Master Degree or BS Degree

Ippo_AL

Hello Guys,

I am pretty new into the IT field and have a few questions. I was wondering if it is worth my time to obtain a master degree over a bachelor degree in IT? Are there any real advantages. Is it even worth obtaining any degree in IT? It appears that people get hire because of certifications instead of degrees in this field. I do currently have a bachelor degree but in a different field.

Thank You,

Ippo

iBrokeIT

A better return for your time and money would be to get your first IT job and certifications.

cyberguypr

I concur. An unrelated BS will fill the checkbox in many places. You'll be best served and will see more ROI out of experience and certs.

Ippo_AL

For Sure, I am currently working toward my A+ Certification and is on the hunt for a entry level position.

AverageJoe

I agree with the other posts that you're probably better off pursuing experience and certs at this point.

abyssinica

I think everyone in the world should get their bachelors if they can.

puertorico1985

Without any IT experience, I would recommend getting one or more entry level certs and then start seeking out an entry level position. While working, I would continue the certification path and moving up in position once additional certs are acquired. Your BS degree, while unrelated, will still help you check off that box with HR.

shodown

abyssinica wrote: »

I think everyone in the world should get their bachelors if they can.

Why

If everyone got it, then some people will be asking for masters degrees. This is something that is causing more pain in the world than good. I'm not sure where you live, but in the US our education system is in need of serious reform.

fredrikjj

shodown wrote: »

Why

If everyone got it, then some people will be asking for masters degrees. This is something that is causing more pain in the world than good. I'm not sure where you live, but in the US our education system is in need of serious reform.

Because the more people who have degrees it, the dumber you'll seem for not having one. So while degrees lose value on average if "everyone" gets one (i.e. it leads to less and less of a wage premium), for the individual it could be the difference between getting a job and not getting one at all.

anoeljr

abyssinica wrote: »

I think everyone in the world should get their bachelors if they can.

The OP said that he has a bachelors, just not in IT. Or maybe you were talking about others, I'm not sure.

CyberfiSecurity

I would recommend either a Master degree in IT or none. It is better to invest your time and money into the IT certifications than a second Bachelor degree. You will be surprised that most successful IT folks hold Bachelor degree in Arts (i.e: Psychology, History, Sociology, and etc) and Business. A college degree just a check mark part of requirement.

yeah yeah

Maybe what will get you the best bang for your buck...return on investment? What's your history now? Experience with certs is much cheaper and faster. What's your long term plans? If your long term plans eventually include management over IT, then the Masters will work. If I'm hiring a Jr Helpdesk tech, 1-2 years exp plus an A+ looks much better than a Masters with 0 years exp. If I'm hiring an IT Manager that will be in charge of sys admins, helpdesk, developers, configuration management, and IT contracts, I won't really care that they have their A+. I'd be more interested in their years of experience plus the Masters will definitely help.