Has your degree(s) fulfilled your goals/objectives?

For those who have earned a degree(s), whether via B/M or DL:

1. Has the degree(s) met your original goals/objectives?

2. Has the degree(s) opened unanticipated opportunities?

3. If you had it to do over, would you invest the time/energy/money to earn the degree(s)? Said differently, would you do it again?

 

Yep, I'll have a do-over please!

If I had a do-over I'd take accounting, finance, engineering or at least mathematics. I'd like to have a useful and in-demand skill. I studied history and criminal justice. They did what I needed at the time. They're likely not going to get me through life, though, so it'd be better to have gotten something else.

 

1. Has the degree(s) met your original goals/objectives? Yes

2. Has the degree(s) opened unanticipated opportunities? Yes

3. If you had it to do over, would you invest the time/energy/money to earn the degree(s)? Said differently, would you do it again? Yes

Take a look at this survey I posted a while ago - http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/42618-survey-phds.html

 

1. Has the degree(s) met your original goals/objectives? Yes (including all of my degrees, BS, MAT, and Ph.D. I also have an AA degree which I guess was more of a stepping stone and I'm not sure that in itself did anything specific for me).

2. Has the degree(s) opened unanticipated opportunities? Absolutely.

3. If you had it to do over, would you invest the time/energy/money to earn the degree(s)? Said differently, would you do it again? Yes

 

Here are some the results I collected from the PhD survey. The number in the () is the number of responses.

1. Did you earn your doctoral degree via distance learning? This could be 100% online, limited residency, or hybrid.
Yes 77.3% (85 )
No 21.8% (24 )
I do not understand the question 0.9% (1 )

2. Was the institution where you earned your doctoral degree a non-profit or for-profit institution?
Non-profit 29.4% (32 )
For-profit 70.6% (77 )

3. Did you have a specific reason(s) for pursing a doctoral degree?
Yes 91.7% (100 )
No 6.4% (7 )
I do not remember 1.8% (2 )


5. Did the results you experienced from earning your doctoral degree (better marketability, pay raise, new opportunities, etc,) match the expected outcome you had when you started the program?
The results were better then expected 42.2% (46 )
The results were exactly what I expected 43.1% (47)
The results were worst then expected 14.7% (16 )


8. If you had the choice to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you do it?
Yes 80.9% (89 )
No 7.3% (8 )
I am not sure 11.8% (13 )


9. Would you recommend a coworker or friend pursue a doctoral degree?
Yes 67.3% (74 )
No 10.0% (11 )
I am not sure 22.7% (25 )

 

Yes on all counts...though if I had it to do over I would change a couple of things.

I would have finished back in the early 90's when I was still a kid and had no responsibilities...that includes completing a Masters then, likely an MBA.

I would also change my concentration, no liberal arts in a do over...business/accounting/computer science would all work. (I don't have the brain power for engineering).

 

Yes on all counts for me too. The only thing I would change would be getting my degrees and my current career going years earlier than I did.

 

Interesting data, Randell1234, not sure how I missed that thread.

I've earned an undergrad, two master's degrees, a professional doctorate and the PhD. All have been extremely valuable in terms of anticipated goals, and yes, I would do them all again. The major difference is that I would have begun the process a bit sooner.

 

Oh I forgot the other parts - do it over - I would probably do accounting. I would have gone to college right out of high school as opposed to taking a year break and going to DeVry for electronics.

When I lived in Jacksonville I would have gone through with attending Jacksonville University for the weekend MBA. I was on the fence and went to Touro University International's Masters in IT Management due to extreme travel. But if I would have done that I would never have gotten all the IT adjunct work I have gotten...but maybe I would have gotten something else.

 

Feel free to complete the survey

 

1. YES
2. YES
3. YES & NO, Reasons: In the Information Technology field, if you do not want to affiliate into academia or public sectors...then a Bachelor and a Master are good enough. Beyond that it mights not help you to move anymore, but only experiences. If I have a choice a gain, I would stop at the first Master degree...then focus on top industrial certifications: PMP, CISSP, CCIE, GIAC Reverse Engineering, and etc.

 

1) No. I am no longer pursuing my original goals and objectives, though, so I can't blame the credentials.

2) Not really. That happens when you shift gears, though.

3) I would do it again, but I would change my major and likely the institutions I chose. I chose my undergraduate institution largely due to the major I chose to pursue, and, with another major, I would have been better served elsewhere.

 

Aren't you attending Vanderbilt?

 

I guess the next questions are:

1) Which school did you go for your PhD?
2) What did you get your PhD in?
3) Why did you choose this school?

 

No, I wasn't able to do it due to family-related issues. I ended up canceling my enrollment a couple weeks before I was scheduled to start.

 

Sorry to hear it.

 

1. Has the degree(s) met your original goals/objectives? No

2. Has the degree(s) opened unanticipated opportunities? Yes

3. If you had it to do over, would you invest the time/energy/money to earn the degree(s)? Said differently, would you do it again? Yes

My degree has opened doors . . . but it did not set me up for the positions I anticipated. However, unforeseen opportunities have presented themselves and my degree opened doors I didn't realize even existed, nor would I be qualified for without my degree.

 

1. Has the degree(s) met your original goals/objectives? Yes.

2. Has the degree(s) opened unanticipated opportunities? Yes.

3. If you had it to do over, would you invest the time/energy/money to earn the degree(s)? Said differently, would you do it again?
With hindsight, I would do things differently. Instead of doing a fourth year (Honours year) to deepen my studies in Japanese, I wish I had quit after three years (with a so-called 'pass degree') and done a Diploma of Education like many of my classmates.
At graduation I had a B.A. (Hons). They all had a B.A. AND a Dip.Ed.

 

For those who have earned a degree(s), whether via B/M or DL:

1. Has the degree(s) met your original goals/objectives? Yes. I wanted to teach management in Higher Education - and I am doing so

2. Has the degree(s) opened unanticipated opportunities? Yes. I did not know anything about accreditation when I began my doctoral journey. Next month I will be a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission. Did not anticipate that

3. If you had it to do over, would you invest the time/energy/money to earn the degree(s)? Said differently, would you do it again? Yes. I would have budgeted my time more effectively for my dissertation - but no regrets. I also have no regrets about earning a doctoral degree from Capella (a for profit). My Capella degree opened the doors I needed opened.