6 ms·

It's amusing that the suggested solution is to go and spend more money on a graduate-level degree. That feels eerily similar to the conventional wisdom that eve

It's amusing that the suggested solution is to go and spend more money on a graduate-level degree. That feels eerily similar to the conventional wisdom that every single high school student should go to college majoring in a STEM field, which seems to be losing a little steam over the recent years.

marchenko 10y ago
The signalling competition of higher education is turning into a Red Queen race.
madengr 10y ago
PhD is the new MS MS the new BS BS the new HS diploma I should have stayed for my PhD 22 years ago, but back then it was only for acedemia track. These days there seem to be plenty of freshly minted PhD. Maybe that will soon be the minimum job qualification.
- amelius 10y ago
  And, unfortunately, knowing how to code is not the new literacy.
  - mustacheemperor 10y ago
    But having an MS in data science without being able to write six functioning lines of python is already common.
    - Balgair 10y ago
      And people on HN wonder about the disconnect between the pay of the Big 4 and their eternal complaints of 'we can't find any engineers'. Maybe they aren't just greedy, maybe there is a nugget of truth in their statements.
- southbridge 10y ago
  What about double majors? Or a BS with a minor? Knowledge in multiple subjects can create a synergistic effect. For example a double major in computer science and biotechnology - or something similar - could be effective. I think that jobs are becoming less specialized, and also workers need to do several things well.
Futurebot 10y ago
The Master's as the new Bachelor's: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24masters-t.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24mas... "“Several years ago it became very clear to us that master’s education was moving very rapidly to become the entry degree in many professions,” Dr. Stewart says. The sheen has come, in part, because the degrees are newly specific and utilitarian. These are not your general master’s in policy or administration. Even the M.B.A., observed one business school dean, “is kind of too broad in the current environment.” Now, you have the M.S. in supply chain management, and in managing mission-driven organizations. There’s an M.S. in skeletal and dental bioarchaeology, and an M.A. in learning and thinking."
- Balgair 10y ago
  I'll add to this too. We have had potential employers invited to speak in front of classes for the joint MS/PhD program, often ~6 employers for the hour of class time, and this happened a few times. One guy said '... entry level positions for MS students like you ...', though I was half asleep, I did pick that one out of the talk. When the Q&A part came around, I asked him about it. He said "We will not hire any engineer without a MS. The MS is now entry level", and the other people there agreed with him. This was in bio-medical engineering, fwiw.

marchenko 10y ago

The signalling competition of higher education is turning into a Red Queen race.

madengr 10y ago

PhD is the new MS MS the new BS BS the new HS diploma I should have stayed for my PhD 22 years ago, but back then it was only for acedemia track. These days there seem to be plenty of freshly minted PhD. Maybe that will soon be the minimum job qualification.

amelius 10y ago
And, unfortunately, knowing how to code is not the new literacy.
- mustacheemperor 10y ago
  But having an MS in data science without being able to write six functioning lines of python is already common.
  - Balgair 10y ago
    And people on HN wonder about the disconnect between the pay of the Big 4 and their eternal complaints of 'we can't find any engineers'. Maybe they aren't just greedy, maybe there is a nugget of truth in their statements.
southbridge 10y ago
What about double majors? Or a BS with a minor? Knowledge in multiple subjects can create a synergistic effect. For example a double major in computer science and biotechnology - or something similar - could be effective. I think that jobs are becoming less specialized, and also workers need to do several things well.

Futurebot 10y ago

The Master's as the new Bachelor's: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24masters-t.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24mas... "“Several years ago it became very clear to us that master’s education was moving very rapidly to become the entry degree in many professions,” Dr. Stewart says. The sheen has come, in part, because the degrees are newly specific and utilitarian. These are not your general master’s in policy or administration. Even the M.B.A., observed one business school dean, “is kind of too broad in the current environment.” Now, you have the M.S. in supply chain management, and in managing mission-driven organizations. There’s an M.S. in skeletal and dental bioarchaeology, and an M.A. in learning and thinking."

Balgair 10y ago
I'll add to this too. We have had potential employers invited to speak in front of classes for the joint MS/PhD program, often ~6 employers for the hour of class time, and this happened a few times. One guy said '... entry level positions for MS students like you ...', though I was half asleep, I did pick that one out of the talk. When the Q&A part came around, I asked him about it. He said "We will not hire any engineer without a MS. The MS is now entry level", and the other people there agreed with him. This was in bio-medical engineering, fwiw.