Is a Masters degree in IT worth it? (Atlanta: 2014, school)

[dark_knight08]

I graduated from Georgia State University back in late 2014 with a bachelors in Computer Information Systems. Currently, I'm working as an entry-level, desktop support specialist for a small company outside of Atlanta. I've been there for a few months now, and I'm studying for my certifications as well. I hope to work within the technical side of IT (Networking, Security, etc.)

I've been debating whether I should go back to pursue my MBA or not. Is it worth it, or is a combination of experience, bachelors, and a couple of certs enough?

[flamadiddle]

Generally speaking, not worth it. Experience and Certs are the way to go... IMO.

[fourthwarden]

If you can, see about getting a bit of industry under your belt. Generally speaking, post grad degrees are best to tackle right after you get your bachelor's, but 8f you can find an employer who will send you to school, then that's nice. It will also let you ask around your coworkers and such.

Edit: I actually bothered reason this time, and saw that you're already employed. Maybe talk to a hiring manager / hr to see what they say about competitiveness of an MBA?

[Domitian]

Both my wife and I are in IT leadership. Neither of us have degrees in IT , nor do we have advanced degrees. In IT it comes down to experience, certifications, and "soft skills". As others have said, find an employer that offers tuition reimbursement; don't burden yourself with tuition as the ROI won't be realized until many years later, if at all...

[TommyTipover]

For IT, an MBA is not worth the expense or time. Experience goes a long way.

[bhammaster]

It helps if you are going the management and business site of IT route. It's best if a company is paying though.

[Big L]

I would say that it is not worth it unless someone else paying for it (scholarships, tuition reimbursement through your company, etc.). Certifications and experience are what people look for when it comes to IT jobs. A lot of the folks that I know in IT either do not have degrees or have degrees in unrelated majors.

[dark_knight08]

Thanks for the answers. My classes at GSU mostly covered the business side of IT, and lightly brushed the surface of some of the technical aspects. My job is exposing me to many subjects such as troubleshooting, networking, and some security as well. I find myself always wanting to learn more. Which brings me to my next question: Which side of IT pays better, and is more worthwhile for a young professional as myself?

[Domitian]

honestly, information technology security (helping companies protect their data) is going to be big for quite awhile. All companies will need client support, like what you do, but the pay isnt going to be the greatest. outside of management, you may top out around $60k for support.

network engineers will be easily employed as nearly every company is going to need their own LAN. Maybe top out around 80-90k after 10 years experience.

unless you're going to work for large data centers / cloud providers, system admins are going to be in low demand since most companies will be migrating their systems to cloud providers.

In the end, it all comes down to what you want to do and what makes you happy.

[NewNashville]

Cisco all the way!