Deciding between masters degrees.

Posted by ElectricOne55@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 13 comments

What do you think between these 3 programs? https://www.mga.edu/computing/graduate-programs/index.php https://www.kennesaw.edu/degrees-programs/master-degrees/information-technology.php?major=Master+of+Science+in+Information+Technology+&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kennesaw.edu%2Fdegrees-programs%2Fmaster-degrees%2Finformation-technology.php https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt One coworker recommended the Healthcare IT concentration in the mga or ksu degrees, since my prior degree was in kinesiology. But, I also worry that thats too niche too. My dad recommended the UGA program because of the brand name and that it will look better on a resume and lead to more job opportunities. However, some people tell me it looks more business focused. Also, the Java classes may be too difficult with working full time, and won't really help with IT. Which would be best of the 3? I'm interested in cloud/system/network admin career path. I can use tuition assistance, which would cover the first 2 degrees since they are 254 and 385 a credit. The UGA one I would have to pay 2000 because the cost per credit is 850, and the tuition assistance only covers up to a certain amount yearly.

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OkFudge1945@reddit

https://cgsnet.org/project/masters-completion-project/ Only 66% of people doing a STEM masters program finish their degree. If you don’t finish, does tuition assistance still pay out or are you on the hook for repayment? How long will the degree take? Does the job require you to stay x number of years after getting your degree? Will you still be making the low pay that whole time? You mentioned you’re interested in “cloud/system/network admin”. That’s very broad. Degrees are not required for most of this field for advancement. What do you plan on doing and how much will you make once you have this degree? Do you know that the degree is needed for the position you’re looking to get? It really seems like your rent is too high and you think a degree is something you can do. Rent is $1,500 and you make $55k. You should get room mates then get lots of overtime. Learn as much as you can, move onto a better paying job.

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ElectricOne55@reddit (OP)

The program would take 2.5 years. I don't have to stay a set amount of time. The only time I would have to pay it back would be if I got let go or if I left halfway through the semester. Then, I would have to pay that semester amount on my own. Tuition is 850 a credit hour, or around 5000 for 2 three credit classes. My dad was saying to get the MBT or some type of business masters otherwise I'll be stuck in roles similar to what I'm doing now and I won't advance in pay. He also said that I'd need to move out of tech and into management to make a good salary. Additionally, he stated that it gets harder to remember coding commands when you get older, so thats another good reason to switch to management. Do you agree with any of these things? From what I see most admin or coding jobs just list a bs in IT or CS. I was considering the degree because I keep getting asked in interviews why I switch from kinesiology to IT. Also, I wonder If ATS systems are filtering out my applications because I don't have a CS or IT degree? Another option was doing a 2nd bachelors at WGU online. But, the school doesn't have too good of a reputation. Although, I would be able to finish in 6 months to a year. My dad said that sounded like a gimmick though. Sounds like your suggesting that the masters isn't really needed though? My goal is cloud administration and to move out of help desk type roles. I also keep getting contacted by recruiters for contract to hire roles for smaller businesses. So, I thought if I got another degree that Id get recruiters reaching out to me from fortune 500 companies that aren't as shady or startup like. Also do you think I should stay at this job for the tuition assistance, or do you think I should look for other jobs and that I don't need another degree,?

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OkFudge1945@reddit

I have a BS in computer science. I do networking and sysadmin work and the stuff I learned in college doesn’t overlap with my career yet I had to pay the $80k of student loans. I don’t know which of my coworkers have degrees and I don’t ask about it when I do the technical interviews. Is $55k competitive for your area and experience level? I’m guessing it is. If it wasn’t, I’d say don’t start a degree that’s going to lock you into an underpaying job for years but that doesn’t seem like the case. I think your biggest thing is your rent is eating you alive. I make a little over twice what you do and my mortgage is about the same as your rent. If you’re just starting out and don’t have a family you should be having room mates and an affordable car. Imagine if you had another $500-$600 in your budget every month. Right now you should be focusing on growing your experience and knowledge to make you more attractive to companies that pay more or roles at your current job that pay more. That means leading things outside of working hours. The tuition reimbursement sounds nice but personally I’d want to see a plan and expected job and expected salary before I strap myself to this company for the next 2.5 years. You’re talking about a management degree. Are you looking to move into management anytime soon? Most people do not go into management. And most that do get competent in their technical abilities first. Getting a management degree in the off chance that a future position 10 years down the road might require a management degree for advancement is not a good idea. Personally, I’d say buckle down, start throwing yourself into hard take then throw 55 hours a week at them. Take all that after school and weekend time you were going to invest in a degree and invest it in getting really good at IT. Watch YouTube videos. Any big project coming up at work? Start looking up how to do it. Are there other senior people in your company? Finish your assigned task and ask if they need a second set of hands on anything or if you can shadow them during a deployment. Ask if there’s any menial racks on their plate they like to show you how to do. Are you the only IT person? Make work for yourself. Ask departments what their biggest it stressors are. In your off time find ways to build things that make their jobs easier whether it be adding automation or moving them to a different solution. Research what options are out there. Research pricing. If you’re the sole guy learn the network and gear. How are vlans setup? When’s the last time the switches have had new firmware? Are the hosts configured correctly? Redundantly? Can you reboot a host? How are they getting to storage? I’d you have extra hosts, remove one, wipe it, figure out how to add it back to the stack. Have a big project that’s beyond you? Hire an MSP for project work and ask to be involved in the process so you can learn. And the part about “forgetting commands as you get older” is nonsense.

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ElectricOne55@reddit (OP)

So do you think I would have to do the masters to get through ATS systems when I apply to jobs because my first degree isn't tech related? Also, do you think you have to move into management to progress or get a good salary? Maybe you have a good point on not forgetting he commands. I haven't had too many good roles where I got to use most of my skills so far. I've mainly had bs help desk type roles, so I would have to learn things on my own, and I didn't get to use them in a business environment. So Maybe that has been why it has been harder for me to remember them or to see the bigger picture? Also for the mbt degree, it has some Java, web design, ux ui, Object oriented programming, and database theory classes do you think I would even need these for system admin/cloud admin roles? I was learning some Java to prepare myself for the program, but idk if its even worth the time and effort? My dad say as I get older school will be harder and I'll have less time. My mom also said to wait out my job a year to see if they even keep me with the economy being the way it is. And sje said it didn't seem possible to do all of those intense Java courses with working full time. So, that's like 2 conflicting opinions lol. Then you have people on reddit. You have some say you don't need a degree, but you don't know of they're just really good interviewers or maybe their a trust fundee and work for their daddies company? Then you have the other type that say you need a masters degree from a recognized school to pass applicant tracking systems and HR, and they say ya you can apply without a degree but it will be a lot harder and you'll have lower odds of getting a response. My dad also said that if I got the degree, I would get more responses from fortune 500 companies. Whereas, now I mainly get small businesses, startups, or recruiters that reach out for 6 month contract to hire roles. Would a degree change this though, or would applying for jobs be just as difficult no matter what, and is it like the lottery no matter how many degrees/certs/experience you have? You also suggested that it'd be better to learn more IT stufd thorugh youtube like setting up vlans, vmware esxi migrations, and Azure cloud configurations. Moreso than focusing on Java, object oriented design, or algorithm type stuff that I may see if I were to go back for a degree right? Or do you think I would miss out and regret not doing the degree later on, and would it restrict me from getting higher paying positions? Or would it be a waste of time? And are you suggesting I look for other jobs instead of staying at this 55k job for the tuition assistance? Lastly, do you think I need to even focus on Java or that stuff in the degree? And how long would you recommend I should stay at my job, and do you think I should start looking for other jobs?

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OkFudge1945@reddit

A bs, and especially a masters, in computer science prepares you for a job in programming or academia. You mentioned being interested in cloud, networking, and system administration. Those are traditionally fields that don’t require a BS much less a masters. I believe it’d be a mistake to get a masters in CS. It’s not required for the field you’re in and it pauses your outside-of-work growth with no guarantee of getting the degree. You asked for a recommendation. My recommendation, as a rando on the internet, would be to get some room mates so you can breath financially. Then spend a ton of time at work learning and expanding your skill set. Be professionally curious. Ask to shadow the seniors. Setup a home lab, virtual or at the office if they let you. Listen to a couple industry podcasts and research a couple of the things they talk about. Google a networking topic and read a Wikipedia article with lots of things you don’t know about. Then go look those things up. Put yourself in a position where you can succeed. I remember my first real breakthrough in networking was when a client called in on a Friday to get a vpn setup. Normally I’d escalate to a network engineer. So I went to the service coordinator, asked them to schedule me and a network engineer for Monday. Then I spent all weekend getting the VPN configured on my own. I ran into every issue you could think of. But I figured it out. So Monday, I asked the neteng to check my work and cancelled our meeting. Another one, right after our two netengs left the company management needed someone to prep a switch and ship it to a client. I had expressed an interest and aptitude in networking and management asked if I wanted the project. I said yea. I had a week to figure things out before I had to ship the switch. So with mgmts buy in I cleared my calendar and spent the whole time studying the config of another side and looking up every command until I knew what everything was. Then configured the new switch. Then arranged for it to be installed. We ran into a couple issues but were able to work through them. Then I became the guy who prepped all switches. Find those times where you can configure things without worrying about breaking them.

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ElectricOne55@reddit (OP)

My other option was an online MBA. Because my dad, and a lot of commenters online seem to recommend an MBA over an MS IT. But, like you said it'd be a bad idea to get a managment degree in the off chance I want a management degree in 10 years, when I could have just moved into a better paying system admin job in the meantime. Because I don't know if the MBA would help me with finding system admin, network admin, or cloud jobs?

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OkFudge1945@reddit

I do not think an MBA would help you in finding a sysadmin, network, or cloud job in the experience level you’re at.

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Next-Rip-6947@reddit

For masters I took MBA I feel it is more relevant in the business and management world than school science bs

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ElectricOne55@reddit (OP)

What do you think of an online MBA and does it have to be from a top school?

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ElectricOne55@reddit (OP)

I thought of an in person MBA at UGA too. But, I don't think it would help me in tech, and instead of being 30 credits like most mbas are 60 credits lol. Do you know of any in person masters programs at UGA. I think the msba requires you to go full time though which I couldn't do with my job. I'm also worried that it locks you into analytics which can be kinda buzzwordy.

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Next-Rip-6947@reddit

I’m not from the US. I got my bachelor in CS from CA,US then I got my masters from my home country. I was a full time student in person. The program was 9 units each semester 36 total from 6 PM to 9 PM three days a week. It was not as bad as I imagined as I got used to it. But I totally forgot my social life for 2 years. As a senior/supervisor sysadmin MBA was more helpful as I work with vendors and RFPs more than technical work my my team does that for me. I do not know any program that fits your plan good luck.

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SysAdminDennyBob@reddit

I would only get a masters degree if someone else(company) was paying for it. You are not getting anything out of a masters that can't be learned on the job, university is probably still teaching Fortran 77. Best Unix admin I ever worked with had a degree in English. I have a science degree but it's not computer science. I rarely find myself working with someone with a computer science degree, maybe a few programmers, certainly not sysadmins. Heck the two guys I work with don't have degrees and they are jamming their way up. You need experience, not a masters. I would have zero issues hiring someone with a degree in kinesiology as long as they can install security patches. I am hiring two positions right now and I don't care at all if they have a degree.

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ElectricOne55@reddit (OP)

My dad was suggesting a more business Masters like the mbt or an MBA. So that I could get into management and get higher paying roles. He also said that would help as I get older and can't remember commands etc. I have also had some interviewers that keep asking why I changed fields. I'm currently making 55k, but rent is 1500. The benefits are good: pto, tuition assistance, and pension. However the pension only pays 33k a year after 30 years and requires 10 years to be vested. I thought of applying for jobs elsewhere but my dad said that's a bad idea with the economy the way it is, debt ceiling collapse, chatgpt etc. I thought of applying for jobs in a bigger city like atlanta but he said I would need more experience just to qualify so I'm unsure what to do?