Skipping Bachelor's to go directly into a Masters program - Thoughts ?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by nyvrem, May 13, 2017.

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  1. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    I was recently told that I could complete a Masters (in computer science) via distance learning from a UK university without needing a bachelor's degree because I've shown that I have enough work experience and I had previously completed a substantial amount of undergraduate modules in the field (about 30 credits of comp sci stuff).

    Would it be a concern to potential employers if I only have a masters degree ?

    I've got 4 years of experience in my field (java/full stack development), and a number of IT certifications (MCSD, java, etc). My concern is the lack of a bachelor's degree. How important might that be?
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Well, what are your goals? If it's just to continue in conventional employment or contracting, I would think they'd care more about whether you can code than about your academic credentials.
     
  3. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    I know in Jamaica there were a lot of senior police officers with M.Sc. and no bachelor's degree. The University of the West Indies, Mona offers an M.Sc. in National Security Studies to senior police and military officers. It's quite common for UK universities to allow those with substantial experience and no bachelor's degree to matriculate into master's program. I know Edinburgh Business School also allows those without a bachelor's degree to take and pass the first 3 courses before matriculating into their MBA program.

    To answer your question, I think it would concern employers if you're based in the U.S. I don't think employers come across too much people with master's degree who has no bachelor's degree. In fact, I'm yet to see a reputable U.S. institution of higher education that will accept industry experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
     
  4. Steve Levicoff

    Steve Levicoff Well-Known Member

    In a word, yes. In three words, yes, it would.

    For two reasons. First, in any field, there is an overriding mentality on the part of people that says, “I paid my dues, you should, too.” Whether it’s rational thinking or jealousy that you pulled off something they could not pull off, the norm is to earn a bachelor’s, then a masters. You would be a completed puzzle with a major piece missing.

    Second, remember that the philosophy behind a bachelor’s degree is “breadth and depth.” A master’s degree is significantly more focused. You might end up with specific advanced knowledge in your field, but you would be missing the breadth and depth you would have received in an undergraduate program.

    Several years ago, I served as a preceptor in the Master of Human Services program at Lincoln University, an HBCU in Pennsylvania (whose graduates included Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall). To get into the M.H.S. program, you had to have either a bachelor’s degree or five years experience working in a human services field, and had to be currently employed in a human services field.

    There was a somewhat universal opinion that I often ran into with human services professionals that did not do the Lincoln program that those who entered the Lincoln M.H.S. without a bachelor’s degree were less capable (whatever that can be construed to mean) than those who entered with a bachelor’s degree.

    After spending some time as an advisor, I began to concur. The non-bachelor’s students did not seem to have the breadth and depth that those who held a bachelor’s had. Would they be good at what they did? Yes, sometimes, but not as good as someone who came through the usual steps to a master’s degree.

    Finally, as you are a long-term member of this forum, I assume that you are American. By doing an online master’s from a U.K. school, you will have the added burden of dealing with any prejudices people have with (1) online programs) and (2) foreign programs. Even if we’re talking about a major U.K. university, an online graduate degree is likely to be suspect. An online grad degree without having a bachelor’s degree will be even more suspect.

    Tread carefully.
     
  5. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    You will, forever until you die, have to explain this 99 times out of 100.
     
  6. ThePatriotHistoria

    ThePatriotHistoria New Member

    Well the four year degree of a Bachelors will take you through a lot more than your core major. You may take an astronomy class, or some psychology classes, gender studies (cringe), etc. etc... You will probably have to minor in something as well. The bachelors is to give you a well rounded education with an emphasis in a particular field of study. That said, it's strange to allow someone just to jump into a Masters program. However different countries have different rules, I would thoroughly vet this to make sure they are accredited in the UK. Make sure they are worthy of your time. Lastly another thing to consider... Because they are allowing you to jump a level, are there any other requirements that would have not been present had you started with a Bachelors? For example: Will you have to take extra courses that would've been taken through the bachelors program? The average Masters in America is about 36-40'ish credits... would they require you to take 60'ish credits? Just some things to consider...
     
  7. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    I have seen a lot of job posts.

    Requirement: Bachelor degree prefer Master degree
    Bachelor degree, optional Master degree
     
  8. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    looking more towards conventional employment when i go back to the US.

    i'm currently working in Hong Kong with a major bank
     
  9. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    I'm an american but i've been working around asia mostly. alot of people in asia are educated under the UK system, so it's pretty common to see someone with a Masters degree but no bachelor's. but they would have some technical diploma and such done prior. alot of these diploma programs are like, the first 2 years of university education (out of 3 years). many people i know skip the last year of their bach program and enter a masters program directly because alot of UK universities allow that.

    but i guess i might have to finish a bach. before continuing with a masters if it might pose a big issue in the US.

    i do eventually intend to return to find employment.
     
  10. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    i see that too when i do a quick job search on indeed for java developer jobs

    yet i won't know what will HR see if i'm to show that I have a masters and nothing else prior to that. well, i do have a technical diploma (in IT). it's not a full fledged degree though
     
  11. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    that's my concern too. i've been working in asia for so long, i never really thought what would happen when i went back to the US to seek employment.

    i thought i could just continue doing classes online and eventually churn out a CS degree from one of the US unis.

    but this recent offer from a UK Uni got me very very interested.
     
  12. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    and it would be really weird if i came back to ask how can I use my graduate credits from my masters to get a Bach in CS later on in life.

    lol.

    :banghead:
     
  13. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    In Scotland, a masters degree is often (but not always) an undergraduate first degree. It even confuses the English, which no doubt pleases the Scots.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Arts_(Scotland)

    I wonder how many Scottish graduates have tried to pass their masters degrees as graduate degrees ('post-graduate' in Brit-speak) here in the United States. It's fairly common, I'd guess.
     
  14. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    I think that's a bit of a stretch. This refers specifically to an undergraduate degree in Arts (Master of Arts). All other master's degrees outside of the faculty of Arts (MBA, M.Ed., M.Sc., etc.) are post graduate level degrees.

    https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/United-Kingdom-Scotland:Bachelor#Certification
     
  15. Rifleman

    Rifleman New Member

    Don't be shy, what's the institution and program?
     
  16. Helpful2013

    Helpful2013 Active Member

    In many Scottish university departments, both degree titles are used. The B.A. is three years, while if you finish a fourth undergraduate year, or ‘honours year’ you’re granted the M.A., while the M.Sc. is the typical graduate degree. It’s not uncommon at all to see ‘M.A., M.Sc.’ after people’s names here in Scotland.
     
  17. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I doubt the English would be confused since this isn't exclusively a Scottish phenomenon. At least at one point, the Open University offered a four year undergraduate MMath for mathematics students.
     
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Anyway, nyrem, I think that what Levicoff said is true in most fields, but not necessarily computer science, where one's academic credentials are eclipsed (pun intended) by what one can actually do.
     
  19. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    You know all of those times where people tell you how employers will behave and this board's most annoying HR guy, whose name rhymes with "snoo-mouse," swings in to tell you about all of the nuance in the hiring world?

    This is not one of those times.

    In theory having a Masters degree would satisfy any requirement for having a bachelor's degree as well as those jobs requiring a Masters. Two birds, one stone.

    In practice it is likely to cause more problems than it is worth.

    In my career I have only ever met one person with a masters and no undergrad degree. She's from Scotland and her degree is, undoubtedly, legitimate. But she once told me that she's basically stuck with the only employer who would listen to her story. She's had job offers rescinded because they assumed she had a bachelor's in addition to her masters and, when she couldn't provide proof of said bachelor's, yanked the offer.

    In the U.S., we just don't have a concept of an M.Sc. without a bachelor's degree. Many companies, I would wager, don't even have an HRIS that would easily allow that to be entered without messing something up.
     
  20. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    thy shall work on my bachelor's

    and i think it'll cause even more confusion if i got my masters first

    ... and went back to school for my bachelor's
     

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