The dilemma
“Why should I, a busy working adult, take on the burden of pursuing an academic degree?” This fundamental question is one of the most difficult to answer. Academic education requires a huge investment of time, effort and money. It is true there are statistics that show that the more years you study, the higher your earning potential. Nevertheless, every intelligent person will ask if this is evidence for cause and effect, i.e. that the higher earning potential is a result of the additional education? It might very well be only a correlation that may not apply to your specific case. After all, isn’t Bill Gates, the richest person on earth, a university drop-out? Moreover, in most cases, earning the academic degree you are considering will not *guarantee* you a promotion or a raise, will it? And, lastly, if you would spend all this time, effort, and money on your job and yourself, instead of on academic education, wouldn’t that bring more benefits, more quickly, and more directly? The great demands of an academic education and the uncertainty of the gains that it will bring, lead most working adults to keep “pursue an academic education” on the same wish list populated by tasks such as “start a diet”, “improve my physical fitness”, or “learn to play a musical instrument”.
I hope the following ideas will help you take a critical look at the possible answers to this question. Answering this question to yourself, while exploring various academic programs, can be the beginning of a process that could fundamentally change your life. As you go through those answers, you are likely to realize that you should find more than one reason to pursue an academic education. If you decide to start studying *only* only with the intention to make more money upon graduation, or *only* as a way to attain new knowledge or *only* as a way to achieve new networking opportunities, then academic studies might not be the best possible path for you to take. On the other hand, if you will take the decision to start studying in order to achieve a few goals that are important for you and your future, and if you will choose your school after a careful evaluation of a few alternatives, then you are more likely to enjoy your studies, complete them successfully, and achieve your goals. I hope you will find these ideas helpful, and invite you to send me comments and feedback.
Because I want to make more money
Because I am bored with my present job
Because I want to get to know more people
To be able to add an acronym to my name
Because I want to make a career change
To make myself and others proud
In some professions, such as education and healthcare, an employee’s salary rises when the employee attains a higher academic degree. Things to consider:
Which of the degree programs you are considering are recognized by your present employer? Make sure you have a written confirmation from an authorized source at your organization.
What exactly *are* the benefits? How do they compare to the huge investment of money, time and effort you will make in your studies?
An academic degree takes a long time to complete, usually a few years. Will the rules change by the time you complete your studies? Will you still be with the same organization? How likely are future employers to provide similar benefits? Is the reputation of the universities or colleges you are considering high enough to be accepted by potential future employers?
In some organizations, a specific academic degree is a prerequisite for promotion. For example, an MBA degree might be a prerequisite for a senior managerial position, or a Bachelor’s degree might be required for promotion to a managerial position. Things to consider:
Which of the degree programs you are considering are recognized by your present employer? Make sure you have a written confirmation from an authorized source at your organization.
Is this degree really a prerequisite? Are there no exceptions to the rule? Is it possible to get the promotion while you study, *before* you actually graduate?
At what stage will you be considered by your organization to have the required degree? Completion of studies? Graduation ceremony? Usually there is a gap of at least a few months between completion of studies, and graduation, and often you will find yourself waiting six months to a year until you actually hold the degree certificate. This gap can mean a lot of money, so check carefully with your organization, as well as with each university or college you are considering.
Is this requirement unique to your organization? If you do not plan to stay for ever in your present company or organization, make sure that the degree you are considering is valuable beyond your present employer.
You may think that a specific academic degree will increase your chance of getting a promotion. Things to consider:
Will an academic degree really make the difference? Take an objective look at some recent promotions of colleagues. Did *their* academic education make a difference? What about those who were *not* promoted? Were they passed over despite having the degree?
Is this really such a good investment? Academic studies usually demand at least 10 hours of work a week, and probably twice that amount of time. If you were to invest all this extra time in your work, in networking, and in special projects in the workplace, to what extent would that help your chances of getting the promotion?
Studying while holding an ambitious full time job is a big challenge. It is likely that your job performance will be affected to some extent by your studies. Take an honest look at your managers, co-workers, and the culture at your workplace, and ask yourself if this will hurt, or increase, your chance of promotion? To what extent do the universities or colleges you are considering offer the flexibility that will allow you to minimize the negative effects?
In case you are self employed, or a provider of professional services, you may think that with the earned degree you will be able to get more or better clients, or be able to charge more for your services. Things to consider:
Will your clients be able to appreciate the degree at all, or will it remain only on your business card?
Will it matter to your clients from which university or college your degree comes? Which degree it is exactly?
Do your competitors have this degree?
Is this really such a good investment? Academic studies usually demand at least 10 hours of work a week, and probably twice that amount of time. If you were to invest all this extra time in your work, in networking, and in getting more clients, would it still be worth it?
Getting an academic degree is certainly a significant challenge, and if you enjoy challenges, then this might certainly be the answer to your boredom. Things to consider:
Academic education can be boring too. Which of the schools you are considering offer programs that would provide you with the challenges that you like? Do you prefer exams, or project work/reports? Do you prefer tackling challenges by yourself, or collaborating with others? Will you learn new things, or will a lot of your studies be a repetition of things you already know? Think of the elements that bored you in past educational experiences, as well as those that you enjoyed. Now search and choose a program that will maximize your joy of learning.
It is likely that you have not studied for some time now, and that those things that you enjoyed in the past about your studies, will no longer be as enjoyable, now that you have a demanding full-time job, and family or social responsibilities. Those white nights spent cramming for an exam with a bunch of friends might have been fun when you had no other responsibilities other than studying, but try to put aside the nostalgia and reexamine what exactly it is that you enjoyed about your studies. Now, look for a program that will provide you with that.
Academic programs that target working professionals often require the students to carry out work-related projects. These projects often offer a fresh angle on your everyday work, and have the potential of increasing your interest in the workplace. Things to consider:
Which of the programs you are considering are more likely to allow you to go back to your job and do new and interesting stuff? Will it really be new and interesting, or will you be asked to do more of the work that you already find boring?
Often the assignments also require you to receive information and opinions from others in your workplace. For most students, this is an opportunity to receive exposure to new departments and people, build new relationships, and explore areas they have not been exposed to. A minority of the students prefer to keep a low profile. In which group do you fall?
What is the culture in your office or workplace? How are your relations with your managers, co-workers, and those who report to you? Will they support you in your efforts, or will it be a cause for friction or jealousy?
If you are bored with your present job, and expect your academic education to enable a move to a different job, this is a possibility. Things to consider:
Have you discussed your job dissatisfaction with your manager/supervisor? Maybe there are solutions which are simpler than taking on the huge commitment of academic studies?
Are you thinking about a lateral move, or a promotion? This might influence your choice of academic program
Are you thinking about a new job in the same organization, or in a different one?
How quickly do you expect the change to happen? When you announce your studies? While you study? After graduation? Will you be able to wait all this time? Will an academic degree really make the difference? Take an objective look at some recent promotions of colleagues. Did *their* academic education make a difference? What about those who were *not* promoted? Were they passed over despite having the degree?
Are you sure this investment is the most effective way to achieve job change? Academic studies usually demand at least 10 hours of work a week, and probably twice that amount of time. If you were to invest all this extra time in your work, in networking, in special projects in the workplace, or in looking for another job, would that not be more effective?
Are you bored and want a new job because your job leaves many dead hours in the day? If so, then studying can be a great solution. Nevertheless, if you are bored *and* have no spare time, think of the increased demands on your time, and look for a program that can provide you with enough flexibility.
Employers who offer to fund the academic education of their employees are certainly offering their employees a significant perk, and employees should seriously consider taking this offer. Things to consider:
What’s in it for them? Altruism is usually not the only motive of the employer. If you understand the benefits to the company (such as tax benefits, union agreements, increasing employee retention in a competitive workplace, or the ability to charge higher rates from clients, for the services of employees with higher academic degrees), you are more likely to maximize your benefits too.
When an employer funds your studies, there are usually commitments on your side too. The most typical one is an agreement to remain with the company for a specified number of years after graduation. Despite the fact that few companies will want to keep employees who so not wish to stay with the company, it is still important to understand the details of this condition, and any other conditions. Experience shows that sometimes these conditions can serve as “golden handcuffs”. It might not seem like a big deal today, but if in four years you will wish to leave the company to pursue your heart’s desire, it will not be pleasant to find that you are handcuffed.
The devil is in the details, so check them closely. Is this full or partial funding? Is the funding a loan or a gift? Whom do you need to get to agree to your studies? How long will the approval process be? Do you need to be accepted to the university before you can apply for the funding?
It is always good to ask for details of others who have already studied, or are currently studying, through this funding scheme. If there aren’t any such employees, find out why. If there are, ask them for their experiences.
Choosing to fund your studies through your employer might mean that you are restricted in some ways. This is not necessarily a problem, but the restrictions need to be explored, understood, and taken into consideration before a final decision is taken. Whatever strings are attached to the funding, they might make the offer to fund your studies less attractive. Things to consider:
Are you limited in your choice, or can you choose any university you like? If the choice is limited, how limited? Does it restrict you from choosing a program you really want? Also, are the programs in the list reasonably priced, or are they more expensive? If you can find the same or superior quality for a more competitive price, then the offer of funding becomes less attractive. Be especially wary of what are sometimes termed “corporate universities”. This is sometimes a fancy name for corporate training, and they do not provide an academic degree that will be recognized outside of the company.
Will you be restricted to classrooms populated by people from your organization, or will you meet students from other organizations and industries? If by choosing a company sanctioned university, you effectively limit the diversity and number of people you will interact with, this might be good for the company funding your studies, but is it also good for your medium and long term career interests?
Are you restricted in your subject matter? Are you required to take a specific set of courses, or are limited from pursuing the degree of your preference?
Does funding give your employer any advantages, such as receiving reports about your academic performance?
Do you need to maintain a certain level of grades to continue receiving the funding? In such a case, what happens if your grades drop due to work-related issues? Health related? Other reasons beyond your control? In international programs, be aware of significant differences between grading standards in different countries, and the need to “convert” them to local equivalents.
Company funding does not mean you will not need to pay for your studies. In most cases, there are still immediate as well as possible future costs to this funding. It is always recommended to discuss significant financial decisions with a friendly and independent accountant. Things to consider:
What are the tax implications of this funding? Will it add to your taxed income, effectively leaving you with less money at the end of the month? If so, when will this taxation effect be felt, and for how long? When making these calculations, take into consideration what will happen if your salary increases in the future. This might, for example, push you into a higher tax bracket.
What happens if things do not go according to plan? What will happen with the funding and all of the attached conditions if you will need to take a long break? This can happen due to changing workplace conditions, for reasons related to your health or the health of loved ones, as well as for a variety of other reasons. And what if you decide to drop out or if your grades do not meet a certain minimum defined by your employer? Academic programs take years to complete, and experience shows that life is full of surprises, and some of them will result in extending the length of your studies even further.
How exactly will the payment to the university take place? Will the company pay directly, or will you pay and then hand-in the receipts for reimbursement? If the latter, than of course you will need to find the resources for financing the cost for the period until a reimbursement is paid. In some organizations reimbursement can take a significant amount of time, due to bureaucracy, or in some organizations due to cash flow challenges, budget cuts, etc.
If the funding is based on your commitment to meet some criteria, such as not leaving the company before a certain period is over, what will you need to reimburse in case the conditions are not met? Will it be a full reimbursement, or will it be a partial reimbursement? What are the tax implications in case such a reimbursement takes place? Is it from your net salary, or from your gross?
Who is responsible for additional costs, if incurred, such as credit card charges, late fees or money transfer fees? In some cases of studying in a foreign university, even currency fluctuations can result in added and unexpected costs.
Tuition is certainly a big ticket item, but it is not the only significant part of the investment in your studies. There are added costs. Things to consider:
Do you receive any days off or at least some hours off, for studies? There is probably no way around spending a lot of study hours in the evenings, and on weekends, but if any study time during work hours will need to come from your holiday budget, or as unpaid vacation, this might mean significant added costs, or lost income. You can expect that any willingness to give you some time off will be contingent upon work circumstances, but even that can mean a lot when you need it. Obviously, this will also affect the type of academic program you can choose. Some programs require you to take some time off work. In other programs, those that are more flexible, it still helps a lot to be able to work a few more hours a week.
Will the company fund additional costs such as textbooks, various fees, travel costs? Over the course of a full program, textbook fees can accumulate to thousands of dollars. Try to understand from the universities and colleges you are considering what additional fees and costs will be incurred in addition to tuition.
An agreement with an employer to fund academic education is a long term agreement that usually takes quite a few years to fulfill. A lot can happen during these years, and some contingencies are very difficult to predict. Things to consider:
In most cases, tuition is paid over a period of years. Try to ensure that you do not need to start negotiating again, and chasing papers and signatures, every time a payment needs to be made. It is interesting to note that in some executive programs that require funding by the employer (such as some executive MBA programs) the university actually requires the payments to be made in one installment, or in a small number of installments. Experience taught them that circumstances change, and every time an invoice is issued to a company, the uncertainty is high. Try to minimize this uncertainty. You will have enough to worry about juggling your life, job, and studies, without needing to worry about getting the company to keep its promises.
Make every effort to clearly document your agreements about the funding. As the years pass, you might move to a different position, your boss is likely to change, education budgets might be cut, funding policies can change, the company can undergo restructuring/merging/acquisition or even go out of business, taxation rules amended, etc. All of these could affect the company funding, and the clearer the original agreement is, the better it will stand the test of time.
What happens to the agreement between you and the funding company if the company fails to meet its side of the commitment? This can hurt you both financially (paying tuition and late fees) and academically (suspension of studies).
Academic education is certainly a good place for you to meet other students, who are similar to you in their ambitions, orientation and intellectual abilities. Interactions with the academic faculty can be very enriching too. This is an opportunity that is not found in every workplace. But, universities differ significantly in their teaching philosophy, and as a result of that, they differ in the type of interaction you may expect with other students and with faculty. So, don’t assume, but inquire in each program what type of interaction you can expect. Things to consider:
Will you actually meet other students? Some distance learning programs offer little or no opportunities for interaction with other students. On the other hand, other distance programs make incredible use of online collaborative technologies, and allow you to a significant level of interaction with peers and with faculty.
To what extent does the teaching philosophy require working with other students? This is important to find out in advance, since some people (albeit a minority) prefer to work on their own, and interact with other students only on a social basis. On the other hand, in some programs students are required to collaborate with others, and are even graded on their ability to effectively collaborate. The collaboration can be with a fixed study group, or with ad-hoc teams. Since the ability to collaborate is a highly regarded skill in today’s workplace, programs that target working professionals often require extensive collaboration, face to face, or online.
Assuming that the school’s teaching philosophy supports collaboration, it is important to learn how this collaboration takes place. How are the groups assigned? In the case of traditional studies (classroom based) are you expected to meet with students outside of classroom hours? In the case of distance and online education, what technologies are in place to allow you to collaborate?
Some programs are based on a small study group, a group of students who are expected to meet between the class sessions and work together on assignments. The purpose of these study groups is to support students. Your commitment to a small group, and the academic and social support that occur within the study group, come in handy when difficulties and challenges occur. If your program requires you to work in such a study group, get details about the way the groups are set up and operated.
When you say “get to know more people”, it is important to have a clear understanding of what exactly your expectations are. When comparing different programs, consider what type of people you wish to meet, and which program offers you the mix that is right for you. Remember that we are talking both about peers, i.e. other students, as well as about academic teaching staff. Things to consider:
Diversity of industries: are you interested in meeting as many people as possible from your own industry? Or, are you more interested in meeting people from a diverse set of industries? Some programs are very industry focused (for example, an MBA in hospital management), while most programs are not industry specific.
Diversity of companies: in some programs, often those sponsored by employers, you will find yourself in a corporate classroom, where all students are from your company. This is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with like minded employees and managers from around the company. In other classes, you will meet students from various companies.
Diversity of professions: your choice of program will often effect the diversity of professionals you will meet. In more focused degrees you will meet a majority of students and teaching staff from specific professions (for example, teachers, or finance people). Other types of programs enroll students from a diverse background of professions.
International diversity: as the world becomes more and more integrated and connected, we see the emergence of international programs. Some of these programs are classroom based, where students from around the world meet face to face. In others, students remain in their home country, but meet and collaborate online with students from other countries. The importance on meeting like minded professionals from around the world in today’s global marketplace is obvious, but participating in an international program has other challenges, such as language proficiency, tuition currencies, the need to bridge cultural differences, working across time zones, purchase and delivery of textbooks, etc. Moreover, though many programs boast “students from xx countries”, make sure what is the percentage of international students, and how many of them are ex-pats.
Career stage: some programs have pre-requisites in regards to years of work experience. For example, executive MBA programs require a minimum number of years of managerial experience. Learn about the average number of years of experience your classmates will have. Asking about average student age, as well as the range of ages, will also assist you in assessing to what extent your career stage will match that of those you are studying with. Quite clearly, most working professionals would not be interested in studying with those who have not yet entered the workforce. Moreover, many would like to see that their career stage is not significantly more advanced than most other students.
Embarking on an academic program of studies is in most cases a good way to meet with like minded people. Nevertheless, it is not the only way to expand your professional network. Have you considered alternative ways? Things to consider:
Professional training: in professional training sessions you are likely to meet interesting participants. The cost is usually lower than an academic program (and usually fully reimbursed), the level of commitment is lower, and the burden is far lower. It is important to understand that a quality academic program is very different from professional training. The criteria for success are different, as is the atmosphere.
Professional societies and organizations: Joining professional societies and organizations is an excellent way to meet more like minded people. Some of these organizations are small and focused (professionally, geographically, industry-wise), and small are large and diverse. Through these organizations you can meet people by joining conferences, online forums, and professional training sessions. Unlike academic programs where often networking is only a side effect, these organizations focus on creating and leveraging networking opportunities for their members.
Different programs take a different approach to grouping students. In some programs, you study with a cohort of students, a “class” with whom you study for the duration of the program. Other programs offer more flexibility. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages which should be considered by you. Things to consider:
In the case of a single cohort, what is the size of this cohort, and what are your options in case you are not satisfied with your cohort? What happens if, due to circumstances beyond your control, you have to drop your studies for an extended period of time? The life of adult working professionals are full of surprises and some of them might force you to take a few months off your studies. What will be the consequences?
In the case of a program with no fixed cohorts, how does the system work? What if there are specific students that you know ahead of time and would like to study together with? What if you meet other students whom you want to take further classes with?
Knowledge is often confused with information, and with skills. Without getting into a philosophical discussion of the definitions of these terms, we can agree that all of these are important for ones career. You should inquire and understand the contribution of various academic programs to these three areas, and rate the programs according to your own needs, preferences and wishes. Things to consider:
Even in this age of information overload, access to good information sources is important. Assess the quality of the library services offered by your program. The richness of the library, the quality and depth of the online resources (with emphasis, especially in more advanced degrees, on access to the thousands of academic journals that can today be accessed online), and the ability to access the online resources from home and work.
Try to understand what skills the program develops. A good academic program for working adults should focus not only on the traditional (and important!) academic skills such as information retrieval, assessment and analysis, and research skills. It should also deal with inter-personal and communication skills, as well as on quantitative and qualitative profession-specific skills.
Knowledge: knowledge is often defined as a confident understanding of a subject, and the ability to use information effectively in the context of a specific field. To what extent does the program really provides knowledge of the field, and not only information and skills? One way to evaluate this from the outside is to look at the way assessment is carried out in the programs you are considering. To what extent is it based on rote-learning (information only)? If the program has exams, can you use outside resources while taking the exams (this is a sign of an exam that is focused on knowledge and skills and not on memorization of information). If the program’s assessment is based on projects and reports, that too is a sign of focus on knowledge and skills, and not only on information gathering and memorization.
It is important to distinguish between workplace or industry related knowledge, and academic education. The two are not necessarily the same. It would be wrong to approach an academic program as if it is a very long professional training session. You need to remember that the traditionally, the purpose of most academic education was to produce the next generation of lecturers and researchers, and only a minority (for example law and medicine) also produced professionals. When evaluating your alternatives, you should identify to what extent the program fits your needs for a balance between academic rigor, and professional training. Things to consider:
Have a look at the curriculum and try to understand what weight is given to theory, and what to applied knowledge. On the one hand, you want a program that provides a wide and substantive theoretical foundation. This foundation is important and a hallmark of any quality academic program. Moreover, this foundation will provide you with the knowledge and the skills to go beyond the knowledge provided in the present, and give you the depth of understanding that will serve you in the future, years after your program will end. On the other hand, unless your intention is to become a university professor, you should also look for the applied elements in the program. In the workplace, theory is not enough, and the real challenge is having the ability to take theory and apply it to improve your performance as a professional.
It is not always easy for an applicant to analyze the theory/application composition of the programs being considered. One indicator you can use is to ask about assessment in the programs. If a significant proportion of your grades are based on traditional academic tools such as exams and individual reports, or, even worse, on rote memorization, this is an indicator of a more traditional program. If, on the other hand, the program evaluates you using tools that are more similar to the “real world”, tools such as reports, group projects, and collaborative assignments, then that can serve as an indicator that it focuses not only on theory, but also on the application o this theory to real world situations.
The backgrounds of the teaching staff can serve as an indicator of the theory/application balance of the program. You should seek a program whose teaching staff has experience both in academia and in the workplace.
Try to evaluate the balance between theory and applied elements by examining the curriculum itself. Not being n expert, it is, of course, not easy to analyze the curriculum of a program, but here are a few things to consider:
Ask to have a look at the titles of textbooks used in some of the courses. Browse and read about these textbooks, using online bookstore websites, and the websites of publishers. Are these books pitched high enough? Are they academic books, or mainly industry oriented books? What is the balance between theory and practice in these books?
Ask to receive the learning outcomes of the program or of specific courses. Well written learning outcomes serve as the “contract” between you, the student, and the school. Look for the balance between theory and industry related knowledge, and examine if this balance is one that is appropriate for your specific needs and preferences.
Make sure, before you embark on a program, that you know exactly what degree you will be awarded at the end of your studies. The difference between a “Master in Business Administration” (MBA) and a “Master of Science in Management” might seem subtle, but in some cases it is crucial. Similarly, there is a difference between a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and a Doctorate in Xyz (for example Management, Education, etc.). Things to consider:
“market value” of degree. Make sure that the value of the specific degree you are considering is the one you expect, by checking with the appropriate authority, for example at your workplace of professional society.
In the case of international degrees, make sure how the international degree will be translated in your country. Be especially diligent about this check in case it seems like the admission requirements or the length of studies for a degree with the same name are markedly different in your country. Moreover, be very careful with degrees that sound *almost* like the degree you wish to receive. For example, the Dutch and Indonesian degree “Doctorandus” is equivalent not to a US doctorate, but rather to a Master’s degree.
Is the degree accredited? Accreditation is a very confusing subject, but in essence it is a way for an accrediting body A, to confirm that a degree X is recognized by that body. Things to consider:
There are many opinions about academic accreditation, and I hope you will not feel I am doing too much injustice to this issue by dividing accreditation to only two general categories. The first is national accreditation, and the second is professional accreditation. National accreditation is a tool for a country to say that a specific program, or institution, provides a degree that that country’s authorities consider appropriate. For example, in the US, there are several accrediting bodies which serve this function, with each accrediting body responsible for a specific region of the US (hence the term “regional accreditation”). To understand who are the authorized accrediting bodies for your country, or for the country or for the country in which you are considering to study, it is usually helpful to check the website of the ministry of education, department of education, or whatever local equivalent is responsible for higher education in the government of that country. Professional accreditation is a much more loosely regulated area, in which various bodies offer to accredit programs that are accepted by the members of that professional body. Unlike national accreditation, which is a system that is intended to allow applicants to identify all “bona fide” institutions of higher education in the country, professional accreditation is an unregulated system set to define who “belongs to the club” and who does not. Some professional bodies are highly selective, while others will add to the list any body that is willing to pay dues. Some professional bodies are highly conservative, and are focused on maintaining the status quo that benefits their members, while others are more open-minded. It is a big risk to invest your time and money in an academic program that is not recognized by the government of the country. On the other hand, lack of professional accreditation should never be a reason for rejecting a specific program, especially if it is a program that was specifically developed for working adults, and thus might be more innovative. Innovative programs are viewed with suspicion by accrediting bodies, whose primary interest might be to maintain the status quo, and the market position of their members. Moreover, accreditation by dubious accrediting bodies should serve as a red flag that invites extra diligence from your side.
Unless you want to shift to an academic career, in which case a doctorate, or at least a master’s degree is usually an essential prerequisite, you should ask yourself *why* you think the academic studies will be the tool for a career change. In most cases you will find that you expect the career change to occur through the gaining of something else, such as knowledge or connections. If this is the case, have a look at the appropriate suggestions in a relevant section somewhere else in this document.
If you are thinking about shifting from an industry position to an academic one, you will need the appropriate academic credentials. Things to consider:
Are you more interested in teaching or in research? If your main focus is teaching, maybe you can keep your present job and teach as an industry expert? In such cases, you might not need a credential higher than a bachelor’s degree? At least you might be able to start teaching while you are still studying.
Check with an academic institution you are considering for your career move, what are the minimum credentials you need in order to start pursuing your dream. For example, some master’s degrees are considered “terminal degrees”, that do not allow a direct transition to a doctorate. Some doctorate degrees are not research focused, but rather have a strong practitioner focus. Such a degree might be the perfect solution for a working professional who wishes to stay in industry, but might be regarded more “suspiciously” by full-time professors whose main focus is research. It is important to actually speak to people, and not just read the handbooks. Often, there are significant discrepancies between the formal requirements, and the actual ones.
If your wish is to move to a research position, you should focus on the top institutions, those that offer you the conditions required for serious research, such as excellent academic libraries, access to research funding, and the academic networking with top names in the specific field you are interested in.
A quality academic degree is a real challenge to even the brightest student, and graduation is a source for pride for the graduate, as well as for friends and family. Nevertheless, entering an academic program with a strong focus on ego and personal satisfaction can result in disappointment. Things to consider:
Are you ready for the hard work and frustration of an academic degree? Many who enter an academic program are ranked, intellectually, in the top few percentiles of their peers, both at work, and in prior studies. They are often surprised to discover that in comparison to their peers in the classroom, they are average or even below average. Are you ready for the demands this will place on you? Moreover, even strong students need to invest time and effort in a quality academic program if they wish to gain from it. These efforts, in conjunction with the demands of everyday life, result in a process that might be less enjoyable than initially envisioned. Before you embark on a program of your choice, it is important to mentally prepare yourself for these challenges.
Are you ready to deal with grades? After many years away from school, many adult learners, especially those who are inherently high-achievers, find it difficult to cope with grading. Many programs that target adult learners are based on continuous feedback, as well as on providing and receiving criticism. It is important to come prepared for this, and to understand that in academia continuous criticism and feedback are a tool for personal development, and that being a straight A student is not necessarily the right option for a busy working adult with many additional responsibilities.
Why did I write these pages?
I am personally hooked on academic education. I took my first academic course in 1981, when I was 16 years old, and have since then not gone more than four consecutive years without academic studies. The studies were always part-time, working to support myself, and later to support a growing family, while studying. Later, I headed an academic program specially tailored to the needs of working professionals from around the world who wish to pursue a graduate degree.
Throughout these years, I constantly encounter the dilemmas and questions that working professionals face when considering academic education, and while pursuing it. On the one hand, it is amazing to see to what extent the challenges are incredibly similar, regardless of age, nationality, profession or level of academic education. On the other hand, one soon learns that each situation is different, and that each working professional has a special set of conditions that sets him or her apart from others. Having faced these challenges as a working professional student, as a teacher in academia, and as an academic administrator, I now wish to share some of my insights on these issues with other working professionals. I decided to do so through a set of short essays, the first of which is posted here. It is my sincere hope that the ideas conveyed in these essays will make it easier for working professionals to decide on an academic education, and to enjoy its wonderful fruits.
Yoram
Disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are my private opinions, based on my private and professional experience, and subjective judgment. They are presented “as is”. They are not meant to replace professional career advice, or professional educational consulting.