On Jun 19, 2008, at 9:08 AM, Connor, Adam wrote:
The recent thread on the SVA program and subsequent writing about
online
programs has got me wondering - how important is a Masters Degree in a
design related discipline to the success of one's career?
Speaking as a Master's degree holder, i'm biased but I'd say the
advantages are primarily:
1) Cross-college connections and alumni networking, especially if you
go to a "brand-name" school. Sorry to offend or seem elitist but it's
true.
2) The opportunity to do creative, exploratory projects and re-kindle
the imaginative spirit that the working world may have killed off
(Like Jack I went straight thru from Undergrad to Grad, for various
reasons, but I remember my CMU adviser saying he liked folks who
returned to school after spending a few years in the "real world" b/c
they were sufficiently angry and jaded and primed to crank out amazing
stuff--i'm simplifying a bit ;-)
3) The opportunity to get deep into thinking, reflecting, and diving
into the theoretical and intellectual issues that enrich the practice,
but we often don't have time for when we got a 12pm deadline for a
client and then a proposal due at 5pm. Spending the year or two doing
that deep dive (if you really enjoy it--alot of folks admittedly
don't) may help cultivate a valuable habit that will make returning
to the real world a bit more tolerable and satisfying. The
intellectual fodder you gain does provide valuable perspective. At
least that's what I tell myself when engineers are clammoring for
specs yesterday and I have to design for the PM's delusional use
cases :-)
4) And if you've been fumbling around learning it as you go along,
grad school offers the chance to learn methods/approaches in a more
organized guided fashion (presuming the curriculum is sound and
robust!) to push yourself further...and perhaps discover something
about yourself you didn't know!
Also, in terms of career growth, AIGA and IDSA usually publish
periodic studies of salary increases, etc. More and more I see job
descriptions (like posted on ixda) that require or recommend Master's...
That all said, in the end it's a personal choice and has to be
measured against your passion and what you really want to get out of
the degree. And if it's right at your stage of life, career, etc.
Finally, this article/interview may be of help:
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/is-there-a-doctor-of-design-in-the-house
(It's about PhD in Design but there's some reference to Master's and
advanced degrees in design overall)
Thanks,
Uday Gajendar
Sr. Interaction Designer
Voice Technology Group
Cisco | San Jose
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