Benefits of a check in the box Masters?

[Stoic]

I was thinking earlier about possibly just going for a check in the box Masters degree. For example a Masters in Library sciences or Photography, etc. Not necessarily a degree that's job specific, but more related to personal interests.

Besides getting points of advancements for government jobs, are there any actual benefits to having a Masters in something that's not "career" related now in days? I mean there's a big difference between a Masters in Photography and a Masters in Finance for example.

[PrettyFlyforaChiGuy]

It would depend on your own goals and purposes, but graduate-level degrees are often for career advancement opportunities since they are so specialized within a particular niche/field. If you don't want to shift careers and just want to learn for learning's sake, another option is that you could always just pursue self-contained courses instead of undertaking an entire degree, then see how you may feel to continue down this path.

However, no, nothing would stop you from pursuing a checkbox degree if it's within your budget and time constraints. I can say that, personally, part of the reason I pursued mine was just to kill time productively and explore a range of the education field I had no experience in. I treated it as a stepping stone and a learning opportunity to compare the wild frontier of online coursework with the traditional B&M approaches that I was much more familiar with. I've never been a director of a childcare center, but I did learn skills and I gathered insights that have helped me in other careers.

Pursuing any degree will require an investment of time that may or may not be better spent elsewhere, but that's an analysis you'll need to make for yourself after considering where and who you'd like to be in the future. I think we all make our own paths, and only you will know where you are standing in yours right now. If you can feel reasonably certain that you will be happy diving much more deeply into a field that you love, are satisfied with your current career prospects if this graduate-level field may not lead to directly related opportunities, and can afford the time/money this would all take, the sky's the limit for you.

[Ideas]

Generally I think most employers would like seeing a Masters in anything, but it seems far below a Masters in the same field.

I think you have to weigh it against other options. A graduate cert or certification in the same field could outweigh a Masters in a totally different field. Also something like volunteering in the same field could help.

MLS seems harder than average.

[Stoic]

Good responses. Thank you.

Yeah, I've been thinking about getting a Masters in Photography lately. I think this type of degree has very little value in the marketplace from a job perspective, but then again our economy is up in the air and my job is not dependent on a degree at this point and I like photography. So I'm probably going to pull the trigger, it's just going to look quite odd in my background I think. Maybe I can use it as a way to check in the box, learn more about art, and then later on do a different type of Masters degree in something more relevant to my work if needed. I guess that at the end of the day it isn't too different from those Masters in Leadership or Masters in Liberal Arts degrees that are out in the market place. It will fill out my profile quite nicely and keep me busy while this whole thing unravels.

[bjcheung77]

Having a check the box Masters in Photography would be similar to having a Masters of Fine Arts with a major in Photography, as there may be subtle differences in courses and subject material you take, however, it would be different than the Masters in Liberal Arts or Library Sciences or Leadership. The difference is the major, it specializes in "something"...

Your Masters of Photography would be great if you're in the Broadcasting, Communications, or Journalism fields. You can use it towards teaching overseas at a greater capacity. Other relevant professions can use that type of degree, you don't have to have a Photography degree just to be in that one field. Do you have a school in mind?

[Stoic]

Having a check the box Masters in Photography would be similar to having a Masters of Fine Arts with a major in Photography, as there may be subtle differences in courses and subject material you take, however, it would be different than the Masters in Liberal Arts or Library Sciences or Leadership.  The difference is the major, it specializes in "something"...  

Your Masters of Photography would be great if you're in the Broadcasting, Communications, or Journalism fields.  You can use it towards teaching overseas at a greater capacity.  Other relevant professions can use that type of degree, you don't have to have a Photography degree just to be in that one field.  Do you have a school in mind?

Thanks for your reply.

I'm in the initial buying stage, but there are so many options at this moment since all the programs seem to have moved online. Do you have any recommendations for an inexpensive Masters in this area?

[ThatBankDude]

I believe that a check-the-box masters is understandable if it is in an area in which a person has a deep interest and the program is inexpensive. If you have a deep interest in photography and the program is inexpensive then I say go for it.

[rlw74]

I have a Masters I'll probably never use. I pursued it because it interested me. I had the time and it was very inexpensive. I have had employers question how it relates at all to what I'm wanting to do career-wise. It kind of throws them off sometimes. So it could backfire on you. But you also don't have to list it on the resume.