Should I get a Masters from Mizzou or Harvard or Nebraska online to move up

[Shoeless Joe]

SURFCAV, I think if you check, this site could easily be called ex-Sports Journalists. Many of us that have gone back to school to get masters degrees have done so to get of the business, not get deeper into it. In 19 years at a newspaper, I knew two guys who had masters in journalism, and they were both complete forkups. Journalism isn't like other professions where folks care about the the alphabet soup after your name. You can either write, you can't, or you will work like a rented mule for next to nothing. If it's the third option, it doesn't matter whether or not you can write or what education background you have.

Take your GI Bill money and get a degree in something other than journalism. I left the business to teach high school. My time in the Navy counted toward retirement. If you want to write, as others have said, use your points.

 

[Mark2010]

I'll second the "use your preference points" suggestion.

There are some awesome writing jobs in the federal government. Some are journalism, but there are many others. I was thisclose to a great position with a VA hospital but HR rejiggered it and reposted it. When it was posted again, I'd lost my NCE status and was no longer eligible. Had I had that or preference points, I'd be three years into a sweet gig right now.

I don't think online degrees, especially masters, are worth it. My POV is one who has one, though it's not in journalism.

In the 10+ years I've had it, the only use it's been is for my upcoming federal gig, in that I could check the "do you have a masters degree" box and qualify for a more advanced step in the FP level.

Great advice. I was not being sarcastic to the OP regarding preference points. If you served, why not explore what the federal government has to offer? Pretty sure it's a more comfortable lifestyle than working 18 hours per day, and more lucrative.

Agreed. If I could get my foot in the door for a government job, I would do that. Not sure if military service gives one an inside track or not.

 

[Riptide]

I wish I had those preference points. Never got a sniff for the government writing and editing jobs I applied for, and most of them listed salary ranges from $75K up to $125K or even more. Talk about sweet deals ...

 

[playthrough]

The only motivation I could ever see for pursuing a masters is if your goal is to teach at the university level. People in academia care about that stuff. The rest of the world surely does not.

This. My wife is currently an adjunct professor and would love to be a full-time prof, but the only way it's happening is with a Masters. Even though her journalism resume would equal or beat many current professors.

 

[Riptide]

The only motivation I could ever see for pursuing a masters is if your goal is to teach at the university level. People in academia care about that stuff. The rest of the world surely does not.

This. My wife is currently an adjunct professor and would love to be a full-time prof, but the only way it's happening is with a Masters. Even though her journalism resume would equal or beat many current professors.

That's nuts. Academia perpetuating the idea that a piece of paper is more important than years of polished experience in the field.

 

[Tarheel316]

The only motivation I could ever see for pursuing a masters is if your goal is to teach at the university level. People in academia care about that stuff. The rest of the world surely does not.

This. My wife is currently an adjunct professor and would love to be a full-time prof, but the only way it's happening is with a Masters. Even though her journalism resume would equal or beat many current professors.

That's nuts. Academia perpetuating the idea that a piece of paper is more important than years of polished experience in the field.

May be nuts but it's true.

 

[SURFCAV]

Thanks for all the good advice guys. And no I'm not a troll, just a new SE trying to better myself in the business. I'm used to sarcasm in the newsroom and the military, so I hope I didn't offend anyone. I will postpone any Grad school activity until after football season anyways. And after spending over 20 years in the military, the last thing I want to do is work for the govt again. And whoever asked for a beer, I'm opening one right now. They are giving us tomorrow off but we had to finish 2 newspapers tonight.

 

[Riptide]

The only motivation I could ever see for pursuing a masters is if your goal is to teach at the university level. People in academia care about that stuff. The rest of the world surely does not.

This. My wife is currently an adjunct professor and would love to be a full-time prof, but the only way it's happening is with a Masters. Even though her journalism resume would equal or beat many current professors.

That's nuts. Academia perpetuating the idea that a piece of paper is more important than years of polished experience in the field.

May be nuts but it's true.

But also discriminately waived for the right "catch."

 

[Mark2010]

The only motivation I could ever see for pursuing a masters is if your goal is to teach at the university level. People in academia care about that stuff. The rest of the world surely does not.

This. My wife is currently an adjunct professor and would love to be a full-time prof, but the only way it's happening is with a Masters. Even though her journalism resume would equal or beat many current professors.

That's nuts. Academia perpetuating the idea that a piece of paper is more important than years of polished experience in the field.

That's how academia perpetuates itself. Has been for as long as I can remember. In their world, degrees trump everything. Degrees somehow make a person infinitely smarter than someone without a degree. If you have a Masters, a Doctorate, etc., that trumps decades of real world experience. It's a big part of the reason the disconnect between academia and the rest of society keeps getting broader.

 

[Mark2010]

Thanks for all the good advice guys. And no I'm not a troll, just a new SE trying to better myself in the business. I'm used to sarcasm in the newsroom and the military, so I hope I didn't offend anyone. I will postpone any Grad school activity until after football season anyways. And after spending over 20 years in the military, the last thing I want to do is work for the govt again. And whoever asked for a beer, I'm opening one right now. They are giving us tomorrow off but we had to finish 2 newspapers tonight.

I'm sure you will discover --- if you haven't already --- that journalism is its own unique animal. It certainly isn't for everyone and you'll have to figure out if the demands, challenges and rewards are right for you. But it's a long way removed from academia in many respects, although getting one's foot in the door without a bachelor's degree can be a challenge unless you have personal connections or were lucky enough to start somewhere really young and work your way up from the inside.

 

[SURFCAV]

Thanks Mark, I have a journalism degree from Texas Tech. Was just looking into all the masters programs cuz my post 9-11 GI bill will pay for it since i went to the war. I don't know of any newspaper that pays you more with a Masters anyways, I know cop jobs do in Los Angeles. Since Id rather write about sports then go back to gunfighting for a living I think I'll stick with my day job. May still get that Masters in History so I have something else to fall back on if all the newspapers suddenly fold.

 

[Mark2010]

Thanks Mark, I have a journalism degree from Texas Tech. Was just looking into all the masters programs cuz my post 9-11 GI bill will pay for it since i went to the war. I don't know of any newspaper that pays you more with a Masters anyways, I know cop jobs do in Los Angeles. Since Id rather write about sports then go back to gunfighting for a living I think I'll stick with my day job. May still get that Masters in History so I have something else to fall back on if all the newspapers suddenly fold.

Nothing wrong with that. I think the idea people posted here is simply "It won't improve your chances in hunting for journalism jobs".

If you are new to the board, you may or may not realize that quite a few regular posters have left the journalism business in recent years in favor of alternate careers. So nothing wrong with that, either. Best of luck to you.