starting a MBA or MS and motivation

When you started your MBA or MS degree program, did you know it was the right decision for you? Were you excited about learning the graduate level material and beginning your classes or were you more excited about a prospective pay raise that might come upon completion of the program with less regard to what you may be learning?

I struggle back and forth with the idea of either enrolling in a MBA or MS in Management program, or opting for the less intesive study of, say, Tulane's Master of Business Administration Certificate http://http://www.tulaneu.com/chat/chatframeset.asp?s=http://www.tulaneu.com/certificates_management_curr.asp or Cornell University's Professional Certificate in Human Resources http://http://www.ecornell.com/catalog/certificates/ilrhrc1.jsp

Does a certificate look weak on a resume?

Rhonda

 

My wife earned a nine month, non-credit certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Washington. It failed to open doors. She was advised by a mentor in the field to go back and take a related master's degree. She did and was offered a nonprofit management position immediately after graduation.

 

I don’t think a graduate certificate looks weak on a resume; however, I think it serves a person better if it is in addition to a graduate degree rather than in lieu of.