Masters Degree Majors

[Tomodachi]

Hey everyone. I'm an active duty guy who is getting a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice here in August. I am going to be applying for OCS sometime in October/November probably for and from what it seems FY-11 will be booked up by then so I will at the earliest be going to OCS in FY-12 (IF I get selected). This extra time actually allows me to have a good chance at completing a good bit of a masters degree.

I actually love being a student and I am craving more knowledge and would love to start the masters degree this fall. I've done some searching on the boards and a lot of people have all kinds of different majors for their masters.

I am tired of studying CJ, and possibly looking toward an MBA program. I definitely need an online institution because of my irregular working hours (Master-at-arms).

Any suggestions for major?

 

[CUPike11]

Do something that interests you, although grad school is much more interesting than undergrad, it is also WAY more work. Don't just flippantly decide to get a Master's for the sake of getting one, that is setting yourself up for failure. Getting one is not a joke and can be a huge amount of work depending on the major. I have half of my MS done and will probably look to complete it in the coming future.

Look at what you're interested in and see if you can handle the course load. Ask yourself this, with my current job, would I be able to commit my free time to writing an 80 page single spaced paper on a topic related to the class that has a mathematical modeling component to backup the research that is relevant to the course? That paper was worth 60% of my grade. This may not happen to you, but I had to do this in my last class. I'm an engineer so your scope of work may not be as hard or extensive as mine, but grad school, even if online is not something to be taken lightly.

Look up different majors and see if your background fits the qualifications for that major, but definitely do something that interests you first and foremost and then make sure you can handle the courseload secondly.

Just my opinion, but asking for suggestions of majors on a forum for an advanced degree is not the way to go about this.

 

[Tomodachi]

I don't believe it is a flippantly decision, it is actually a wise one due to the fact I see a gap that can be filled with some constructive grad school work. Just trying to make the best of the time that I have.

I definitely don't have an engineering background so that is out of the question.

 

[P3 F0]

Yeah, you really should just focus on something that interests you. If you're smart, you'll look toward the day when you get out (assuming you make it in), and choose something that will do you some good at that time. An MBA would be something along those lines. A master's in Art History isn't. Also, like CUPike mentioned, think about whether you want to choose a program that has a thesis involved. Those are a hell of a lot of work, and you really need to be interested (preferably highly interested) in the subject matter. There are programs out there that don't force a thesis on you (I just finished one), but it's still a heck of a lot of work, so the bottom line is that you should be doing something you want to do. Once you find a general area, look for reputable programs, then look at the breakdown of classes within that program. Get copies of the syllabi, and see if the details of the classes sound good to you.

 

[Thisguy]

so the bottom line is that you should be doing something you want to do. Once you find a general area, look for reputable programs, then look at the breakdown of classes within that program. Get copies of the syllabi, and see if the details of the classes sound good to you.

Concur. As someone who's finishing up a Masters this summer, I can say firsthand, if you're not 100% interested in your course of study, it will be miserable. It's not like undergrad where you have so many requirements you're going to stomach some crap you just need to graduate. A Masters is only 30 credits (give or take) and the classes are much more involved and more work (6 credits is often considered full time for a grad student) than undergraduate classes.

I don't have too much to complain about since the Navy is picking up the tuition and still paying me O-3 pay, so anytime I get pissed at my schoolwork, I just rationalize that this is my job and I'm being compensated for it. If you're going to get a Masters just to "fill time" it'll be a waste of money and time, and you're better off using that money on a new hobby.

 

[Tomodachi]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm definitely going to research my options and try to narrow it down to something i'd be interested in. I see American Military University has a lot of programs that do not require a thesis, but you take a comprehensive examination instead.

 

[SynixMan]

FWIW, when I worked for General Electric, anything without experience, besides a technical masters, was immediately dismissed. Getting an MBA right after college without associated experience in business wasn't worth the paper it was printed on to them. Liberal arts masters just told them you hadn't figured out what to do yet and could probably stay in school on someone else's dime. And to follow onto the technical masters, getting that and then not using it is also not a good sign to them. A masters in electrical engineering and then 10 years in unrelated experience does not make you a senior design engineer.

 

[Thisguy]

Getting an MBA right after college without associated experience in business wasn't worth the paper it was printed on to them.

Not to mention that any business school worth going to isn't going to admit anyone without any work experience (though some exceptions, are made, and usually only one, if any, per year), though online for-profit educational institutions will gladly take your money and admit you to their program (*cough* University of Phoenix *cough*)

 

[12gauge007]

If you are really sure what to get it in, and your about to go through OCS, consider waiting a bit and picking up NPS down the road too. I finished a Systems Engineering Analysis degree there in 2008. The Navy pays for all of it, and it is specifically designed around your lifestyle as a military guy.

Maybe not a top tier business school, but remember 9/10 Master degrees are check marks since your work experience is really what is going to get you a job.

Just an option.

 

[PropStop]

One of the new upcoming fields is Critical Infrastructure Protection, or CIP. This is a HUGE deal in homeland security and a real growth industry. I'm working through a program now in CIP and have pretty much guaranteed myself a job on the outside with a defense contractor (were I to bail). The subject matter is pretty interesting and there's a lot of crossover material that you'll see in the future when (if) you do a joint tour in the US (such as NORTHCOM).

 

[Sky-Pig]

Anybody have experience with the NPS Distance Learning programs? I'm looking at the MS in Space Systems Operations...but I can't figure out just how uber-calculus heavy the program may turn out to be.

 

[Ben_Dover]

PropStop,
Who are you doing your program through?

 

[Deror]

Thought I should resurrect this thread instead of start a new one.

My question: Will I have enough free time during flight school to work on a master's degree, or will my brain be too fried? I've used my down time since commissioning to work on a M.A. in Theology, which should be complete by March (about a week before TBS), but I'd like to get a second degree in something more practical.

Thanks

 

[SynixMan]

Probably a bad idea. Studying for your masters class is probably the last thing you'll wanna do after a long day in Primary. Being here isn't a 9-5 gig you turn off when you go home.

 

[usmarinemike]

Thought I should resurrect this thread instead of start a new one.

My question: Will I have enough free time during flight school to work on a master's degree, or will my brain be too fried? I've used my down time since commissioning to work on a M.A. in Theology, which should be complete by March (about a week before TBS), but I'd like to get a second degree in something more practical.

Thanks

During your pool wait...yes. You'll have tons of time. The problem is you have no idea how long that will be. It could be 3 months. It could be a year. During primary, it's dependent on you. I personally probably could have picked up a masters class. Primary came pretty naturally once I got the knowledge part down. I know a lot of guys who didn't have that working for them, and had to put a lot of time into it. Jet advanced is a different story for me right now. I'm halfway through my third month, and while I'm not complete assholes and elbows on most things, I'm still not nearly far enough ahead of the jet or the academics to be devoting neurons to anything else. It probably won't get any better either, because once you get the monkey skills down you move into skill sets that you know literally nothing about. I don't think any of my peers here would disagree that trying to take on more would be a huge pain in the ass. Would helo or maritime advanced be any different? I don't know, but I seriously doubt it.