Can I do it?

Hello group, I havn't posted in a while, been busy working on my degree. I will be finishing a B.S. next spring, and I am considering going on to do an MSM. My question is this, what is the difference between graduate level work and undergrad? I realize this is a very subjective question, but I am trying to guage if I can be successful at the graduate level. I have done very well in my B.S. work, all A's so far, but I realize not everyone is cut out for graduate studies. I would appreciate any thoughts or feedback from the panel.

 

Bachelor's - crap
master's - more crap
PhD - Piled Higher and Deeper

Seriously though, I don't know what an MSM is (Master of Science in Music?), but if it something you enjoy studying, than you probably won't have any trouble.

 

Re: Re: Can I do it?

Master of Science in Management

 

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BS: Bull Shit
MS: More of the Same
PHD: Piled Higher and Deeper

 

Some grad courses are pretty easy. Many professors put their syllabus online, and reading the syllabus for each required course is the best way to know what you are getting into. (This is also a great way to decide which schools to apply to.)

 

Some classes are easier than others. What school are you looking at?

 

The only MSM program I have really looked as so far is Bellevue's. I guess I had the exact same kind of concerns when I started back working on my B.S.; just don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

 

I looked into the same program before I settled on Touro, given that I was a Bellevue student at the time. I'd still like to go back and get a second masters in either management or organizational management.

As an alternative to Bellevue for the management degree, you might look at Amberton as well. Tuition is outstanding ($200.00 per credit hour, if I remember right), and they have a solid reputation.

How are you enjoying the program at Bellevue? It was a very positive experience for me. Best of luck!

Dave

 

Hi tigerhead,

Here is how my experience stacked up through my educational journey:

B.S. (undergrad):
- approx the first year or so of college is mostly general-type courses
- the remainder is centered around the basics of your major

MBA and Ph.D. (grad):
- courses are more in depth and focus on the application of the information to situations and cases
- independent thought is encouraged as the applications are not always clearly defined in the text (but you still have to write a paper on it )

I have not yet started my dissertation as I am taking classes leading up to it right now. In my case, I had a science-based undergrad degree and a business grad focus. Believe it or not, I was still able to apply some of the undergrad lessons in critical thinking and logical reasoning to the graduate level courses. I encourage you to go as far as you can and make yourself as marketable as possible in whatever field you choose. Your education will help get you there.

Regards,
Cindy

 

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And for those of us who have MBAs...My Balls Ache

 

To hear some people speak, I almost get the idea that some business oriented degrees are about the same difficulty as an advanced upper division undergrad course. Others... well let's just say that I feel for them. I am currently in the middle of a MS in Computer Science and I have to say that these are by far the hardest classes that I have EVER taken. During the spring, I took an advanced course in computation theory and the course had *three* mid-term exams and a final! Plus, we had homework assigned after each class due before the start of the next class! All of these homeworks were living hell where I would usually spend 10-24 hours on each set and most of the time I could only successfully answer about half of the questions. I remember one class where the professor was asked to work one of the problems and after taking a brief look he exclaimed, "I glad I'm not you!" (Funny guy ) He had to think about it and finally worked it during the next class period.

Let me give you an idea of just how much I stressed over this class. During the semester, a routine lung x-ray turned up a shadow on one of my lungs. While I was extremely worried that I might have lung cancer, I felt such serenity when I thought about dropping the course. It turned out that it was nothing; however, its funny to me that I almost preferred having cancer than continuing on with the course.

BTW, I ended up with the second highest average in the class and received an A. That's another adjustment I've had to make -- all of my classes so far have been graded based on a curve which pits you directly against your fellow classmates for grades. Many times you have no idea what your final grade will be until you see it posted.

In general, I have found all my graduate classes require two-to-three times more work than my undergrad courses. During my BS degree at FSU, I routinely took three courses per semester; however, in graduate school there is no way I could take more than one course at a time!

Of course as always, YMMV.

 

I've never had a problem with blood pressure before, but since starting my PhD program, I've been having high blood pressure, not to mention a lot more gray hairs!! I started to wonder if it was worth it, however since passing my quals my blood pressure has dropped considerably.

 

I bet! In understand that the PhD qualification exams for many disciplines is extremely nerve wracking. It is hard and very wide in scope. I hear that many people fail it the first time around. The bad thing about that is that many places if you fail it the second time you become a PhD washout! Don't pass go, don't forget to pay $200 to the bursar.

 

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Well, if that's the case, what of the female MBAS?

 

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My boobs ache?!!?

 

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Perhaps your significant other can help you with that problem, JoAnn.

 

To stick with aching body parts - a grad degree can be a real pain in the ass. Most of my undergrad work was CLEPS and DANTES exams but I did take about 45 credits of "in class" credits.

My grad work is different but not really much "harder". It is focuses and you must dive into detail. You can't just says, "During group meetings you must include all participates" for example. You must tell why, give the pros and cons, site research, and propose alternatives. Three questions can easily become a 10-15 page paper.

Hard - kind of
Rewarding – absolutely

 

Dave, my experience at Bellevue has been very positive, and I have really enjoyed it, thanks for asking!! Only 4 classes plus the Signature Series left to go.

I checked out the Amberton sight, wow that's less than I'm paying for my undergrad. I might just look into that, thank you.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!!

 

In which case,

MBA: My Butt Aches or My Behind Aches

 

I would transfer out to a different grad school. The UIUC program, though significantly more expensive, seems a lot less time-consuming. It also has the advantage of making it look like you simply decided to transfer to a more reputable program.