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Are online or evening class Master degrees worth while?

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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,150
This is probably not the forum to ask this since most people here are young, but I will anyway. I got accepted into University of Michigan (among other schools, but it is the best school near by) for graduate engineering school but I likely cant afford to not work and cant afford the tuition of out of state. So, I do have the cheaper option of online or evening classes, but I dont know if they hold any weight in the real world.
Anyone know if they have significant value?
Apr 10 2013 10:14AM
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UphillIce
Posts: 123 - Karma: 138
Is this online/evening classes through the U of Michigan or somewhere else? If it's through the Michigan, will possible future employers be able to tell that you did it that way, or will the degree just say "U of Michigan" on it?

The second way it might be beneficial either way is if you end up in a situation where you're on a rigid bureaucratic pay scale where your salary is determined by which boxes you check. I know some government jobs are like this. If you have a master's, you get a salary bump, regardless of the institution that it's from. I'm not sure how general this is though.
Apr 10 2013 10:59AM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i did almost all of my masters program at night simply because that's what time the classes were offered. i only worked through the second half of my graduate degree, so night classes were quite beneficial.
Apr 10 2013 11:02AM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
When are you supposed to get your masters? Screw the kids that can have mom and pop pay for them to go full time to grad school. Everyone else that works full time and has to foot the bill themselves gets their masters done during the evening.

They are considered equal by employers and I would venture to say it looks more impressive to a prospective employer when you're working 40+ hours and week AND still able to put time and energy towards pursuing a degree. Different than a kid that can't find work coming out of undergrad so he needs to do a couple more semesters with no work experience...

Not sure about online programs though...I know a friend getting an online MBA through a reputable school and the program is a joke...
Apr 10 2013 11:06AM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,150
+K for responses so far.
It would be through U of M and the evening classes a presume would be a normal degree as if I took day classes, but I dont know how it works without being a TA or having projects for profs during the day.
I have no idea if the online version is the same degree or not. I will have to look into that.
I have a job as an engineer right now and want to keep it, but I dont want to stay at this company forever and I want to get a PhD.
Having just a masters in engineering is a tricky thing. A lot of companies dont want that as they expect more money and companies want to pay that money to PhD level grads or less money to a bachelors.
Apr 10 2013 11:13AM
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
I'm starting to look into an MSW. As much as possible I am going be taking evening/online classes. Obviously it's going to be a lot of work, but quitting work to go back to school full time isn't a realistic option.

If the online version is still through the same school, it shouldn't make a difference.
Apr 10 2013 11:52AM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
Couldn't tell ya...I'm getting my MBA in finance so it wouldn't apply to what you're talking about. That sounds like an awesome canada-only option but I'm not sure if it's available in the states. I'd have to ask a friend thats getting a masters in one of those fields..or maybe someone on here from the states knows
Apr 10 2013 11:58AM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,150
This is not the case in the US 95% of the time. Many science based grad students try to go to Canada for this reason. The Canadian government is great with research funding and the US government is not.
Apr 10 2013 12:11PM
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Scaredwhiteboy
Posts: 1395 - Karma: -938
Umich engineering? Do it. You could be my TA.
Apr 10 2013 12:24PM
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Scaredwhiteboy
Posts: 1395 - Karma: -938
Also, I found this:

The typical GSI at U-M has a 50% appointment, working between 16.5 and 20 hours per week during the eight-month academic year and earning a salary, health and dental benefits for themselves and their dependents, and a full tuition grant. The median half-time GSI salary for eight months in 2010-11 is $17,270. That equals at least $24.91 per hour and is the equivalent of a full-time annual salary of $51,810. The hourly wage levels for all GSIs are well above the “living wage” as defined by the City of Ann Arbor. In addition, the tuition grant ranges from $9,454 to over $50,000, depending upon the enrollment status of the student and his or her area of study.

Apr 10 2013 12:27PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,150
Idk if evening class students are GSIs. I need to figure this all out. I make much more than that at my current job, so, if I dont have to, I probably wont be a GSI.

I am going to talk to an engineering dean or assistant next week to figure this all out.
Apr 10 2013 1:39PM
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