Hi any & all,

I am about to embark on additional education, most likely another Masters of some sort (I have an MBA already), and have 2 on-line/distance programs identified already.  I'm just in the final stages of getting my employer to agree to pay for the education (they are very progressive that way, and paid for my MBA).

 My question is, how many of you have earned two Masters degrees, and did it have any effect on your career progression?  I'll do the MS or M.Sc. (depends on the program) anyway, simply to keep challenging myself, but I'm wondering how many people are like me (do it because its fun), and how many are doing it to claw their way up the corporate ladder?

Thanks,

What are you doing that sufficiently different from the MBA that it warrants a second degree?  I do not have a second Master's, and wouldn't consider one unless I were trying to change careers.

-=Steve=- 

I am looking at either a safety engineering program, or environmental engineering.  I manage a Health, Safety & Environment *"HSE") department.  The MBA helped with process, financial aspects related to my job (insurance, accounting, HR issues, etc.) and more importantly provided credibility within management ranks (i.e. welcome to the club of MBA holders....).

 However, as my team is all subject matter experts, and we work internationally, we face continual technical challenges which evolve fast & furiously.  Plus the MBA doesn't carry much weight in HSE circles.

 So, it's really a case of broadening my academic base, nor changing careers.

Interesting question. I don't personally know anyone who has earned two master's degrees. Either the master's was the last stop or they've gone on to earn a doctoral degree ...

If you're trying to widen your skill set, might gradate-level certifications be a more affordable route? (If there is no additional benefit to be gained from getting another master's degree)

helenh,

Thought provoking e-mail.  I thought about the Doctorate, but at this time I don't have the love of one specific aspect of an area of study to really tear into the research needed to back up a thesis.  That and the on-line doctorial programs I was able to find didn't mesh with my interests.

I hadn't thought too much about the post graduate diploma or certificate route.  Not sure why to be honest.  I am in the enviable position of having my continuing education fully funded by my employer, so the affordability aspects didn't really catch my attention.  That said, I see any post graduate education as being extremely cheap for the value. 

Business is losing its grip when 2 day seminars on "Negotiating Strategies" or "Regulatory Change" or "Environmental Liability" are costing $1000 to $2500, and they are merely a series of case studies presented by people with the same or less credibility & credentials than most of the audience.  I encourage my staff to avoid any seminar other than "Regulatory Updates" put on by regulators, and instead pursue additional degrees (primarily post grad, although many are college techs and I encourage them to upgrade to Bachelors).  Actual academic theoretical & technical training is rare outside of colleges & universities.

 However, the diploma might be a faster way to add to the skills & knowledge base.  That's certainly worth investigating.

In your case, I can see how a second Master's might make sense.  It's very different from your MBA, and both are directly related to your job and your career goals.  If you were interested in academia (or maybe consulting) I might say consider a
doctorate instead, but that's not the case here, and a Master's would be a lot faster and cheaper.

-=Steve=- 

I apologize for this long post, but the more I think about the multiple masters degrees, (and I have now looked in the post graduate certificates), the more complex (and confusing?) my thoughts become around it.

The important starting assumption for my discussion is that my audience, like myself, is committed to life-long learning.  In that case, one of the real attractions that I have to the on-line Masters Degree (or any post-graduate work) is the specificity of the education.  A bachelor’s is full of an awful lot of the courses that “round you out”.  For the purposes of this post, I’ll accept the argument that this is important when you’re 18, and haven’t done enough living to really know much.  It’s less important once you’re my age (and hopefully well rounded due to life experience) and want to learn specific things, and focus on areas of interest.

For work one wants to get the skills and knowledge that are either directly applicable to your existing job, or directly applicable to a desired job (in the event of a planned career change).  For general personal development, any program that is of interest will be more appealing if it’s all on-point.  From my point of view, this is where the “non-cohort” style of distance and/or on-line learning is most beneficial.  The “cohort” style of education is too restrictive, and seems to run counter to the greatest benefit of on-line education, flexibility (but that’s another discussion).

Where I did my first Masters (in a classroom setting), there were a number of students who were taking the MBA for personal development reasons, and not because they were wanting to develop their careers (a few were even retired).  I’ve got my eye on a professional development Masters (the MS Occupational Safety & Health at CSU, application sent, “yeah me!”), and an eye on a personal interest masters (the M.Sc. in Maritime Archaeology through the University of Ulster, post grad diploma first, then the M.Sc. thesis – and I have a project in mind).

Based on the friends & associates I have, it is pretty fair to say that the average professional will continue to formally learn (through classroom sessions) all kinds of things over their life.  I’m surprised that we don’t see more people earning Masters or post-graduate certificates.  The time & financial commitment for these pursuits is easily equal to doing post graduate work.  Consider one non-professional activities of mine, becoming a scuba diving instructor.

Based on a review of the course standards, I have spent a minimum of 256 hours in class-room briefings & 260 hours (assuming 4 hours per dive) of in-field diving/practical training to become a technical diving instructor.  Call that the equivalent of 36 credit hours.  It doesn’t include the experience requirements (as logged experience is required to qualify for certain certification levels), which probably accounts to another 260 hours (or 65 dives).  Add in some of the non-core certifications, medic first aid training, etc. and the time & effort was easily the same as I committed to my MBA.  The MBA was a lot cheaper (but diving doesn’t pay for itself after all of the insurance, membership fees, gear maintenance, etc….).

My friends associates all spend a lot of time training in various areas of interest.  Some are martial artists (having achieved 3^rd or 4^th Dan, call those over 3000 training hours), others in Search & Rescue (easily 96 hours of training annually, not to mention all of the specialty courses they add like Wilderness First Aid, High Angle Rescue, Cave Rescue, etc.) that add a lot of time), various Coaching certifications (have a kid, get a coaching certification, and end up with a job that doesn’t pay….except for the satisfaction of spending quality time with your family).

I have a sneaking suspicion that I’ll probably add a few more post grad certificates and/or degrees as I make it through life.  If I hit the jackpot (literally or figuratively) I’d probably pursue a doctorate, but as long as I have to work to pay the bills I can’t commit to the work required to crank out a thesis.

I guess the end point of this rambling post is, “What is the target market for all of the on-line degrees?  Professionals trying to upgrade?  Perhaps educators are missing an entire market segment, all those retiring baby boomers with time & disposable income seeking to take on a new challenge?  Or even older Gen-X’ers like myself who are committed life-long learners?”