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1) Yes, once you have the credential it can be helpful. Don't wait until you "need" a Masters Degree, if it's only a year do it now, especially if it's free.
2)Yes, have a Masters will give you more opportunities if jobs in the field generally calls for "Masters preferred".
3) Yes, even better.
It does vary but you will need to have experience to go along with your degree so you may not see results right away if you don't have the experience. Also consider the long term in regards to your career; will you eventually need a Doctorate degree or will you need a complementary Masters at some point?
My daughter graduated 3 years ago with a master's in education, after completing an undergraduate degree in English. She always wanted to be a teacher, and has plans to eventually get her doctorate. The master's program was offered at the same time she went for her teaching credential (one year). After graduation, she immediately had 3 job offers. I don't know if this was related to her advance degree, grades, luck, or from her extensive networking while in college. But now, she says she probably should have waited to get her master's until after she started working as a teacher ... because of the college expense.
When you have youth on your side, you have the advantage of taking baby steps, not huge leaps (2 Masters degrees in one shot).
Take baby steps is my advice.
Yes, but. . .
The above is the advice I often give aspiring med students (or their parents). However, the OP is in college, talking about getting an internship so I'm guessing s/he is at least a sophomore, maybe a junior. The deadline for these combined bachelor's/master's program is probably fast approaching. S/he needs to make a decision soon. S/he said in pubic health, nearly everyone has their master's and this is true. That alone should say, get the master's as soon as practical (w/o rushing into it, of course).
As far as this "5 year" policy, I wouldn't be so rigid. Some people know after two years they'd like to pursue a master's. Some don't figure it out until 10 years.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 02-26-2014 at 12:25 PM..
The above is the advice I often give aspiring med students (or their parents). However, the OP is in college, talking about getting an internship so I'm guessing s/he is at least a sophomore, maybe a junior. The deadline for these combined bachelor's/master's program is probably fast approaching. S/he needs to make a decision soon. S/he said in pubic health, nearly everyone has their master's and this is true. That alone should say, get the master's as soon as practical (w/o rushing into it, of course).
As far as this "5 year" policy, I wouldn't be so rigid. Some people know after two years they'd like to pursue a master's. Some don't figure it out until 10 years.
She didn't say it like that though.
She was like, "How fast and cheaply can I get it? Can I get two for the price of one?"
I would look for the job first. Never get a degree just because it can be done quickly and cheaply. I know a bit about that.
I think everybody has one good career change in them. The more degrees you pile up, the more you dig yourself into that career.
Of course, everybody has a different opinion. I have listened to many engineers who say to get it right after school, given the workload of engineers and the difficulty of engineering grad school.
The above is the advice I often give aspiring med students (or their parents). However, the OP is in college, talking about getting an internship so I'm guessing s/he is at least a sophomore, maybe a junior. The deadline for these combined bachelor's/master's program is probably fast approaching. S/he needs to make a decision soon. S/he said in pubic health, nearly everyone has their master's and this is true. That alone should say, get the master's as soon as practical (w/o rushing into it, of course).
As far as this "5 year" policy, I wouldn't be so rigid. Some people know after two years they'd like to pursue a master's. Some don't figure it out until 10 years.
Unfortunately my school does not have the combined BS/MPH program but I am able to stay an extra semester to do graduate classes. They do offer dual-degree programs though, which the most interesting one to me would be the MPH/MBA but I'm not sure about that, for the experience thing as stated by a few others earlier in the thread.
I am currently a sophomore by credits, I will be a junior soon, but I am not expected to graduate until Winter 2016 (which is early really since this is my first "real" year of college). So I have a little bit of a ways but financially I think I should consider it sooner. I'm fortunate to have my parents funding my undergraduate degree but they told me I would have to fund my Master's, which I thought was fair enough. So while dodging loans is the ultimate way to go, taking out some x amount of money for a Master's won't kill me since my undergrad is being funded.
I do appreciate the advice on Public Health. It seems like a tough field to break into (I don't see a lot of related jobs here in Arizona) so I would like to be as competitive as possible.
I'm not going back and rereading the, uh, interchanges, but didn't the OP state that the people who now have the job he's looking toward all have the appropriate Master's? If that's the case then he needs to get one, it seems to be the standard.
What I posted about teaching, and others posted about experience before MBA, still stands, though.
Yes, the Master's is common. I think most people with the degree end up working in policy-related fields (government or NGOs) or healthcare management, which both essentially need a Master's at some point in time. Then there are the STEM fields (biostatistics and epidemiology) which require a Master's before landing that entry-level job. I know people with the degree who got field-related jobs with just a Bachelor's but they all are planning to get a Master's within the next few years.
I meant to ask as a general question, for all majors essentially, but I don't mind talking about my own.
As you see, it differs by quite a bit depending on the major and the graduate degree being pursued.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba
She didn't say it like that though.
She was like, "How fast and cheaply can I get it? Can I get two for the price of one?"
I would look for the job first. Never get a degree just because it can be done quickly and cheaply. I know a bit about that.
I think everybody has one good career change in them. The more degrees you pile up, the more you dig yourself into that career.
Of course, everybody has a different opinion. I have listened to many engineers who say to get it right after school, given the workload of engineers and the difficulty of engineering grad school.
I didn't get that out of the OP. She has this opportunity to take some graduate credits while still an undergrad, a sort of dual enrollment if you will. If I were to give my totally unvarnished, undiplomatic opinion, I'd say she should do it. You have no idea how hard it is to get a public health job. My DD, who has an MPH, has been looking for three months now. She just called me all excited b/c someone wants her to send them transcripts. She's had lots of rejections.
Quote:
Originally Posted by :-D
Unfortunately my school does not have the combined BS/MPH program but I am able to stay an extra semester to do graduate classes. They do offer dual-degree programs though, which the most interesting one to me would be the MPH/MBA but I'm not sure about that, for the experience thing as stated by a few others earlier in the thread.
I am currently a sophomore by credits, I will be a junior soon, but I am not expected to graduate until Winter 2016 (which is early really since this is my first "real" year of college). So I have a little bit of a ways but financially I think I should consider it sooner. I'm fortunate to have my parents funding my undergraduate degree but they told me I would have to fund my Master's, which I thought was fair enough. So while dodging loans is the ultimate way to go, taking out some x amount of money for a Master's won't kill me since my undergrad is being funded.
I do appreciate the advice on Public Health. It seems like a tough field to break into (I don't see a lot of related jobs here in Arizona) so I would like to be as competitive as possible.
If you want to be as competitive as possible, get the master's.
I didn't get that out of the OP. She has this opportunity to take some graduate credits while still an undergrad, a sort of dual enrollment if you will. If I were to give my totally unvarnished, undiplomatic opinion, I'd say she should do it. You have no idea how hard it is to get a public health job. My DD, who has an MPH, has been looking for three months now. She just called me all excited b/c someone wants her to send them transcripts. She's had lots of rejections..
I'm sure it is hard.
I know entry level engineers who have offered to work for free. Remember?
Good luck to your daughter.
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