The NY Times is running an article about masters degrees that basically makes it sound like you are screwed if you don’t have one. As someone who, er, doesn’t have one, it concerns me that the Times would put out such a one-sided article. In fact, there are many jobs that do not require a masters. In my profession, for example, a solid portfolio takes you farther than any degree. The Times also fails to underscore the fact that salary jumps will only be felt at high levels of a given field. Many masters students are up to their necks in debt for years, underemployed and frustrated. And many education professionals feel that the high numbers of masters degrees given each year is in fact too high, saturating the job market with credentialed workers to fill jobs that just aren’t there.
I said long ago that I would not go to grad school until I knew what I wanted to go for. I stick by that decision. Who knows which degree will serve me best when I’m ready to step into a job that calls for it (and is worth the investment)? For now, the numbers just don’t add up.