Let’s get all contrarian from the outset today, shall we? Graduate school can be a great idea that expands your knowledge and opens up your career prospects. It can also be a lousy one that multiplies your student loan debt and walls you off from career opportunities that arise while you’re toiling away on your thesis or dissertation.
It just depends on the situation. To that end, we address Regine’s concerns:
Judge Josh,
I know you are receiving more and more emails lately, but I am really hoping this one will quietly “pop out” through the pile you get everyday.
It did when you gave me the linkback from your hi5 account! 🙂
I am Regine, almost 32 years old, 4th year undergraduate student in Architecture. I am in a rush to finish with school to say the least and kind of tired hanging around what you would call your “prototypical-straight-to-college-from-high-school” students everyday.
I can understand that.
I have a “quarter-time” job on campus (less than part-time), paying less than half what’s needed to survive.
I’m going to assume that the other half needed to keep you above the survival line is student loans. And I’m also going to start accumulating some questions for addressing later, the first of which is: Can you work more somewhere off-campus?
I am too old to get some good financial help but still want to get my Master’s degree.
I’m not sure what you mean by that — I know there are lots of scholarships out there cater to high school seniors and therefore aren’t available to you, but there’s still a LOT of scholarship money out there for you regardless of your age — of course, if you’ve got the grades and essays and credentials and all that to earn it.
Anyways, in 2 years I am done with college and I would like to get my Master’s degree at once.
OK, another question for later: Why is it that you’re certain you want to get a master’s degree at all, and to get it immediately following your bachelor’s? And the inevitable followup question there is — what is it exactly that you want to do with your professional life following college?
My options:
1) I can either stay at my school and take out more loans ( I am already $30,000 in debt) keeping in mind that a Master’s degree at IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) is pricey.
2) I can go to a more affordable school, public would be better, where I would not have to pay that much .
Let me suggest a third option: graduate from IIT as soon as you can, then forget the master’s degree for now. More on that in a second, though.
Although I prefer this last option, the only good schools that offer a great Master’s program in Architecture are far from Chicago (University of Michigan, University of Cincinnati for ex). At my age, I am tired of moving and starting over. I also cant afford to wait another year for in-state tuition.
At the end of the day I’m going to stick by my recommendation of ditching the master’s program for now, but just as a side road here, you have to ask yourself what you’re really looking for in a master’s degree in the first place. A deeper education? A nameplate school on your diploma so that all the other architects you meet in the future open their eyes a little wider when you mention where you got your master’s? I’m being a little facetious here, but my point is real — I haven’t heard any solid *reason* for going after a master’s degree yet, and that’s always important, but especially so when the student involved is really itching to start building their lives.
I would prefer staying where I am and start building my life.
See! I knew it! 🙂 I’ll say more about this in a second, but, contrary to what seems to be the conventional wisdom these days — going to grad school is not always a good idea. Yes, deeper and more expansive knowledge is great, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. The costs do not always outweigh the benefits. Sometimes it increases your marketability commensurate with its price tag, and sometimes it doesn’t.
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But one thing remains constant — it’s expensive, and if you can’t reasonably predict that you’ll make up the cost difference in increased pay and opportunity later on, then grad school is not worth it.
Disclaimer: I went to grad school for journalism, which generally is a field in which it is NOT worth your time and money to pursue a graduate degree. However, my master’s degree from Missouri paid for itself many times over. Missouri’s journalism school has been the best in the world for over 100 years, and simply having the degree opened careers doors for me that never would’ve been opened if it weren’t for Mizzou.
BUT MIND YOU: this was not from any special secret journalism knowledge that was imparted to me during my two years in the master’s program there. As much as I love my alma mater, I will steadfastly tell you that I am probably no smarter journalism-wise as a result of my coursework there than I would be if I picked up an M.A. at just about any other journalism program around (in fact, I came out pretty discouraged about journalism and abandoned the profession immediately afterward).
So, do I regret spending the money and two years of my life on the degree? Hell no I don’t — it made my career. But it was a special situation. It wasn’t having *a* master’s that did me the good, it was having one from the top school in my field that did it (That was more long-winded than I intended for it to be, but I don’t want to appear to be a hypocrite with the advice I’m giving today).
At the same time, I cant afford to pay IIT much more money if (God forbids!) I would have to get my Master’s at IIT. I looked at DesignIntelligence, a magazine that lists some of the best schools for undergrad & grad in Architecture, and most of the schools are either Ivy League (cant afford) & the public ones (out-of-state, meaning I would have to sit another year).
Let me roughly quote my venerable mother (man, I must be getting old) when I say: you don’t have to go to the “best” schools in order to be the best — or very, very good, even — at what you do. And then, let me tell you my own spin on my mother’s wisdom after 36 years of listening to it:
You don’t need ANYBODY else to tell you that you’re smart, your education is valid and that you’re good at what you do. Not the small group of writers and editors and DesignIntelligence, not some admissions board at the University of Michigan, not your future co-workers and not me. It sounds simplistic but it’s true — just work as hard as you can to learn as much as you can while you’re at IIT, and you’ll be as good as most people you meet in your profession (and that’s because most people in college do NOT work as hard as they can nor try to learn as much as they can).
I’m really skittish about playing armchair psychologist with people asking me for help, but here goes — from reading your email, it sounds like a main reason you want that master’s degree is to communicate to others and yourself that you’ve got a great education pedigree. You don’t seem to want it for the bottom-line financial reasons that a lot of people have for pursuing the grad degree, and you also don’t want it for the more romantic, “knowledge feeds my soul” kinda reasoning that other (usually more affluent types) have. Again, I’m speculating and if I’m wrong about that, I apologize, but that’s just the vibe I get from your email.
I believe that in most cases, the value of the education you receive is about 30% up to your school’s program and 70% up to you personally — meaning, how much effort you put into learning and applying what they teach you, how aggressive you are in learning more things above and beyond what you’re required to learn to get your degree, how assertive you are in pursuing internships and work experience, etc.
Having said that, there are certainly wonderful reasons to spend the money on a master’s degree.
a) The deeper knowledge you acquire, of course, can in many situations launch you into a job that’s a couple of rungs higher on the career ladder and pay scale than you could get with a bachelor’s degree.
b) In my experience, the professional network you build in graduate school is more valuable than the one you build in undergrad school. People who go to grad school tend to move on to bigger and better jobs faster than those who don’t. That’s my personal experience, anyway — it may not always be true.
Am I being too difficult?
I believe that you are. Again, I have to speculate on your reasoning here, but let me lay down my assumptions:
I assume that you’re pursuing an architecture degree so that you can become an architect (seems obvious, but not always). And I assume that you have the time to work more than just 10 hours a week or so.
If I’m in the neighborhood here, my advice is to get a job working more hours during the week somewhere off-campus if you must. That’ll begin to address the money situation — you’ll have more cash in your pocket and then you can dial back the student loans a bit if you want.
Then, ditch the idea of master’s degree for now. Your top two concerns seem to be a) to stop spending money on education, and b) to start working. Both of those problems are solved by getting out into the work force full time. And if you’re still set on getting a master’s degree, start going part-time if you can, and even check into whether your employer might help you pay for at least a portion of it.
I cant move anymore and wait a year for in-state tuition, I cant either afford IIT. I feel stuck, frustrated that I cant think logically at my age. Any advice would be welcome!!!
Thank you,
Regine
You’re welcome. That’s my best advice on the subject, but what about you all? Should she ditch the master’s degree or keep after it? Let us know in the comments below!
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On a side note, I am always looking for native speakers of other languages to translate my posts into their native tongues. If you’re willing to do that in exchange for being publicly credited on each article, getting a link to your personal website/LinkedIn and a strong reference from me on your resume, please email me at judgejosh (at) outlawstudent.com.
I have only this to say. I went to an expensive private university for a B.S in Computer animation, and a M.S. in Entertainment Business. I’m nearly done with my masters now. I owe $115,000. I wish I simply owed $30,000. I have friends who owe what I owe for just one degree. It could be way worse.
Oh, and I got my master’s so I would be able to demonstrate a strong knowledge base about the business side of making entertainment media, and so that one day I will be able to co-found a game development studio. I think for a master’s to be worth it, you have to be able to really see why it will be useful. I’ve gained amazing knowledge through this degree, and that is what makes this worth it, not the piece of paper I will receive.
I should add that this university is one of the top five in the country for Computer Animation and Game Development, as well as many of their other degrees.
After the BS degree,Take a year off from college to find a job(just over broke) in the entry level of your BS degree. If you find this is the career for you,then, see if the company will pay for the Master’s degree. And there is scholarships out there for the over 30plus student.I have two daughter-n-laws with asociates degrees who make very good money in the medical field. The will return to college but not soon. The Master degree isn’t everything it is cracked up to be. There is alot of learning on your own in the Master degree.
My suggestion is to DO YOUR RESEARCH! Spend some serious time researching two things — Master’s programs in your field that offer funding and teaching assistants-ships –and grants and Fellowships. I am beginning a PhD in the fall and the program will pay for tuition and pay me a living wage on top of it as a TA for six years. Most graduate programs offer some kind of funding but you have to do the footwork, start by talking to your faculty — ask then where they took there masters, ask them about funding opportunities, ask about fellowships, next hit the books, and the websites. If you seriously don’t want to move find out if your school offers any type of TA position or research assistant — these positions usually waive tuition and fees and come with some kind of living stipend. Good luck~
I disagree w/ Judge Josh. I’m 31, a single mother of two (one of which I had my senior year), racking up student loans like crazy (and still BROKE all the time),a first-gen. high school drop-out who started school 3.5 years ago and I finished my BS in Geosciences a month ago. I have all the cards stacked against me but ambition and smarts are on my side. I’m entering grad school in the Fall and guess what—I’m getting a free ride, and it is not because I am a non-traditional student w/unusual circumstances, it’s because I made the last couple years of school really count. I completed senior research and a thesis. I’ve presented in professional meetings, was a teaching assistant for the department, really worked hard to get top scores (and graduated with honors) and made sure that my last two years demonstrated my academic and professional capabilities as much as possible. Now I probably went overboard but to be honest- my GREs weren’t amazing (high enough to keep me on lists but little more) and after I had my second child and was writing my thesis my GPA dropped a tenth of a point so I’m not the most spectacular student ever…but I’m certain my letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose were stellar so I think if you can effectively market yourself you can get full funding for grad school. I applied to four programs and was accepted to four programs—fully-funded.
And how much will I be worth…?
SUBSTANTIALLY MORE with the MS and I’m certain that in a field like architecture the same would be the case for you.
If you’re getting a little burned out than take a break. 32 (~34 when you finish I figure) is certainly not old-don’t discount the marketability of maturity either, but don’t think you can’t do it because you can’t afford it- and don’t assume you need to go top 20 either. I actually turned down a top-20 program in favor of something close to family so I can get help with my kids. Just make sure the program and research are good fits.
My advice to you is to start making your undergrad experience rich and valuable and the graduate school issue will likely not be so daunting. Seriously- there is money available for good students so don’t throw all your eggs in one basket and start doing research now.
Good luck- Us not-so-youngins have a ton left to contribute and grad programs know it!
I have to agree w/ the advice here. It doesn’t seem like architecture is a field you *need* grad school for (such is often the case in math/science) in order to make a decent living. And it definitely doesn’t sound like she even wants to go to grad school. If those two factors are correct, there’s no sense in going. Graduate and get a job, and reconsider grad school later.
The obvious benefit of obtaining a Master’s in Architecture is that it is usually required for licensure (assuming that Regine wants to become licensed. Not everyone in architecture does, but there’s often quite a salary benefit for doing so.)
However, according to NCARB’s website for Illinois (http://www.ncarb.org/en/Getting-an-Initial-License/Registration-Board-Requirements.aspx?jurisid=22), you don’t actually need a master’s degree in Architecture to become licensed in the state of Illinois, although you do have to put in twice as many IDP hours. So if Regine wants to stay in Illinois, it probably isn’t a bad idea to skip grad school, at least for now.
As an alternative, the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee has a respected architecture program with tuition about 2/3 of IIT’s.
I would suggest getting your career started since that seems to be where your heart is. Moreover, I would also suggest doing your Master’s program at night or on the weekends. I may be a lot of work, but that way you’ll be able to have a great job and get your master’s degree. There are also some places of employment that will pay a fraction or all of your tuition if you work with them for a while.
I am not a typical student either and I am in the final 5 months of my BA in accounting. I would not apply for admission to a graduate program unless I absolutely had to. Unfortunately, I have to because I plan to become a CPA and it is a state requirement. Go to work after graduation and enjoy your life. Hopefully the company you end up working for will reimburse you if you decide to go back to school later. And yes, you may receive many scholarships and grants at your age if you have the grades.
I’m a senior in my English program. When I asked a professor for advice about grad school, he strongly recommended not getting a PhD. right away because schools are not hiring and have not been hiring in my discipline for a while. He said the degree wasn’t worth the expense or the time out of the job market as the economy stands now. Depending on what I intend to do with my degree, he explained that even a Masters may or may not be useful or competitive in certain situations. After graduating, I plan to work for a year or two, get a feel for my career options, and then decide about grad school once I’ve had some experience. Perhaps you could look into paid internships if your school has limited financial aid. Internships can be a good launching point for a future career.
Thanks for all your hard work, “Judge Josh”! I follow the blog but don’t have any sites to link for you unfortunately. It looks as though old-fashioned word of mouth will have to do for now.
I agree with a lot of Judge Josh’s advice. I’m 40 years old, with a master’s degree in the social sciences, and I’m returning now for a doctorate in psychology. I think there is no one-size-fits-all response to this question, but the questions Josh asks are pretty much spot on.
I got my master’s degree straight out of undergrad, without a whole lot of thinking about a future career. I just did it because there wasn’t much I could do with my Bachelor’s, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life, and the economy was in a recession (but not as bad as this one). For me it was sort of like putting myself into a holding pattern. However, I had no undergrad loans and I went to a public school in California, where I paid very little for my education and I had an assistanship in my department.
I don’t regret the choice at all. Having a master’s degree turned out to be very helpful in my field, and having a doctorate might have been even better in some respects. I probably wouldn’t have gotten my first job as a research assistant at a well known think tank in my field had it not been for the fact that I could prove that I could do research.
My choice to pursue my doctorate is entirely based on the fact that I’m switching careers and a doctorate is necessary for what I want to do (become licensed as a clinical psychologist). This time around, I’m going to be taking on a whole lot more debt, but I have a plan and a rationale for why I’m doing this. I also suspect that with my level of maturity (linked to my age, but more than just the number), I’ll get a lot out of the program and be able to contribute a whole lot more to it than when I went straight from undergrad to grad school.
Some programs (oddly, clinical psych isn’t one of them!) actually prefer their students to have “real world” experience before applying. It shows that the candidate is serious about the field, knows something about it, and has the maturity to make some important contributions. This is often the case for professional/technical programs, although I’m not sure if it’s the case for architecture.
I’d check into the requirements for admission to the programs you’re interested in, and see if you’re more likely to be an attractive candidate (read: top on the list for departmental scholarships) if you have been in the workforce in the field you want to work in.
Also, as Josh mentions, weigh the costs and benefits of getting a master’s degree in your field. Is it really necessary? Does it give you perks (such as prestige, respect, and a higher salary)? Talk to architects with master’s degrees to find out if they felt the extra education was worth it.
M
I could not agree more with this:
“I believe that in most cases, the value of the education you receive is about 30% up to your school’s program and 70% up to you personally — meaning, how much effort you put into learning and applying what they teach you, how aggressive you are in learning more things above and beyond what you’re required to learn to get your degree, how assertive you are in pursuing internships and work experience, etc.”
If you’re not going to really put the effort into your education and expect to be a passive recipient of knowledge, you won’t get much out of it at all. You get what you put in, and what you put in isn’t just what you pay in tuition.
I wouldn’t invest the money in it unless it is really going to hold you back in that field. I am also in my thirties so I know how you feel about wanting to be done with school as soon as possible.
Denise, I don’t know what state you’re in but I am also graduating with my Bachelor in Accounting. In NC the extra credits needed to sit for the CPA exam can be taken at a community college although it seems a lot of people here are under the impression they have to get their masters.
I was always told that experience speaks more than a degree. In your email you never stated ANYTHING that said if you would get a better job or more money if you completed your masters. Get into the job market and get some experience especially in Architecture that is important. Think about it, would you rather hire someone with experience and a Bachelors rather then someone with a masters and fresh out of college. Grad school is SO expensive, make sure you NEED it before you get yourself in even more debt.
BJ,
Thank you for your response. The state I live in requires 30 additional credits above the bachelor level to be eligible for a license. In addition, you must work for a licensed CPA for one year and pass the exam. I choose not to waste the credits at a community college if I have to spend the time and money anyway. The good news is that I found a state college that offers an accelerated weekend program (10 months total) that will allow me to work and fulfill two of the requirements at the same time. You may want to research some similar programs in your area. Good luck.
It is said that if you are paying, your not going to the right graduate school. Look up a program that offers stipends/assistantships and then you’ll have a standard of living and possibly not have to go into more debt.
Why not do both? Attend Grad School Part-time and work full time, or vise versa.
If you in a 5 year program and you will be getting an accredited B- arch degree, want to someday become an architect, don’t care about specializing then I would say ditch grad school because you don’t really need it. If you do not meet these standards then I would reconsider. You can get into a one year program to obtain your masters in architecture and this is also give the economy more time to bounce back, because of the economy architecture jobs are not doing so well.
Take a look at the site Mel gave you and do some research. Do you want to work and live in Illinois? Doesn’t U of I have a Masters program? If you have your BS from a highly regarded program, that should stand alone to get you into a strong Masters program. Nobody cares where you went to school after your first job. It will all come down to performance. I used to work as a project manager/estimator and every architect I worked with had a Masters, but that was in Wisconsin. I am biased against going to UW-Milwaukee for various reasons. I’d check out Minnesota first. I assume IIT is not a five year program, similar to Iowa State in Ames. They offer a 5 year program and they claim it is the equivalent of a Masters, you can get licensed and put your stamp on documents. I do believe you are practically an indentured servant and spending all of your waking hours in the studio. Find out if you’d be able to take classes part time (probably not), get a full or part time job, and see what employers will help pay for schooling if you really need to take a break. I strongly suggest you get as far as you can academically, unless of course you want to work on CAD. You sound like the type of person who wants to be rewarded for their hard work and see their name on a project…doubtful it will happen without that license. Good luck.
Thank you so much everyone for all the advice! You guys gave me a lot to think about as well as options when I thought I had none. I am currently in 5-year program so grad school is not necessary right now.
To answer Judge Josh and everyone else question regarding why I want to go to grad school, I will say it is because the economy is so bad right now and as Robert mentions, architects are not getting any jobs not even internships, I thought the best thing to do would be to go to grad school, giving the economy time to get back up. Also, as you guys realize it, I am burned out and in a rush to finish with school ( I have been in school since I was 6 and never stopped…long story) I wanted to get my Master’s as quickly as I could and finish with school.
However, Judge Josh and everyone else are right. There is no need to rush. Since Architecture does not require a Master’s if you are in a 5-year program (which I am) I will graduate happily and dive into the job market! (meanwhile I also will be looking for an off-campus job)
Thank you everyone! Thank you!
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Good Luck Regine! I graduated with my BArch in 2003. Since then I have been working in firms and doing a little extra coursework to finish off my English degree. I was laid off from the high end residential firm I was working at in July 2010 and have not been able to find a job since. I have only had one interview in all of this time and probably 4 automated responses, and 4 I’m sorry…. This after contacting more than 200 firms. It is a completely different world. Back in 2006, all I had to do was post my resume on the AIA website and I had hundred firms contacting me. Now with 3 years more of experience, I can’t even get people to call me back. I have been working on trying to pass my ARE exams during the last year. That in itself is pretty expensive. It’s around $200 per test and there are currently 7 exams. Word of advice, is not to ditch any of your architecture textbooks as these will be useful if you start taking your exams. I would also suggest getting your exams over and done with right now as most states under NCARB no longer require you to complete your IDP hours first. Employers are looking for this. Also, although it may be obsolete in 5 years, I would suggest getting your LEED AP credentials. Most firms want this, as well as Revit experience. I don’t think a Masters will get you any farther in architecture. Firms generally want experience over education. That being said, I have accepted a place at UCL for a Master’s program. I am not sure if I will go due to expense and the crazy goings on with the student loan/ health care bill that goes into effect on June 31, 2010. I need to do something though, after being out of work for almost a year now. That and I also have always wanted to work in London, so I am hoping I can get my foot in the door at a firm there, so I can get some international experience. Though, the economy there is just the same as it is here and architects are out of work.
Don’t ditch your master’s degree! I have noticed that a lot of job offers that I am already qualified for, are asking for someone with a master’s degree. One listing wanted a PHD! Getting a graduate degree will put you ahead of a lot of other applicants. Especially if you did internships or participated in study abroad.
It all depends on what kind of Architecture degree you’r working on, if it is a NAAB accredited BArch you don’t need a Masters degree but if it is just a BSc in Architecture then you’ll need to get your MArch I degree, which is of course better if received from a decent school. With a BSc you are not an Architect, while with a BArch you are. Most famous Architects don’t have an MArch, they only have a BArch…so…it all depends.
I would advise regine to set her career running first for a while then after a few years go for grad school
Regine. I have a degree in interior design and architecture and i would not recommend getting your masters right away. 2 reasons!
1. you don’t have the experience to be able to get what you need out of the masters program. you should get a job in the field, you will learn a lot!! and then you should pursue your education further! you’ll get more out of it!
2. look at the job requirements for potential jobs. see what qualifications you have and what you will need. i can guarentee you. you’ll have a hell of a time walking into a job trying to x amount of money with a masters and only and internship. you’ll need at least 5 years experience to get a job that will help pay for your loans. i know, i’m in the field.
Good Luck with whatever choice you make!
You’ve come this far you mid as well finish grad school. and besides it looks better on your resume that you’ve finished school. but I recommend you stay in grad school, but work part-time, as a (paid?) intern, at some place that would increase your hands on training/experience (this too will look great on resume & will more than likely get you a better, even more well paying job.)
Imho, unless a graduate degree is immediately necessary for the career path you’ve chosen, I’d hold off. What if you end up not wanting to work in that field a year after getting your Masters? You’d have a lot of debt for something you don’t want to pursue.
I’m an undergrad working with the ultimate goal of a Master’s in Library Science. I have a diploma from a community college in Library & Information Technology (& I’m from Canada. I’m guessing this is basically equivalent to an Associate’s degree in the US) & I have 4+ years of work experience in the field that I want to work in. I always recommend working or volunteering in the field you’re considering and/or working toward. There’s no better way of knowing if it suits you or not.
A bonus to working in the field before being “fully qualified” (or educated) in the field is the possibility of your employer sponsoring you to go back to school. My mom went back to school at 36, got a 2 year diploma in Business Administration, now works for the federal (Canadian) government & is being sponsored to work part-time towards a 4 year degree.
It basically boils down to what YOU want, what YOUR goals are, how specific those goals are & how you want to achieve them (Masters or work? what comes first?).
Best of luck in your decision!
please i’m from nigeria with O’level (5 credits of combination of 2 O’level exams including math and eng) result where can i get an admission without toefl and sat + scholarship this year in US or Australia.
Thanks for all your msg and advice so far.
keep it up
First, I’d say if you don’t need the Masters don’t get it. I was recently speaking to one of my professors who was educated in Europe and at NYU, she has her PhD and she very directly told me not to go further than my masters if I don’t mind teaching at a community college rather than a university. Why? Cost-benefit analysis here: If the cost of the graduate degree is going to outweigh the pay increase you get from it then its not worth the trouble. Now, there are fields where you simply have to have a graduate degree to enter into the workforce, but if your field doesn’t require it, you are better off getting the minimal degree to enter into the field and climbing the ladder once you are in. At least this way you are not accruing more debt, but paying it down as you go. If it turns out that you need the degree to move up, you can always go back.
Also, I’m not sure about how things work around there, but in my case my masters is paid for at two of my schools of choice so long as I work as an instructional assistant during the duration of my course work. My stipend for this would be roughly 11,000 to 16,000 a year, which admittedly is not much and would not suffice since I am raising two children if I didn’t have my husband working while I do this to pick up the other end of bills. But with stipend, tuition paid and available grant money it is enough to survive on if it is budgeted very wisely. Given, I’m in Texas, so my cost of living is lower since around here minimum wage is not an uncommon thing to be offered for work and as a result rent must be lower or everyone would be homeless, but if you really do your research you might find such a deal. I know that both the university of Houston and Rice do this.
I understand the need for stability and I graduate in August, so I’m at that point where I have to make a decision very quickly. What I’ve chosen to do is get my recommendations secured from my current professors, take a year or two off of school to work, and then, once I have established myself in the private sector and have a nice stretch of work on my resume, get that graduate degree and teach night classes while remaining in the private sector. This way I get to have my cake and eat it too, so to speak. I get a decent income and I get to do what I really want to. But, as I said before, if you don’t have to have the masters degree to do what you love, don’t go straight into it. See what the world offers you with a bachelors and then make your decision. Good luck and I hope everything works out.