Thursday, July 14, 2011

Masters in System Engineering

Systems Engineering Principles and Practice (Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management)Recently I have been pondering whether to get a Master's degree and if so then which degree should I get.  Initially I thought I should get my degree in Information Systems or Computer Science.  I also thought about being the "big boss" in a company for which I may need a  Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
With IT being commoditized and being outsourced, I decided that I don't want to get a master's degree in Information Systems or Computer Science.   It's so Y2K mindset.   Instead I am strongly considering getting a master's in Systems Engineering.  I believe Systems Engineering will provide me the tools to excel in the future.  I don't see IT being the way it is now in ten to twenty years.  I could get two hundred or more certificates from Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, CISCO and worry about renewing my certs every few years or get a degree in Information Systems and morph into a nice comfy paper pushing employee.  Neither career appeals to me.  MBA sounds great but I don't want to spend $40,000 and more and end up being a mid level manager.  I will go for an MBA if the program is right.  Currently getting a MBA from non reputable college is not my view of career advancement.

So. I have decided to pursue a master's in Systems Engineering.  After getting some insight into couple of complex systems like the National Incident Management System (NIMS) or National Airspace System (NAS), I believe this would be a fascinating domain to study in and it will equip me to do my current job better.  Please feel free to comment and tell me how you feel about my decision.

No comments: