Should I go to get my degree after finishing my diploma?

Question

I've got a question regarding a 'higher education' opportunity which is available to me.

I'm a 22 year old student currently in a 16 month co-op term for a Software Engineering Technologist diploma at a polytechnical college in Canada. I'm doing quite well in the program and feel that I have really found my calling. I'm just over 2 years into the 3 year program (which will turn out to be 4 years with my internship). This means that I will have my diploma in May of 2012.

My college has just announced an agreement with a local university that will allow graduates of my program to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in a reduced amount of time. Instead of the standard four years of university, I would be able to take a few courses towards the second year of the degree and then would have to complete the 3rd and 4th years of the degree program. This would could mean that I could have my full computer science degree by around 2015.

I am asking if any of you can share some insight from your experiences. Is the degree really worth an extra 3 years of time spent on getting an enhanced education? After talking with some of the other co-op students at this company that university education is more theory-based, while the education that I am receiving in college is more applied knowledge. Is it possible that the time that I take away from working will actually make me a less attractive hire?

I'll put together a list of the pros/cons as I get some input.

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Update: Thanks for the great answers so far!

Sorry for the confusion, I know we do things a little backwards here in Canada. To clarify, I'll use an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Diplomas:

In Ontario, Canada, diplomas are awarded by colleges of applied arts and technology whereas bachelor degrees are awarded by universities. In Canada, depending on the provincial legislation, there may be a subtle difference between a college and a university.

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Update 2: So far the main arguments for getting the bachelor's degree are:

• Bachelor's degrees are internationally recognized, whereas the technical diploma is not.
• Higher chances of getting your résumé past HR and into the hands of a hiring manager.
• A sign to employers that you are dedicated to what you do.

This is beginning to sound more appealing. Is there anyone out there that perhaps does not have a bachelor's degree that is willing to share some light on the subject? :)

Answer 1

For many of the more corporate companies, bachelor's degrees look great. However, if you are looking to work for a smaller, more "family-oriented" company maybe, it really depends. I work for a smaller web development firm, and several of our employees do not have bachelor's degrees, but we hired them because they are very skilled developers. Hell, one of our employees doesn't even have a high school diploma or GED, and they are one of our best people.

If you're not sure what kind of company you'd want to work for, I would recommend getting your degree, especially if you have the money to do so. I don't know anybody who regrets getting their bachelor's, but I know people who regret not getting one. In my opinion, it's a safer bet.

Answer 2

It depends on what you're aiming for career-wise. If you're just looking to work and to be a programmer/tester/maintainer for most of your life, you have all that you need right now to do that. But, if you have a deep desire for algorithms, theory, math, and a comprehensive understanding of how everything BEHIND the code works, you may benefit from a CS degree. This knowledge may open up more employment opportunities for you in the future--maybe as a designer, manager, or even a consultant.

I don't know how it is in Canada, but in the US, most respectable IT firms do not hire developers without a college degree. I would think of it as an investment; your three years spent at a university may put you few pay grades above your peers in the future.

All in all, it's what you make of it.

Answer 3

I think it is worth it. I do not know about the education system in Canada, however in the US, a university degree puts a potential candidate way above a vocational school candidate. In some cases we wont even interview the vocational candidates if we have enough university candidates.

And it is not just discrimination, there are smart people with vocational degrees, however there is a LOT more noise, we wasted tons of time interviewing people without a clue with a vocational degree, whereas the percentage of candidates with a university degree that we would want to hire after interviewing is much higher.

Additionally most employers consider getting a university degree as a symbol that you are willing to actually stick with something to get it done rather than taking the quick way out.

Bottom line, vocational degrees are great if your personal desire is to learn, but they wont really help you get hired on paper alone.

Answer 4

Having a BSc is a very common thing nowadays and not having it could make you look bad. In fact, it will certainly diminish your job opportunities.

Answer 5

I would like to point out to those posting from the US that the Canadian College/University system differs greatly from the US counter-parts. A degree in Canada is typically only available through a University, on rare occasions through a College. A College typically gives out diplomas in Canada, this is for shorter programs than those offered for the degree programs (1-3 year programs).

College programs closely resemble trade school programs where things are more hands on, practical and real-world focused, with a lesser focus on the theory.

University programs are typically more towards the theory side of things with a lesser focus on practical and hands on experience.