Thinking About a Masters

I am one of the few people in the Research and Development Department without an advanced degree. I don't really mind as continuing in school has not really appealed to me until the past few weeks. My current degree is in Electrical and Computer Engineering. While in school I had the option of focusing on analog or digital. Naturally I chose the digital option as I really wanted to do stuff with computers and not radios. Now that I have an interest in ham radio, I see the benefits of the analog option but am glad that I chose the digital route.

A natural extension for me would be to go back to school and get a Masters in Computer Science or further my Electrical Engineering degree. I could also try for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Unfortunately that sounds really boring. When I got my university diploma it never listed anything other than I have a Bachelor of Science degree. I felt cheated. I could have the same piece of paper even if I spent my time playing in college and got a much simpler degree. So now I am thinking about focusing on Outdoor Leadership or Recreational Management.

Follow my logic. My experience vastly outweighs any accolades I would receive from continuing with a technical degree. At this point in my career, a Masters is merely a checklist item on someone's list. Why not focus on fun? I am already spending a lot of time doing things like SCUBA diving, backcountry skiing, and mountain climbing. Should I want to retire from video games or the tech industry, I could switch careers and become a backpacking or heli-skiing guide.

For those of you looking to do the opposite or to go from a non-technical degree and trying to get a Masters in Computer Science, I don't recommend it. There are some fundamental Math and Physics that you will have to review or learn. I would hate to have to go back and learn to do integration by parts, which is something I did frequently in my electronic circuits classes.

Now if I can only convince my company that an advanced degree in Outdoor Leadership is worth our tuition reimbursement program. I doubt it but it is worth a shot.