What education path are you tetering between?

I'd like to continue my education, but I can't decide between getting an MBA or a JD. I know I'm not alone, so I was curious to see what educational paths others are considering/ debating between?

 

What are is your present career and what are your goals? I know I would love a JD just for the personal satisfaction but am thinking about doing a BSBA then and MBA through New Charter simply because of the cost. It is a tough decision, but if it is for personal enrichment I'd do the JD, but that is me. It would depend on where your interests are.

 

Probably too many to list here! :biggrin: I'm all over the place with what I want to do "when I grow up" (I'm going to be 40 this year, so I better get figure it out before I'm eligible to retire!).

Anyway, on my short list, I'm exploring the following options:

• MPH - possible springboard to other career opportunities with my present employer
• MS Psychology - More for personal enrichment than any real career move (although I could teach online courses P/T).
• 2nd BS and/or MS Computer Science - I could just geek out and go full bore with a career in CS (I currently work in a technical/operations role, but this would take it up several notches).

If time and money were not an issue, I would seriously consider medical school.

 

I'm at the best part of my education path-that of being able to truly follow my own choices. My formal (college) education is complete, thankfully. Now the real fun learning can begin. There are many great books and articles to read, research to follow and discuss, excellent writers on the web, and conversations to have with friends and family. I'm out from under the myopic views of "academia" and can fully navigate the real world with knowledge and experience. It's a good feeling not having to write a 20 page paper (with at least 15 references in APA format) on a subject I have little to no interest in.

Good times.

 

I am between an MS in Project Management (Florida Institute of Technology), an MEd (University of West Florida), MA (University of South Florida), focusing on some journal articles, or doing absolutely nothing. I think I will go with "doing nothing" for a while :biggrin:

 

Interesting thread topic.

I can't decide if I want to stick with the MAIS at WNMU or jump to something more directly relate-able to my vocation. I would really enjoy an MBA or MPH but the cost/benefit factor seems high to me. I am considering the MPA at Arkansas State, but it might be to much of a compromise and it definitely lacks the health/science aspects of say the MPH.

I have some business ideas I hope to pursue. I should probably take on the Excelsior Paramedic to RN transition...never be an easier time to earn that than know...though I don't honestly see myself as a Nurse long term.

Too many choices!

 

Hey! Get both!

 

I wish, it took some doing just to get my wife to buy in on the idea of going back to school. And you know the saying, "Happy wife, happy life."

My bachelors is really all I need for my current position and even if I got promoted, so an MBA would be more for fun than anything. The JD would be more along the line of professional development/ career change. Criminal prosecution and employment law have always interested me, which would be more in line with what I'd like to accomplish down the line.

The MBA would run me between $14K-23K depending on the two colleges I've been eye balling. The JD would run me around $55K if I went to the local law school (Cal Bar) and between $125-150K if I went down to San Francisco and attended an ABA law school. (Which based on time and money, ABA isn't an option for me)

The only cool thing I have coming down the pike, is that my job is sending me to three professional schools here in the next three months. One of which is through FEMA's Center of Domestic Preparedness. :veryhappy:

 

Is this your first trip to Anniston? It's really a great experience! What course are they sending you for? Handling Sarin is always fun.

The CDP is a great place to learn and to network. You can't beat the price either!

 

No, I don't. I have been happily divorced for 8.5 years now.

 

For me, it's a holding pattern between a lesser-known RA distance school's MBA-ITM, a local B&M's MS-IT, and a couple of oft-mentioned RA distance master's programs on this board. The MBA-ITM would be fast and cheap, but the B&M would give name recognition that appears to be useful in my neck of the woods. Decisions, decisions. . .

But it's better than the wide-open door that I had earlier. . . schools all over, and some DETC schools were in the mix until I finally ruled all those out.

As far as wifey. . . she would rather I not pursue another degree right now, but I don't see certain long-term financial goals being met without attaining one.

 

I was where you are, until recently, LOL. I'm good at a lot of things, and have a lot of interests so it was hard to choose something to focus on. I'll be starting a MFA in filmmaking in a month, and I got to that decision when I realized that my passion was photography and video.

So, my question to you is: What do you enjoy doing the most?

Law school is HARD (I went) due to the amount of work required. Can you read 50 pages per night, per class, take copious notes, brief cases, outline course materials, and learn legal terminology all at the same time? That's just 1L. Add student associations and mock trial teams and clinics and the like to that starting the second semester of 1L. It's GRUELING and I've seen very capable students burst into tears just from the stress.

An MBA is probably more useful at this point, with what's going on in the legal industry. Supposedly, the job outlook for lawyers is abysmal right now. Of course, that might not be for those lawyers who are interested in what's called public interest law, as there's always a shortage in that area due to the low(er) pay. Examples of public interest lawyers would be the ones who work for outfits like the Southern Poverty Law Center or the ACLU, etc.

I'd say do the MBA now, get some industry experience and then let your company send you to law school on tuition remission or reimbursement. Law school's return on investment is bad right now, from all I've read and heard.

For the most bang for your buck, I'd say do something that will prepare you well to start your own business. Americans can't rely on job security with companies anymore. Create your own job.