Do you believe that an advanced degree (i.e., MBA or Ph.D) will help open more doors?

SGT Jamell Culbreath — Mon, 18 May 2015 16:21:06 -0400

Where the person is not underemployed or underutilized???

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2015 4:23 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 May 2015 16:23:13 -0400

This is a double edged sword because although doors may open many will say you are over qualified or you dont have the experience is some cases. So with that what do you do. I would say look at the position you are applying for and only give the credetials plus a little to be just slightly over qualified. Bottom line is nobody wants somebody to work for them that may know more or be more qualified for fear of losing there own job. This is just opinion and what I have seen some do to get the job.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2015 4:34 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 May 2015 16:34:21 -0400

In my experience, my masters has actually closed more doors. I have been told that I am 'over-qualified' due to my education...that they did not want to hire their own boss.

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 18 at 2015 4:54 PM

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Mon, 18 May 2015 16:54:07 -0400

What I am seeing anymore is people with advanced degrees working jobs that didn't even need a bachelor's degree.

At the same time, though, I am seeing job announcements for positions (in my office) that should need nothing more than a Bachelor's degree but are requiring a minimum of a Master's degree to even be eligible for consideration.

Go figure ...

Response by MSG Brad Sand made May 18 at 2015 6:03 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Mon, 18 May 2015 18:03:07 -0400

I do believe in advanced degrees because I have seen them with my own eyes! They really do exist.

They are actually not made from sheep's hides and even then, I do not think they had the power to physically open doors.

More to the question you asked, having an advance degree will not hurt you and some position and fields require them. You need to a cost/benefit analysis of what you are trying to accomplish? If in doubt, get the degree.

IF you are told you are over qualified, it really means you will need to be paid more than they can afford...if they cannot afford you, you cannot afford to work there?

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 18 at 2015 6:07 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Mon, 18 May 2015 18:07:46 -0400

I think the post graduate degree boom is generally over as far as opening doors. IMHO, a bachelors degree today is essentially what a high school diploma was for our parents' generation. In many cases you need one to get a job. When the 90s and early 2000s-2010 economies went bust, a lot of people went back to school for post grad degrees. At those points there was a competitive edge because there just weren't as many folks with post grad degrees out there. Today since more people have them in areas/jobs that may not necessarily require them, it looks like companies are trending the opposite way because of potential pay expectations - less becomes more to a company because the pay expectation is lower. Do they help you individually, yes. Now with the on-line degree boom and on-line universities and accreditations under scrutiny a new twist may be added to this.

Let's take tech guys like me with a BS in computer science. Very rarely do I see any job qualifications requiring higher than a BS. In many cases companies will forgo the BS for an associates or tech school certificate with greater number of years experience. Now if you were talking a job at some corporate think tank or upper echelons of the big tech companies, then that masters or higher is needed if not required. Salary-wise it can get stagnant unless you are contracting or have a really honed and/or unique skill set.

I've seen some mixed results in the teaching community courtesy of my wife. Public school teachers and salaries are union regulated and most times its longevity and tenure that get you the placements before the post grad degree. Non-union administrator positions on the other hand get very competitive and a post grad degree may be the tie breaker.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made May 18 at 2015 9:50 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 18 May 2015 21:50:13 -0400

Credentials (educational degrees and professional certifications) will help you get a job. Your skills will help you keep it.

Degrees have been cheapened ever since colleges and universities (and pre-college schools) began substituting indoctrination for education. Also, government-backed student loans have also helped make them less meaningful (students tend to work harder for their education when they and their parents have an investment in it).

Skills will never be cheapened.

Response by MSgt Dwyane Watson made May 19 at 2015 5:41 PM

MSgt Dwyane Watson — Tue, 19 May 2015 17:41:07 -0400

Many times getting the job you want is not what you know but who you know. I've met people with advanced degrees and I'm surprised they can cross the street by themselves, but they have the right paper work to put on the wall. Sometimes job experience will shut the door on you, when some potential employers found out I ran a flight of 147 people they were intimidated and said that I was over qualified and wouldn't be happy in the position. What ya gonna do? LOL

Response by SPC Candace Leach made May 19 at 2015 5:48 PM

SPC Candace Leach — Tue, 19 May 2015 17:48:12 -0400

To be honest I don't know if it would open more doors because you'll end up being overly qualified for the job. Some jobs would require work experience before a grad degree. Most of the IT jobs I applied for want experience along with a Masters degree for a higher position. It's good to have but finding a job in your field of study can be challenging in small cities especially in the IT field.

Response by SN Joyce Sunderland made May 20 at 2015 5:55 PM

SN Joyce Sunderland — Wed, 20 May 2015 17:55:35 -0400

Considering that I'm wanting to become a licensed nurse practitioner, and that to get the skill set necessary to become one in the state of Texas requires at least a Master's, then I would have to say yes, it would open more doors. That being said, I feel that those doors would open into a more, for lack of a better term, high-class environment; e.g. more "white (or gold)-collar" than "blue-collar." This has me concerned, as I've only worked "blue-collar" & some low-end white collar jobs since getting out of the Navy 20 years ago. My concern is that there would be a lack of respect for me pretty much being one of the older "newbies" around.

Ah ... but then, I've reached the age where (as my son-in-law so succinctly states) zero "eff's" are given about other people's opinions. As long as I know I can do the job that I'm being hired on to do, that's all that really matters.

Response by SPC Maurice Dawson, D.Sc. made May 27 at 2015 1:42 PM

SPC Maurice Dawson, D.Sc. — Wed, 27 May 2015 13:42:20 -0400

I would recommend getting the most education possible but from good institutions. So look for AACSB, NSA CAE, or ABET accredited institutions. If certain doors closed due to education then let them close. Other opportunities will be available but you need to know where to look. I would recommend field such as cyber security, Business Intelligence (BI), program management, or software engineering. These are in demand field with good salaries.

Dr. Maurice Dawson

Response by SFC Jack Dilbeck made Aug 28 at 2015 3:09 PM

SFC Jack Dilbeck — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 15:09:05 -0400

The answer really depends on what you want to do career wise. Another factor is how much experience you have in the field. In general, if you have an appropriate amount of experience in your field of choice, a graduate degree will open doors for you. On the other hand, if you lack appropriate experience, an advanced degree will often close doors.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 8:02 AM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 08:02:21 -0400

I believe a degree (any degree) is a ticket. It is a ticket to be able to be considered for a position. Without the ticket you do not get considered, you do not get an interview etc.

But, once you have the ticket your success is dependent not on the degree but, your performance.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Oct 1 at 2015 8:52 AM

SrA Edward Vong — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 08:52:43 -0400

The true purpose of education at the purest source is to be educated. Unfortunately in today's world, it is a means to careers and a successful job.

All that aside, an MBA can help one further their career in a corporate setting. A PhD can help further one's career in a research setting, or help one become a professor if she/he wishes. The point of a PhD should be to stimulate the brain because of an individual's thirst for knowledge. Whatever comes after that is an add on.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Oct 22 at 2015 11:29 AM

SSG Audwin Scott — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:29:37 -0400

It all depends on the field of work you are in. For example in the education field that I work in, it would benefit me greatly because you are paid based off the level of your degree.

Response by SFC Jack Dilbeck made Oct 22 at 2015 11:54 PM

SFC Jack Dilbeck — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 23:54:44 -0400

It really depends on what experience you have and the field of education you pursue credentials in. While in service, I decided that I wanted to teach at the college level. That requires a masters in field and at least 18 graduate hours in the teaching discipline at a minimum. It requires some experience in the private sector and some teaching experience. Acquiring these, I found a full time faculty position in a community college where I taught for 10 years. I then decided I wanted to go into administration so I earned a Ph.D.

So here is the bottom line. Know what you want to do with the degree before you earn it. Know what technical skills you need and how much experience is required. Develop a plan to achieve your goal and work your plan.

One final piece of advice, earn your degree from a state supported or not for profit regionally accredited institution with a good reputation. Hope this helps.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2015 6:31 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 18:31:59 -0400

Of Course.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jun 6 at 2017 10:44 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 10:44:57 -0400

Depends on the degree and how you use it. I had a BS in Civil Engineering and later got a MS in Systems Management from USC. On the Fed side, MS/MA's frequently don't mean anything as there usually isn't a degree requirement at that level on the Position Description. So if it isn't required, the HR system really doesn't know how to deal with that. But, if you do something with it, that's what gets noticed, hence more doors open for more capable people. The problem out there is people get MBA's but are inherently no more capable than they were. Even worse, there are "professional students". My niece is like that, just graduating from Columbia with a MS in Psych, but doesn't want to work with patients because they're nutty. You get to figure it out from here kid. Good luck.