Should I study or stay at my job?

Question

I have a great software engineering job, but I'm wondering if I should quit and get a Masters degree in software engineering. The reason I want to do this is because in the last few years I've been reading books about software engineering on and off and this subject has become more and more interesting to me. I don't feel like the amount of professional progress I can achieve at my job in a year can be equal to the amount of progress I can achieve if I concentrate on studying new things for a year, but I haven't seen any of my colleagues starting to study software engineering, so I don't know anyone who I can ask about such a decision. From my point of view I'll spend maybe ~30 more years in this field and after having spent 5 years in it already I think it makes sense to take a break for a year and invest in my skills, but on the other hand it might be the case that I can gain those skills from experience too. What do people here think about that?

An example of a program that's of interest to me, but not the one that I'll pick is this one: http://www.cmu.edu/silicon-valley/academics/silicon-valley/ft-ms/se-curriculum.html

Answer 1

This is mere opinion, but if your software engineering job is truly "great", then you will learn more in your time actually doing work than you will reading about it in school. Unless you plan on being in academia, or unless your salary specifically benefits from an advanced degree, you should be able to gain much more knowledge on the job. Plus, you get paid for doing it. If you really want the degree, consider taking some night classes to gradually work toward it. Quitting your job will almost guarantee that when you obtain that degree, you will be 2-3 years behind on current technology and will have to spend much time catching up.

Answer 2

I won't recommend to go for college study after spending 5 years at work. If the tag of Masters degree is so important to you, You can opt-in for part time study that are generally available in most universities now a days. You can grab those books and start reading them. After 5 years of work you will interpret it far better than what you might learn it in a college. If you really wish to learn something new, learn it from professionals around. There are many professional trainers and institutes that will teach you as an already established developer and not as a newbie student, wherein in a college you're always a newbie student and you might feel you're forced to do more basic stuff that you have already mastered. when you're dedicatedly busy in one year of full time college degree, you might get detached from professional work and technology updates updates, which will become very difficult to catch up after one year.

Answer 3

I got my Master's while working full-time. It takes longer, but is quite doable. That was 5 years ago, and I don't think I can say it has really helped me out that much in my carreer. It helps my company look better on contract bids, and if I ever want to start my own business it would probably help reassure investors, but that's about it. Oh yeah, and my employer(s) paid my tuition.

I can't speak for your situation, but for me quitting a good job just to finish the master's twice as quick (but pay for it myself) would have been insane.

Answer 4

I am also at the same stage as you are in, what I feel about it is Masters will be an Certified Value add-on to your skills and as a professional you will pursue the great deal of knowledge in hidden format(technically :) ). If any professional comes to know about your skills by just your resume and experience it has totally different affect than what your degree will have. Your Experience will show the practical you have done so far, your degree will show the theoretical and ideal part of your knowledge. Both are important at different situations, I you are in managerial designation then i believe you should have that degree part time.. and if you are a team member(engineer) then you should keep on going with Job only up till you get till the level of managerial designation.. I hope this helps

Answer 5

A master's degree is intended to acquire/strengthen your knowledge on a particular topic and tends to be research oriented, the outcome of which is reflected in your (original) dissertation work.If you are inclined towards a research oriented career,it probably makes sense to take it up.

The program that you have described seems,in my opinion, rather broad-based and geared at becoming a technical manager.There's nothing wrong with that, I had taken a similar course to have a career change.But if you want to delve deeper into one particular topic, then choose a course that suits your topic of interest.Ofcourse, you can also gain this knowledge while working but you might have to put in that extra effort if what you want to study does not directly correlate to your present job.

Answer 6

You will gain far more by studying software engineering and continuously applying what you learn to your work; you can do this via self-study or evening classes. Seek projects at work that in combination with your studies will generate a significant learning curve. In a good organization, management will notice your effort and work with you to keep this curve from flattening; if that doesn't happen, seek new opportunities both inside and outside.