This article, which seems to be written for people outside the US or UK contemplating graduate study in the US or UK, has some good points:
http://www.infozee.com/channels/ms/articles/doctoral.htm.
The overall http://www.infozee.com website also appears to be quite good. This is useful, especially for a topic which generates so much useless noise and huckstering.
The doctoral degree (also referred to as a Ph.D.) is the highest degree awarded by the universities, and is done so after an extensive program of study and research in a specialized subject. The degree signifies a capability to assimilate the most advanced and recondite level of knowledge in the subject. The degree is crowned with a doctoral thesis, which is expected to be a thorough and intensive contribution to a specialized subject based on original research and inquiry.
As is obvious from the above, a prerequisite for pursuing a doctoral degree is an active interest in, and the inclination to do, intensive research work. It requires putting in long and laborious hours of study at a microcosmic level on a specific subject. In this way, a doctoral degree is quite an antithesis of the master's degree, which covers a broad range of subjects in a particular field of study.
Eligibility : A common misconception is that a master's degree is a prerequisite for the doctoral degree. It is an advantage but is not necessary. For 3-year degree holders, it is not possible to enroll directly for a Ph.D program. Some universities do consider admission into a Ph.D directly after a Bachelors degree, if pre-requisite scores, academics and experience are sound. You must demonstrate an inclination towards research and exhibit a good academic record.
Experience of atleast two to three years in the relevant field is considered important for admission into a Doctoral program, by most universities.
How the Doctoral Application Process works :
The application process has to be initiated atleast one year to eighteen months in advance before the proposed date of reporting at the university. This is necessary since identification of professors, interaction with them and finalizing the program of research with necessary financial assistance can take a long time.
For any graduate programme, more so for a doctoral, the applicant has to contend with two sets of requirements - those set by the graduate school and those set by the graduate department. You have to meet up with the eligibility requirements of the university and also find a match between your area of specialisation and the research interests of the department you will be studying in.
Choose your subject : The first step towards applying is deciding on a subject for your doctorate. The essential aspect here is to focus on as specific a field of study as you possibly can; thus saying that you wish to do a doctorate in Electrical Engineering is not good enough, you have to be more specific than that (say, doctorate in Power Transmission and transmission losses, which is a specific field within the broad ambit of Electrical Engineering). Spend time on deciding this - the critical factor here is a very high level of interest in the specific field you choose. In fact, some experts recommend that you should have a rough idea of what your research topic in the doctoral program is going to be even before you apply for admission.
Prepare for the standardised tests : The GRE is required for most doctoral programs in the engineering and other non-management related fields. In the top graduate schools, securing a doctoral berth is a tough proposition because they are very choosy about admitting research candidates. In fact, most schools have a strict ceiling of the number of doctoral candidates they admit, which can be as low as five students in a calendar year. Most universities require the general GRE test as well as the Subject GRE test, with excellent scores. Check this with the university you intend to apply to. You will also be required to take the TOEFL and the TSE.
Choose Universities : Along with your test preparation for GRE, Subject GRE, TOEFL and TSE, you must start identifying universities that are good in the area that you want to specialise in. You must check the research interests of the department under which your research area falls.
Contact the departments and Professors : After identifying a suitable list of universities and their departments, you should identify Professors who could be interested to work with you in your research area. You could do so by visiting the university web sites and getting the names and contact email IDs of the professors.
Start corresponding with the professors by indicating your interest to work under them. Indicate as clearly as possible the subject of your research and what qualifies you to be successful at it.
You must initiate this process with as many universities as you can. There will be some Professors who will not be interested in your research area. Identify those that are, and go ahead and complete the application procedure of those universities.
Follow the Application process of the university : Submit your application to the university, follow their time deadlines, and comply with all requirements.
Project yourself well : An essential part of the application is the statement of purpose (SOP) which all graduate schools require you to write. This statement should clearly bring out your interest in the field in which you wish to do a Ph.D. Any previous research experience in that field will work to your advantage.
Financing your Doctoral Study : Getting financial aid for a doctoral programme is fairly easy. Most universities will give you a full financial aid, which will cover your tuition fees and living expenses. The aid is given either semester wise or on yearly basis. You have to apply for financial aid by indicating your interest in your admission application form.
The content of the Doctoral Programme
The doctoral programme is divided into two parts, pre-dissertation study and the doctoral thesis. Once admitted, you are required to spend the first year or so in acquiring a solid foundation in the advanced knowledge of your chosen field. This entails regular course work - you might have to attend lectures and seminars with the master's degree students of your stream. This course work culminates in a "qualifying examination", on clearing which you are formally admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree.
In the second and final stage of the pre-dissertation study, you are expected to acquire expertise in a specialized field within your chosen discipline. Thus, if your doctoral subject was organisational behaviour, you may have narrowed down your research interest to "leadership", an important element within organisational behaviour. This stage too ends in an examination, including an oral one, upon passing which you are considered ready to begin work on your thesis.
The Doctoral Thesis : This final stage of the doctoral study is usually regarded as the most important, during which you have to complete a dissertation (a detailed study on a topic, which can be as specific as "Employee motivation at the XYZ Corporation", but should contribute to the existing level of knowledge in that field of study. During the research, you will be assigned to an advisor with whom you are required to work in close association. This advisor is usually a faculty member most knowledgeable about the special area of dissertation research.
Thesis research and preparation is a highly cognitive process. The culmination of the process is in the form of the final thesis defense, in which you are presumed to be an expert in your field and are supposed to literally defend your findings and conclusions on the subject in front of a committee. The completed dissertation becomes a public document, placed in the university library and also often published in the university journal or even on its web site in some cases.
How long does it take?
The entire process of getting a doctorate degree usually takes a minimum of three-and-a-half years, nearly two of which are spent exclusively in preparing the thesis. The degree usually leads to employment in the academic world, but in recent years, more and more doctorates are finding employment in the professional world at par with or even ahead of other professionals.
Showing posts with label credential. Show all posts
Showing posts with label credential. Show all posts
Friday, January 1, 2010
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Genealogy As A Career Switch Option
One career switch option is genealogy. This is an important subject for many reasons, not just personal, although that's a big one too as people become more curious about family history. Families may retain genealogists just because they're interested or to discover potential heirs to a divided estate.
One US-based website with a lot of information: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/becoming_a_professional_genealogist
That website says that there is such a thing as a "certified genealogist", so there seems to be some credentialing associated with it. There are also academic certificates and degrees in genealogy now.
This UK-based website highlights genealogy as a career-switch path.
Also note this interesting US Government report from as recently as last year, regarding a fee-for-service genealogical program that the Department of Homeland Security was setting up:
"This rule affects professional genealogists and other members of
the public requesting historical records from USCIS. The main source of
genealogy requests comes from individuals doing personal research,
rather than from small entities, such as professional genealogists.
``The Washington Post'' reported that seventy-three percent of
Americans have an interest in their family history, according to a 2005
study conducted by Market Strategies, Inc., a syndicated research firm
based in Livonia, Michigan, and MyFamily.com, an online network of
genealogical tools based in Provo, Utah. ``The Wall Street Journal''
described genealogy as a $200 million per year industry ranging from
individual researchers to multi-million dollar companies.
In addition, the growth of the Internet has spurred interest in
genealogy and a rapidly growing number of hobbyists pursuing genealogy.
According to the ``Occupational Outlook Quarterly'' (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Fall 2000), a 1997 survey of certified genealogists found
that 57 percent work part-time, 34 percent work full-time, and 9
percent are hobbyists. In 2001, there were over 300 certified
genealogists, and currently, the Association of Professional
Genealogists has 1,600 members worldwide http://www.apgen.org. The
National Genealogical Society notes:
Some professional genealogists are employed as librarians,
archivists, editors or research assistants to established
professionals; others work for genealogical firms. Most, however,
choose self-employment-learning business principles to ensure the
success of their genealogical practice. As with other
entrepreneurial fields, most make the move gradually from their
original field of employment, building a practice--be it a client
base, writing outlets, or some other venue--before moving full-time
into genealogy. Some make this career switch in mid-life. Others
choose genealogy as a second career upon retirement from their first
one. Because genealogical degree programs are still relatively rare,
only a few enjoy the opportunity to make genealogy their first
career. No accurate count exists for the number of individuals
employed as genealogists, full-time and part-time (http://
www.ngsgenealogy.org/articles/profession.cfm)."
One US-based website with a lot of information: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/becoming_a_professional_genealogist
That website says that there is such a thing as a "certified genealogist", so there seems to be some credentialing associated with it. There are also academic certificates and degrees in genealogy now.
This UK-based website highlights genealogy as a career-switch path.
Also note this interesting US Government report from as recently as last year, regarding a fee-for-service genealogical program that the Department of Homeland Security was setting up:
"This rule affects professional genealogists and other members of
the public requesting historical records from USCIS. The main source of
genealogy requests comes from individuals doing personal research,
rather than from small entities, such as professional genealogists.
``The Washington Post'' reported that seventy-three percent of
Americans have an interest in their family history, according to a 2005
study conducted by Market Strategies, Inc., a syndicated research firm
based in Livonia, Michigan, and MyFamily.com, an online network of
genealogical tools based in Provo, Utah. ``The Wall Street Journal''
described genealogy as a $200 million per year industry ranging from
individual researchers to multi-million dollar companies.
In addition, the growth of the Internet has spurred interest in
genealogy and a rapidly growing number of hobbyists pursuing genealogy.
According to the ``Occupational Outlook Quarterly'' (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Fall 2000), a 1997 survey of certified genealogists found
that 57 percent work part-time, 34 percent work full-time, and 9
percent are hobbyists. In 2001, there were over 300 certified
genealogists, and currently, the Association of Professional
Genealogists has 1,600 members worldwide http://www.apgen.org. The
National Genealogical Society notes:
Some professional genealogists are employed as librarians,
archivists, editors or research assistants to established
professionals; others work for genealogical firms. Most, however,
choose self-employment-learning business principles to ensure the
success of their genealogical practice. As with other
entrepreneurial fields, most make the move gradually from their
original field of employment, building a practice--be it a client
base, writing outlets, or some other venue--before moving full-time
into genealogy. Some make this career switch in mid-life. Others
choose genealogy as a second career upon retirement from their first
one. Because genealogical degree programs are still relatively rare,
only a few enjoy the opportunity to make genealogy their first
career. No accurate count exists for the number of individuals
employed as genealogists, full-time and part-time (http://
www.ngsgenealogy.org/articles/profession.cfm)."
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tuition discounts, No. 1
This will be an ongoing brainstorm. One big speedbump in the course of getting more education or a new credential is $$$ cost. Sometimes employers will pay for part-time tuition or books, usually within certain limits.
This is a nice benefit. Employers often like it too. It attracts good employees but in my experience, employees seldom actually use it. Graded courses often seem high-threat to people who have been out of school for a while. It's the exception-that-proves-the-rule for anyone to actually take a graded course or get a degree doing that, so it's cheaper than paying employees more. (There could be and may have been studies on incentives like that - in other spheres, the 401-K fund matches and purchase rebates seem to work that way.)
Sometimes there are restrictions. It also may not be the way to go for a drastic career redirection, especially if your boss needs to sign off on each course and perhaps even justify it up the chain, a setup which can also lead to complications even when the "training" relates directly to what the employer needs.
(On the other hand, noting earlier post, if your employer offers a centrally funded degree program on-site which doesn't require a lot of boss involvement other than kudos when you finish it, you should seriously consider jumping on that. It
But sometimes it's better if your credential project is invisible to your employer. Anyway, you need to think about cost in your credential project and to figure that you may need to may for at least some of it.
Focusing on tuition, even though it's not the only expense: It's good if it can be discounted -- or even free!
One interesting source of information is here is from the Dummies website, http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/finding-college-tuition-discounts-chaching.html, with my comments noted in bold:
Eligibility-based tuition discounts
Colleges often offer to reduce tuition as part of a benefits package or as part of their general policy. For this sort of tuition discount, you can't negotiate for a better deal, and eligibility tends to be strictly defined. You either qualify or you don't. Here are a few examples:
College employees often get tuition discounts. If you're the spouse, child, or (rarely) grandchild of a faculty or staff member, you're often entitled to a tuition discount or a tuition exemption.
Or if you ARE a faculty or staff member - something to consider, and there could be reciprocal benefits, like if you teach at the community college but are doing a PhD at the local state university. "Staff" can also include custodial, campus police, etc. On the other hand, colleges are contracting more of this out, and contractors probably aren't eligible.
Some colleges also offer discounts to alumni and their dependents. Colleges often do this as a way of keeping a tradition alive or rewarding return business. Stanford University, for example, offers a 20 percent tuition discount to alumni returning for Continuing Education courses.
Never heard of this! However, CE, lifelong learning, etc. may not be a credential-builder.
Eligibility may be based on age. Some colleges offer discounts to seniors. Tulane University, for example, offers a 50 percent discount for students aged 60 years and older.
States do too. You generally have to be a state resident and usually "senior" means 60 or over - I haven't found any younger ones, and some are older. Also, some, like Virginia, are means-tested - you almost have to be an unemployed pauper to get the tuition break, which means you may have more pressing matters on your mind. South Carolina seems to have one of the better deals this way.
Discounts may be offered to students with siblings attending the college. Seton Hall University, for example, offers a 10 percent discount to students whose brother or sister attends SHU.
Tuition discounts are often tied to employment. George Washington University in Virginia operates liaison programs with various corporations, offering a 10 percent tuition reimbursement to employees who complete a course of study with them. Like many similar programs, the reimbursement amount is capped at a set figure. In GWU's case, the maximum that can be claimed is $1,000 per year per student.
Reportedly GWU has been the most expensive school in the US for several years running and they don't have a lot of distance offerings. Not sure $1000 a year is a meaningful discount.
Some employee tuition discount programs also apply to the rest of the family. The State of Tennessee offers employees of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government a fee waiver for one course per semester, and tuition discounts of 25 percent on all college courses taken by their dependents. Specific restrictions apply — generally the dependant must be under 24 — but they're easy to follow.
Nice! Get a job with the State of Tennessee.
Programs for state employees and their dependents exist in most states (!!!), so definitely investigate this possibility if your parent, or even your grandparent, works for (or used to work for) the state. While you're at it, don't forget to check on discounts available if your parent works for the city in which a college is located.
NEVER HEARD OF THIS! Something to check out.
Some programs are tied to religious institutions or organizations. At Rosedale Bible College, active ministers and their dependents are offered a 75 percent tuition discount if they're members of the Conservative Mennonite Conference. Ministers outside the Conference receive only a 25 percent discount, and the rate for their dependents falls to 15 percent. Also, several other religious institutions offer discounts to groups.
Some tuition discount programs may not be for college tuition. Instead, discounts for a private school, a daycare, or other similar institution may be offered to the children of those attending or working at a particular college. For example, Children's World Learning Centers offers Johns Hopkins University employees a 10 percent tuition discount on published tuition rates at any of the Children's World Centers.
Some discounts are offered for non-peak school times. Pennsylvania College of Technology has initiated an Early Start program, offering students a 25 percent tuition discount on specific courses if they take them in the summer term, which typically has lower enrollment than the rest of the year.
This is a nice benefit. Employers often like it too. It attracts good employees but in my experience, employees seldom actually use it. Graded courses often seem high-threat to people who have been out of school for a while. It's the exception-that-proves-the-rule for anyone to actually take a graded course or get a degree doing that, so it's cheaper than paying employees more. (There could be and may have been studies on incentives like that - in other spheres, the 401-K fund matches and purchase rebates seem to work that way.)
Sometimes there are restrictions. It also may not be the way to go for a drastic career redirection, especially if your boss needs to sign off on each course and perhaps even justify it up the chain, a setup which can also lead to complications even when the "training" relates directly to what the employer needs.
(On the other hand, noting earlier post, if your employer offers a centrally funded degree program on-site which doesn't require a lot of boss involvement other than kudos when you finish it, you should seriously consider jumping on that. It
But sometimes it's better if your credential project is invisible to your employer. Anyway, you need to think about cost in your credential project and to figure that you may need to may for at least some of it.
Focusing on tuition, even though it's not the only expense: It's good if it can be discounted -- or even free!
One interesting source of information is here is from the Dummies website, http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/finding-college-tuition-discounts-chaching.html, with my comments noted in bold:
Eligibility-based tuition discounts
Colleges often offer to reduce tuition as part of a benefits package or as part of their general policy. For this sort of tuition discount, you can't negotiate for a better deal, and eligibility tends to be strictly defined. You either qualify or you don't. Here are a few examples:
College employees often get tuition discounts. If you're the spouse, child, or (rarely) grandchild of a faculty or staff member, you're often entitled to a tuition discount or a tuition exemption.
Or if you ARE a faculty or staff member - something to consider, and there could be reciprocal benefits, like if you teach at the community college but are doing a PhD at the local state university. "Staff" can also include custodial, campus police, etc. On the other hand, colleges are contracting more of this out, and contractors probably aren't eligible.
Some colleges also offer discounts to alumni and their dependents. Colleges often do this as a way of keeping a tradition alive or rewarding return business. Stanford University, for example, offers a 20 percent tuition discount to alumni returning for Continuing Education courses.
Never heard of this! However, CE, lifelong learning, etc. may not be a credential-builder.
Eligibility may be based on age. Some colleges offer discounts to seniors. Tulane University, for example, offers a 50 percent discount for students aged 60 years and older.
States do too. You generally have to be a state resident and usually "senior" means 60 or over - I haven't found any younger ones, and some are older. Also, some, like Virginia, are means-tested - you almost have to be an unemployed pauper to get the tuition break, which means you may have more pressing matters on your mind. South Carolina seems to have one of the better deals this way.
Discounts may be offered to students with siblings attending the college. Seton Hall University, for example, offers a 10 percent discount to students whose brother or sister attends SHU.
Tuition discounts are often tied to employment. George Washington University in Virginia operates liaison programs with various corporations, offering a 10 percent tuition reimbursement to employees who complete a course of study with them. Like many similar programs, the reimbursement amount is capped at a set figure. In GWU's case, the maximum that can be claimed is $1,000 per year per student.
Reportedly GWU has been the most expensive school in the US for several years running and they don't have a lot of distance offerings. Not sure $1000 a year is a meaningful discount.
Some employee tuition discount programs also apply to the rest of the family. The State of Tennessee offers employees of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government a fee waiver for one course per semester, and tuition discounts of 25 percent on all college courses taken by their dependents. Specific restrictions apply — generally the dependant must be under 24 — but they're easy to follow.
Nice! Get a job with the State of Tennessee.
Programs for state employees and their dependents exist in most states (!!!), so definitely investigate this possibility if your parent, or even your grandparent, works for (or used to work for) the state. While you're at it, don't forget to check on discounts available if your parent works for the city in which a college is located.
NEVER HEARD OF THIS! Something to check out.
Some programs are tied to religious institutions or organizations. At Rosedale Bible College, active ministers and their dependents are offered a 75 percent tuition discount if they're members of the Conservative Mennonite Conference. Ministers outside the Conference receive only a 25 percent discount, and the rate for their dependents falls to 15 percent. Also, several other religious institutions offer discounts to groups.
Some tuition discount programs may not be for college tuition. Instead, discounts for a private school, a daycare, or other similar institution may be offered to the children of those attending or working at a particular college. For example, Children's World Learning Centers offers Johns Hopkins University employees a 10 percent tuition discount on published tuition rates at any of the Children's World Centers.
Some discounts are offered for non-peak school times. Pennsylvania College of Technology has initiated an Early Start program, offering students a 25 percent tuition discount on specific courses if they take them in the summer term, which typically has lower enrollment than the rest of the year.
The Big Obstacles - Cost, Time, and Distance
The "Big Obstacles" to a midcareer graduate school credential project seem to fall into these three buckets:
1. Time
2. Distance (related to time, but not quite the same thing)
3. Cost
Any others?
If your employer offers a fully paid onsite degree program for employees which doesn't require a boss signoff on every course, you should jump on that unless there's a really compelling reason not to. It's the best setup you'll ever get with respect to time, distance, and cost with that employer. Plus usually some bigwig at the employer has invested some credibility in advocating that plan and they'll appreciate you making them look good.
(Note: one doesn't see these so much any more, because they have a notoriously high dropout rate. Usually they start with a lot of people and end up with no completions or just a couple. )
1. Time
2. Distance (related to time, but not quite the same thing)
3. Cost
Any others?
If your employer offers a fully paid onsite degree program for employees which doesn't require a boss signoff on every course, you should jump on that unless there's a really compelling reason not to. It's the best setup you'll ever get with respect to time, distance, and cost with that employer. Plus usually some bigwig at the employer has invested some credibility in advocating that plan and they'll appreciate you making them look good.
(Note: one doesn't see these so much any more, because they have a notoriously high dropout rate. Usually they start with a lot of people and end up with no completions or just a couple. )
Sunday, June 28, 2009
National Academies: Professional Science Master's Degree Programs Should be Expanded
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20080711.html.
REPORT RELEASE: The Board on Higher Education and Workforce announces the release of “Science Professionals: Master’s Education for a Competitive World.”
=====================
Well, when the National Academies talk, you've gotta listen, I guess. But I'm a little suspicious of this. Higher academia has been getting it wrong for years about what skills and credentials are actually associated with the whole picture of technology happening, and they like having second-class citizens to be lab assistants, working in the machine shop, etc. when people with the same credentials could be valued first-class citizens in industry, developing new materials, computers, ships, aircraft, etc. or in technology policy or regulation.
There are a lot of disincentives to go for a long-term graduate degree in the natural sciences - in terms of financial and lifestyle choices. This looks like the academic departments are, in a more kind interpretation, trying to become relevant, or in a less kind one, trying to start a new racket in the booming part-time master's degree market - all those physics and chemistry majors getting master's degrees in engineering and all that mid-career business going to engineering departments, maybe.
This looks like a new kind of bogus second-class-citizen credential to keep more of the academics employed. Some of this academic wampum may be interesting but a lot of it may be difficult for potential employers to decode.
I think it's better to be a first-class citizen in business or industry than a second-class citizen in academia. One should watch this carefully to see how the credential community evolves before investing any tuition in it. If you're a science major, check out engineering, law, or business before going with one of these.
REPORT RELEASE: The Board on Higher Education and Workforce announces the release of “Science Professionals: Master’s Education for a Competitive World.”
=====================
Well, when the National Academies talk, you've gotta listen, I guess. But I'm a little suspicious of this. Higher academia has been getting it wrong for years about what skills and credentials are actually associated with the whole picture of technology happening, and they like having second-class citizens to be lab assistants, working in the machine shop, etc. when people with the same credentials could be valued first-class citizens in industry, developing new materials, computers, ships, aircraft, etc. or in technology policy or regulation.
There are a lot of disincentives to go for a long-term graduate degree in the natural sciences - in terms of financial and lifestyle choices. This looks like the academic departments are, in a more kind interpretation, trying to become relevant, or in a less kind one, trying to start a new racket in the booming part-time master's degree market - all those physics and chemistry majors getting master's degrees in engineering and all that mid-career business going to engineering departments, maybe.
This looks like a new kind of bogus second-class-citizen credential to keep more of the academics employed. Some of this academic wampum may be interesting but a lot of it may be difficult for potential employers to decode.
I think it's better to be a first-class citizen in business or industry than a second-class citizen in academia. One should watch this carefully to see how the credential community evolves before investing any tuition in it. If you're a science major, check out engineering, law, or business before going with one of these.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Mid-career graduate school pathways
This is meant to be a constructive discussion, brainstorm, and source of ideas, observations, and lessons-learned about pursuing and successfully obtaining graduate school credentials, particularly earned doctorates from accredited institutions, whilst full-time employed.
First observation with some questions: Lots of part-time and distance master's degree programs of many types, often terminal degrees which lead no further. Also nondegree and partial degree ("certificate") variants, which may be a package of 4-5 graduate courses which could count towards a degree but are packaged as a "certificate" of accomplishment in some field - they could also be a head-start towards a traditional degree at that school.
Questions:
- If you want to get a master's-degree-type credential, there are usually a lot of choices, depending on your field of interest. Why so many programs - supply meeting demand? Are they profitable in some sense for universities to offer?
- What generates the demand - need for credentials by workers, or need for skills by employers? Personal fulfillment? Career change? Re-inventing oneself?
- Degrees appear to run to types
- education/counseling
- business - MBAs and variants
- engineering and related fields (IT, applied science)
- other?
- Who does these and why?
- Who pays for them?
- What are the "high leverage" types of degrees, if any? Are any part-time master's degrees truly life-changing or career-changing? What occupational improvements do they lead to, if any?
First observation with some questions: Lots of part-time and distance master's degree programs of many types, often terminal degrees which lead no further. Also nondegree and partial degree ("certificate") variants, which may be a package of 4-5 graduate courses which could count towards a degree but are packaged as a "certificate" of accomplishment in some field - they could also be a head-start towards a traditional degree at that school.
Questions:
- If you want to get a master's-degree-type credential, there are usually a lot of choices, depending on your field of interest. Why so many programs - supply meeting demand? Are they profitable in some sense for universities to offer?
- What generates the demand - need for credentials by workers, or need for skills by employers? Personal fulfillment? Career change? Re-inventing oneself?
- Degrees appear to run to types
- education/counseling
- business - MBAs and variants
- engineering and related fields (IT, applied science)
- other?
- Who does these and why?
- Who pays for them?
- What are the "high leverage" types of degrees, if any? Are any part-time master's degrees truly life-changing or career-changing? What occupational improvements do they lead to, if any?
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