues, its a much nicer work environment since she left and to her credit, i have discovered i learned a crap load from her. I don't even agree that is okay even in public library setting... The library that my wife is @ was dieing on the vine before she took over. You think I am outside the book... She has no book. When she took over she was the youngst director (in her early 30's)... They were still maintaining a card catalog! Had the other directors easily beat by 20-30 years... They didn't know what to make of it! Least to say, the place is not dieing on the vine anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I have my BS in computer science and my MIS in Computer Information Systems. First, the reason I did it was so that I'd be able to teach as an adjunct faculty member when I'm in my 50s and 60s -- retire from high stress IT but still make a few bucks. I knew it'd also help my career in the short term, but that wasn't my reasoning. My previous company had a tuition reimbursement program where they paid for $5k/year of tuition. I managed to time it so that they paid roughly $15k, and I paid roughly $15k. I received my master's degree from Boston University, going through their online program. I looked at a lot of different programs and this one stuck out because it was a great blend of management and technical courses. In one class I built a data warehouse on Oracle (the football play by play database I've talked about before); in another, I built a database system for a Netflix-like company. In another, I came up with a mobile strategy for a made up company. And in another, I created an entire security policy/framework for a medical devices company (fake). It was a great experience. That said - it was also a VERY difficult and time consuming program. It was all online, but there were lectures once or twice a week, for roughly 1-2 hours. The nice part was that if you missed the live lecture, you could watch it recorded later. Homework, however, took a LOT of time -- I'd usually spend roughly 10 hours on Saturday and 4-5 hours on Sunday doing homework assignments. Some classes were worse - like the data warehouse class - and there were many times I had to take a day or two off of work and spent that time doing homework on top of the weekend stuff. I pretty much had no social life for 2+ years. Did it help my career? Hard to say. I learned a lot - so from that perspective it was great. I also left my old company shortly after graduating, and I don't know if my degree helped me get this job or not. I've now been promoted to director of IT Ops a few months ago, so while I can't pin it all on the degree, it had to have helped a little bit (one of the first things I was tasked with at the new job was to build a security program from scratch - much more involved than the class I took, but still, the class gave me a good foundation). Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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