Advice on pusuing Masters in IT

What do you base this statement on?

 

The best way is to get your hands on an old pc, download what you need from oracle, and play. For added experience put a version of linux on the machine and run oracle on linux.

A cert will not give you any hands on experience, it will only give you the ability to regurgitate what you remember to past the test. For an entry level position I would look at how hungry you are and building your own environment is a good indication. If you're bent on getting an MS then perhaps going to Regis and getting a graduate Oracle cert from there, the credits will go directly towards there MS degree.