rha@bunker.UUCP (Robert H. Averack) (10/18/88)
A couple of weeks ago, I posted an inquiry for opinions, anecdotes,
etc. on pursuing graduate degrees. The responses were very quick in coming
and interestingly distributed, as to MSCS vs. MBA, applicability, etc.
Out of 20 responses, 18 indicated that it is worthwhile to get some
sort of advanced degree, although there was a strong feeling that doing so
would not change one's status at their present company, nor would all of
the curricula be fully applicable. Only one respondent had a positive
opinion on going for the Ph.D.
What follows is a synopsis of the responses:
MSCS vs. MBA vs. Don't Bother --> MBA 5, MSCS 5, Both 1, MS (Other) 1,
Get a Master's, but not sure which 6, Don't Bother 2.
Difficulties --> time away from family, tough to stay committed over
the long haul.
Advantages --> prior work experience gives one an advantage in the
classroom over those without.
Applicability --> generally not within current position in company.
Ph.D --> too difficult to attain, makes one too specialized, generally not
applicable, albeit university teaching.
Miscellaneous --> start out slowly, one course per semester, possibly
non-matriculated, to ease into it and to make sure that this
is what you really want to do.
be very selective about which school, so a "quality"
(recognized) degree is the result.
consider ACM/IEEE membership as an alternative.
A number of people asked for copies of my responses, so I figured that
it would be worthwhile to post them, after some trimming. I apologize that
I couldn't trim more, but I think you'll understand after you've read them,
if you choose to.
Before I continue with a somewhat cut down collection of the responses
that I received, I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to all of the
following 19 named individuals:
Paul Black Sam Midkiff (mipos3!omepd!merat)
Jeff Bowles Mike Moran (ruth@utstat.toronto.edu)
Roy Hashimoto Bjorn Satdeva (sun!portal!cup.portal.com!Orion)
Carl Huber Sherwin Shao
Rob Lake Amos Shapir
David Luner Greg Skinner
Tom McClory Richard Stevens
Shehzad Mevawalla Dan Tani
and one who asked to remain annonymous, for their valued opinions and words
of well wishes -- it has meant a great deal to me.
So, what's the verdict? Well, I am DEFINITELY going to start work on my
Master's. However, I have not yet determined whether I am going to go for
the MSCS or MBA -- I am in the process of reviewing the programs at all of
the following schools:
Hartford Graduate Center (affiliated with Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute)
University of Hartford
University of New Haven.
Any opinions from you on any of these schools and their respective graduate
programs would be quite helpful.
And now, without further ado, the responses ...
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ames!harvard!wilma.bbn.com!dtani (Dan Tani)
Here's a data point and some personal opinion.
I got my BS in 84 and worked for Hughes Aircraft as a "designer" for 2
years. I then returned for my Masters. I got it in ME, but did my
thesis in human factors /decision making.
So, what have I learned? In my experience, don't expect to learn a
whole lot getting the master's. What it does allow is the freedom to
study cool stuff with no profit or productivity pressures on you. The
classes may be interesting and/or helpful, but they weren't in my
case. BUT, in my opinion, an advanced degree is what separates the
"men" from the "boys" (or the "Women" from the "girls"). An advanced
degree carries a lot of weight, simply because very few people have
them. IT makes you marketable, more visable. Its like elevator
shoes, if your average, it'll make you more visiable, if you're
"short" it won't do much. In my case, it has put me in a higher
salary bracket, and given me more head-room.
To go the extra step and get the (gasp) PhD, well, that's too much
work for me, I'm not that committed, and I don't want to get that
specialized. The masters is like a badge that says you could handle a
big project yourself, but doesn't stick you in an obscure corner.
Your situation may be different. You need the income, it sounds
like. You might be able to do the masters at night, but do you want
to give up all that time with your kid/wife? With 10 years seniority,
will they pay you to get the MS or MBA? That would probably be your
best bet. It never hurts to get more education (unless it plants you
in a corner), and if you can get it for free, all the better.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ames!uwvax!ai.cs.wisc.edu!luner (David L. Luner)
>Is it in any way possible to pursue a Ph.D. as a part-time endeavor?
No. Certainly not until you have reached the ABD stage. Even then, it's hard
enough full-time. Admittedly this depends on the school you plan to attend.
By your experience, you won't be getting a PhD for any economic reasons.
Starting salaries are mid 50's. For busniess reasons, I don't think a
"technical" (e.g. engineering, CS, math) PhD will be helpful -- perhaps
business or management would be more in line with your goals.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: pyramid!uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu!midkiff (Sam Midkiff)
I've heard that an MBA degrees with a technical background is a real
winner. However, don't take my word for it. One good thing about
MBAs is that many universities (at least in larger cities) offer
MBA classes scheduled to be easily scheduled over lunch, on Saturday,
after work, and so forth.
I worked for a while before going back to school. I didn't have a
mortgage, child, or wife, which reduced my responsibilities and made
the decision easier. Nevertheless, I spent a couple of semesters
working part time and attending class full time, just to see how I
felt about academia. You might want to do the same. It gives you
more time to make a decision, more information to make it on, and
lets you make some progress towards your degree.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ames!scubed!ncr-sd!emdeng.Dayton.NCR.COM!tmcclory (Tom McClory)
I am currently pursuing a masters in computer science, part-time,
at one of the local universities. I too am 32 years old, have
two kids, mortgage, car payments, etc ... Also, my employer
has given me experience in all phases of the software lifecycle,
good reviews, and in general has very strongly encouraged me
to stay with them (i.e. the golden handcuffs).
Why computer science rather than an MBA? It seems to me everyone
is going after the MBA. While a technical undergrad with MBA is
still considered a "good thing", it seems that anymore the
meaninfgul MBA degrees come from expensive eastern schools that
require full time commitments, not a nice choice financially.
However, technical knowledge always seems in demand. The press
still contains articles bemoaning the demise of America's technical
expertise. Besides, if I show any management potential at all, my
company will be more than happy to give me the intense MBA program,
trial by fire coupled with lots of self study. I'm not sure an
MBA degree would make this "real-life" course of study any easier.
What has my CS study given me so far? The theory courses in
computing theory and formal languages (regular expressions, finite
state machines, grammars, etc.) have given me insight into
formal ways of organizing requirements, that can be verified
in non-ambiguous ways. Breadth courses like software-engineering
forced me to read current literature, become familiar with
current thinking, and find out who is doing the really original
work. All valuable stuff for keeping on top of evolving
technology. My employer seems impressed. My manager in fact
stated during a performance appraisal he valued by input and
fresh ideas for improving methods and procedures. These wern't
my ideas, but my synthisis of things I saw during class.
In summary, my graduate study in CS has been very valuable
at boosting my professionalism and removing some of the narrow
viewpoints that are inevitable when struggling with product
schedules. I also think my graduate studies directly influenced
my appointment to a management position within six years of
recieving my undergraduate degree.
My recommendation? Go for the CS degree. It will take much more
time than the MBA, will be much harder, much more interesting,
and I firmly believe it will be more rewarding financially
than the MBA. We are a technology driven technology and it
is inovation in technology that will make money for the company,
not improved accounting techniques. The MSCS can be done
part time, in the evening, but it is really tough to stay
committed. Your wife has to help here (mine keeps reminding
me how angry I was when she dropped out of her master's
program). Even if you don't finish, the exposure to recent
thinking in the profession is sure to improve your effectiveness
on the job, something employers notice.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: oliveb!att!cbnews!mhm (Mike Moran)
My turn, I am 28 have been out of school 4.5 years, married and I
have a 4 year old daughter and 15.5 month old twin sons.
I started work at a software house (MDBS, Inc.), move to a manufacturing
company and now am working on contract at Bell Labs.
Primarily, C and assembler on anybody's unix or dos box.
From your description it sounds like you may
be at or near the top in technical orientation at your firm. This usually
means switching from technical to managerial. This switch becomes inevitable
at some point in the corporate hierarchy. So as lots of people in high
management have told me fill your greatest weakness first get an MBA in
data processing or operations research with minor emphasis in the
labor relations field and follow that with the MS in computer science.
Now that would probably be the ideal way, but this is the real world. Most
likely your company will pay for or help pay the cost of the MS in CS, but
not the MBA. So unless you feel like shelling out $200 plus per credit
hour for the MBA get the MS first. And if your company is fairly progressive
getting your MS may entitle you to larger salary, which you can use toward
the cost of the MBA.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: Roy Hashimoto - Sun NCAA <rhashimoto@Sun.COM>
It is extremely difficult to find a position that combines management and
cutting edge technical contributions, regardless of academic background.
Project leader seems to be about the best balance between the two.
Getting a degree simply to add a qualification may not be worthwhile. In
my experience, degrees only make a difference to people who don't know you.
If you aren't planning to move up within your own organization, a Masters
can be a requirement for consideration, but a strong record and enthusiastic
recommendations (and I suspect that you may have both) are more valuable
assets. Don't be afraid to apply for positions for which you don't meet
the minimum qualifications. Usually, an "or equivalent work experience"
is implied.
If you would like to get a degree to increase the depth or breadth of
your knowledge, be aware that it may not be as difficult as you think.
I have found that my work experience has given me a better perspective
from which to approach academic subjects. It is often easier to discern
what is important, i.e. what will be on the exam, and what is trivial.
Many companies have very generous tuition reimbursement programs. If
your company does not, you might consider moving to one that does. Usually,
you have to pay the fees up front, and you are reimbursed upon completion
of the course with a B or better. The catch in many companies is that
the coursework must relate to your work, so often business classes for
software engineers are not supported. Another drawback is that it takes
a fairly long time to get a part-time degree.
If you are worried about how you might perform after a long layoff from
studies, take part-time classes before you apply for admission. Non-degree
option units are cheaper, are still eligible for reimbursement, and you
can convert them to degree units, probably even at a different school,
when you matriculate. Another advantage is that you don't have to report
the grades when you apply if you're not satisfied with them. Most schools
will allow you to convert six to nine non-degree units toward a degree.
If you're after more money, you might check the annual salary survey issues
of Datamation and U.S. News and Report. The recent U.S. News issue had
a discussion of the value of an M.B.A. Apparently, the hottest place for
business school graduates right now is in manufacturing, but the combination
of a technical background and an M.B.A. is also in great demand. Opportunities
for a regular M.B.A. have tailed off somewhat.
Finally, some companies offer Masters and Doctoral Fellowships, where you
can earn some percentage of your salary and attend school full-time. These
Fellowships are usually quite competitive, and imply a moral commitment to
give the company a return on its investment. Doctoral Fellowships are
fairly rare, and usually require prior completion of all coursework and
basic research.
I don't know which path you should take, partially because my career goals
are entirely different from yours. I suggest you talk things over with
your managers. Part of their job is to understand your goals and help
you realize them within the company.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: Amos Shapir <nsc!taux01!taux02.taux01.UUCP!amos>
I came back for my CS MSc five years after completing my BS in Math/physics.
I have found out that:
a) Having a real experience 'in the field' is a ver *big* advantage for
a graduate student over students with no practical experience;
b) I had to re-learn quite a lot of undergrad courses, some of them didn't even
exist when I did my BS. This was, of course, much easier than doing them
as a freshman.
I was helped greatly by the university (Hebrew U of Jerusalem) policy of
employing graduate students as teaching and research aides; practically
none of us had had to pay any tuition fees.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: <asked to remain annonymous>
I just got an MSEE, 20 years later... I was apprehensive at first, but
it wasn't too hard. Looking back, I am happy for the accomplishment and
the discipline it required, and I did learn some specific things that now
seem useful and I understand some things that I thought would be useful to
me, but that turned out not to be. It's nice to know that, too.
Yes, some academics are pompous and autocratic, but a little teeth-gritting
and humoring seem called for since they are paid so little.
The degree itself looks nice on a resume, but I'm not sure it matters much to
employers compared to our track records.
I assume your employer would pay for most of the tuition, so the only? issue
is time commitment. I found 1 course easy, 2 somewhat difficult, although I
had an employed acquaintance taking FIVE at the same time in CS. I wouldn't
recommend that both of you go get masters at the same time, although I have
known couples to sucessfully do that too (although it ended in divorce.)
Although I mainly focused on HW, I did take a sort of experimental course in
SW project management, which talked about programmer productivity, Zipf's law,
the effect of the number of people working on a project on its schedule (the
"Mythical Man-Month"), etc., which you might have found interesting. I mostly
took courses I was interested in, vs. what was offered, with some allowance for
turkey profs. So some semesters I took nothing at all. This ran me up against
the school's 6 year limit, so I had to ask for an extension and sweat a bit the
last semester. I felt the thesis was personally very rewarding.
Have you heard of the "dual-ladder" idea? I'm not sure if its still around.
It seems to me you have to choose. You seem a little more technically inclined.
Nothing pisses me off more than a VP/MBA who tells me how to design something,
unless it's a VP/MSEE doing the same thing. I'm taking a management course now
and I find it deadly dull, full of amorphous generalities. I think of it as a
way to understand managers as alien beings, eg my wife, a VP/insurance.
>what about Doctoral programs? Is it in any way possible to pursue a Ph.D.
>as a part-time endeavor?
I think so, except maybe for the last year. I just read somewhere that PhDs
take about six times more time and money than MSs. But then, when you're
through you have something, and you have significantly changed as a person.
> What are/were your ideas about applicability of a
>Master's/Doctorate? How have they changed? What do you see as the most
>in-demand courses of study? For those of you who are doing it, or did it
>on a part-time basis, how bad was it?
Well I used to think that traffic would stop when I crossed the street, it
wouldn't rain on my head anymore, etc, but... There are easier ways to adorn
one's resume, BTW, eg become a SR. member of ACM, if they exist, write an easy,
non-technical paper for some conference--a case study drawn from work?
As for SW courses, there seem to be a lot of companies looking for people to
implement communication protocols (x.25, etc.) in C, on 68000s.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ames!amdcad!sun!uunet!nitrex!rbl (Rob Lake)
With your experience, an MS adds little to your value. An MBA, however,
may be the best key to a management position, but don't expect instant
miracles in the same large company you've been in for years.
- Perceptions of folks as technical vs. managment are hard to change unless
an organization is undergoing a major cultural or structural change.
- An MBA is some recognition of your training to make management-type decisions,
but may well not be recognized by your management or your management's
management.
- A general MBA or, in your case, one in finance or administration, would
appear to be a better bet than one in MIS or DP. Again management may view
the MIS or DP track as "continuing education" in the technical area rather
than as a broad management area.
- The "executive MBA" programs where you go on Friday and Saturday have
high regard here. Your wife has to be understanding, but when you have only
one young is the THE time to do it. By the time you have 3, you'll always
be one parent short and your wife may well need your time for relief.
- Perhaps your employer will give you time off, allow you to make up the
occasional Friday attendance, or even pay your tuition/fees/books. That is
also an excellent way to get them to recognize your interest in the management
side, as someone in "human relations" will track your progress as they pay
for your MBA.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ruth@utstat.toronto.edu
With a wife who also wants to go back to school, a large mortgage, and
a child, you won't be going back to school full time. So you might
as well look at universities in your area who offer part-time Master's
programs. Probably your employer will pay the tuition. It won't be
easy, and it will take a long time (I am in my 4th, and I hope final, year
of a part time Master's, and it has effected my work, as well as the amount
of time I have free, both adversely).
I don't have any ideas about which program you should follow, but you
might want to take a hard look at your undergrad marks (yes, they will
still look at them, after all these years) and the mark requirements
of the various programs, and perhaps apply to a range of programs, making
your decision once you see who accepts you. To a certain extent, employers
care about the level of the degree more than what it is in (assuming
you don't major in Greek and Latin). Around here, Computing is very
competative.
If the nearest univerisity is some little place nobody has heard of,
you might want to get some advice from someone who hires. Degrees
from some universities aren't worth very much, and it would be a shame
to put in 4 years, only to be laughed at.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: "Carl F. Huber" <uvacs.cs.virginia.edu!cfh6r@uunet>
> Now, what aspirations do I have for my future? Well, I would very
>much like to move up into more of a management role in the organization,
>while at the same time being in a position to remain current with the
>evolution of technology. I very much enjoy all phases of the development
>life cycle, but I particularly enjoy the early phases, when the critical
>decisions are made.
I wouldn't suggest a C.S. degree with these aspirations. The math gives
you a good foundation already. Experience in this field is worth a lot.
You can probably remain current more easily by subscribing to ACM and
IEEE journals. If you get more interested in some formal theory,
teach yourself.
For me, going to school (for undergrad and masters) with a family has been
extremely difficult, and I am forced to cut my education at the M.S. level.
You also probably would not want to go for Ph.D., esp. in C.S., if what
you want to do is manage - the Ph.D. would be a waste of effort. It sounds
like you would be more interested in a business degree.
One other prospect you should consider is starting your own business. If
you know your stuff well enough, and have a little business savvy, I think
that's the way to go. I am not sure how much going to school would help
you there. I got myself through school by starting a business in which
the employees did most of the work. ( The business was not at all related to
C.S., it was just a source of income. )
Once again, though, it was the family relationship that has killed school
for me, at least for a while. This may turn out to be your first
consideration, whatever you do. I guarantee, though, if you neglect your
daughter, you will hate yourself in five years. Everyone is different.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: Sherwin Shao <shao@ai.toronto.edu>
Sounds like you want an MBA. Not MSCS.
Operations Research may be a little too specialized.
MBA in Marketing and Finance is the best thing for your aspirations.
I've seen it happen, a technical degree + Experience + MBA will land you the
perfect job in management + technology.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: sun!portal!cup.portal.com!Orion
Get a MBA like everyone else :) ::sigh::
there goes another programmer :(
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: yale!hsi!hsi86!stevens (Richard Stevens)
Get a Masters, at least. I've found so many people for whom this has
made quite a technical change (i.e., they've learned more than they
ever thought they would). I've had numerous employees of mine
who've I've suggested this to. I've found there to be quite a
difference usually (of course, there are always exceptions) between
someone with an MS/CS and a "old" BS employee. A lot depends on
what you've done to keep current over the past 10 years - are you
a member of ACM or IEEE and reading some technical journal regularly ?
One nice thing about an MS degree is that most reasonable schools
let you do it part-time, but you need to be motivated for this.
Stay away from schools that don't allow this (i.e., Yale and its
equivalents). Also beware of mediocre private schools where the
MS/CS program is just not up to date (i.e., U. New Haven). A good
look through a catalog, especially at the lab facilities available
will give a good indication as to how up to date the curriculum is.
Sounds like you would enjoy a good "practical" program (as opposed
to a theoretical program).
Most important to part-time school is finding an employer who
encourages it. Mine did, and I did my MS and PhD is 7 years of
part-time study (working full-time all the way through, married
the last few years and with a new baby the last year). I was
also lucky to find a school and program that didn't mind a
part-time student (U. of Arizona).
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ...{allegra,ames,sun}!oliveb!cirrusl!paul (Paul E. Black)
My MS program did two things for me:
1) I studied and learned things I never would have on my own. I'm not
that self disciplined.
2) I got a much broader view of tools and techniques available in
computer science.
I can't comment on whether an MBA or MS is the right way to go.
However I do encourage you to go back and learn more technique. Some
doors will open that you may not have realized are there.
My suggestion is to get an MS before a PhD. I've been thinking about
going back to get my PhD (the world has changed in the 5 years since I
graduated). It would have been very hard for me to go straight from
my Bachelor's degree mentality to a PhD.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: Greg Skinner <joyce.istc.sri.com!gds@uunet>
I decided last year that I was going to go back to grad school. I was
getting (am now) tired of my job and without anything higher than a
B.S. in computer science I cannot look forward to anything but more of
the same B.S. :-) I could try looking in other companies but I think
I'd find the same thing: unless you are a manager your just another
programming flunkie without an advanced degree. I am uninterested in
management because it's a waste of my time doing administrative B.S.
instead of creative work.
I graduated in '84. If all goes well, I'll enroll in the fall of '89
and hopefully have an M.S. in computer science by the spring of '91.
If it was a profitable experience, I might consider going on for the
Ph.D. If not, I might try something else like getting a math degree
and trying for a teaching job in a small college. I liked math even
before I knew what computers were and figured I could have a career in
it if things in computer science didn't pan out. I tend to do better
in math courses than computer science courses because they don't try
to weed you out as much (the depts. are smaller) and I have more
mathematical intuition.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: mipos3!omepd!merat
I went back to school for my MSEE after working for 3+ years. I was
younger (26) and did not have any responsibilities (no kids, wife or
mortgatge payments).
My reasons for going were only for personal satisfaction; knowing that
it was something I wanted to do and to prove to myself that financial
rewards is not all that life is about.
I did enjoy it very much. Having 'real-life' experience helped quite
a bit. I was able to get an research assitantship right off the bat.
Fellowships is also an avenue which I did not explore. Getting back to
being student, having to study and being on a budget was difficult however.
Don't expect a big change in career however! I'm basically doing the
same thing I did before going back to school. In my experience, career
growth comes with experience and accomplishments (a graduate degree
being only one).
I liked the fact that I could break off from the tradition, and was bold
and couragous enough to give up a well-paying job to become a student.
I think it will pay-off in the long run. After all, taking risks is
what life is all about! Good luck.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ames!amdcad!sun!uunet!sysadm!bjorn (Bjorn Satdeva)
I think the bottom line for you should be if going back to school will
actually do anything for you. I too have been in that situation, as I
have an almost master degree in computer science from a University in
Copenhagen, Denmark. I order to get my masters degree, I'm required to
get a bachelor degree in math from the same university. And what will
get out of doing so? I will be able to go out and get the job I already
have (no :-).
So my conclusion has been, that although the university life is atractive,
it is not realistic for me, there is other means to enjoy life.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: ames!rutgers!babel.sandiego.ncr.com!shehzad (Shehzad Mevawalla)
I have some very close friends, who are now pursuing a master's in Safety
Systems Management. It sounds boring but it is really not. It is actually
a combination of computer science and business management and how one relates
to the other in the real world of the computer sciences.
All these people are recent C.S graduates, one of them is working
at Rockwell and Rockwell is paying for her tuition because they feel it is
relevant to her job (programmer/analyst).
From what I've heard about the coursework, from my friends, it
seems to be a pretty good major. You might want to look into it. If you
want to move into higher management, but want to keep up with the technical
side, this looks ideal for you.
I'm not sure which other universities offer such a program, but the one they
are doing it at (which happens to be the one we all graduated from) is the
University Of Southern California in Los Angeles.
You can get more information on their program by writing to :
USC Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 77952
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 743-2311
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
From: lll-crg.llnl.gov!bowles@uunet (Jeff Bowles)
You left out an important detail: what do YOU hope to get out of
additional education? If it's money, get a degree in some unrelated
field that your computer background will really help with [in the long
run], like law or medicine; if it's responsibility/promotability, get
an MBA; if it's academia, you have to get a PhD in Math, CS, or the like
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
--
{oliveb,yale,decvax,philabs}!bunker!rha
Bob Averack
Bunker Ramo, an Olivetti Company
Two Enterprise Drive - Shelton, Connecticut 06484