HELP! BS Degree and working in State Government - Grad Certificate or Masters?

Hey everyone! I'm new here and this is my first post...

I graduated UC Davis in 2010 with a BS in Psychology/Biology and a Minor in African/African-American Studies. I started working for the state government right out of college.

I've been struggling to decide if I want to pursue a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership, Project Management, or an MPA. A Masters degree isn't necessary to move ahead in state government since they value work experience more than formal education. Also, I have $22K of student loan debt from UC Davis, so I'm not too sure I want more debt for something that might not make a difference in my career.

Recently, I found a Public Management Certificate and a Project Management Certificate at one of the local community colleges. For the project management certificate, I would take the test at PMI to get certified as well.

Here's the info for the Public Management Certificate:

CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Public Management

Required Program (units)
BUS 300 Introduction to Business (3)
BUS 310 Business Communications (3)
CISA 320 Introduction to Database Management (1)
MGMT 308 Personnel and Human Resources Management (3)
MGMT 310 Introduction to Public Management (3)
MGMT 311 Introduction to Public Financial Administration (3)
MGMT 315 Government Relations and Policy Development (3)
PRJMGT 300 Introduction to Project Management (3)
TOTAL UNITS REQUIRED 22

This program is designed for students interested in careers in state, county, or municipal governments and community based non-profit organizations. The curriculum focuses on various competency areas for those wishing either to upgrade their managerial skills or enhance their existing abilities.

My question is - does anyone have advice about pursuing certificates versus a Masters degree, especially when working for the government? Has either one helped further your career?

 

Hi Sydney, a warm welcome to Degree Info! If you are wondering why your posts are delayed in showing up: http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/35100-new-users-ask-where-did-my-posts-go.html

 

Will your agency pay anything towards you masters/grad certificate? Although you may feel you don't need a master's right now, there may come a time in the future where you might. I think it is great idea to go for a masters, but not if it is going to rack up more debt.

As for which one to choose...that depends on what you want to do.

 

The state probably won't pay anything towards the degree since it's not a job requirement. If I was going to school to be a counselor, they would pay for that program.

I would love to go for a masters, but with the job I have now, I can't afford it without major loans. That's the biggest thing that's holding me back.

 

I'm a career government guy. Here's the deal: to move up in government, you need to minimally qualify to get on the "certificate of eligibles" list, or "cert" list. Making the cert list means HR didn't weed your application out in the preliminary screening.

Second, you have to show your potential to do a decent job in the prospective position you're interviewing for.

Third, the rest is politics. You may be the best qualified for a job but it doesn't mean you'll get selected. A lot of folks have a hard time with that concept. The person who made the cert list but is least qualified out of the bunch of candidates could get selected for the position. The person may not have not have a Masters degree; other candidates may have masters degrees. Strange, isn't it? But true.

In government, grad degrees are just icing on the cake unless a job announcement specifically requires them. I have two masters degrees and why did I get them? Because government managers with hiring authority will notice your skills on teams, projects, communications, etc. People notice these things in the quality of your work products and overall professionalism. If you get a grad degree, then you have to find a way to work it , not just show it off in your job application and think that you'll get selected for a job over someone who doesn't have a Masters. Exposure in government is the name of the game where you will get a chance to show case your grad skills. Ask for the extra projects; make presentations; write for a professional newsletter in your agency, etc. etc.

I lean towards MPA, but I think you'll get more out of having honed project management (PM) skills. I'd say go PM first. When you're in management, it's all about working on a string of small PM assignments.

 

Thank you! I know all about the hiring process - cert lists, minimum qualifications, etc.

I usually do work beyond what's listed under my general duties, so I have a lot of skills to list on my resume.

What are your two masters degree in? Have they helped you in career advancement in government?

 

Master of Public Administration
Master of Arts in Religious Studies (Theology and Philosophy)

Have they helped me move up in government? Yes, but only because I demonstrated these skills in my work and in additional, high profile, assignments. If you don't demonstrate the skills, no one will care if you have grad degrees.

On paper, the MPA, of course, is directly relevant to the work I do and so that is what hiring managers identify with. They don't usually make the connection between my MA in Religious Studies and government work. Content-wise, there is no connection, but as far as transferable skills, the degree helps me tremendously. I earned both at RA B&M schools and am planning to do the blended online/short-residency DPA at Valdosta State University - thanks to this forum!