Master Degree in Web Design

[buddymink]

Hi all, I want to know how important is it to get a Master degree in Graphic/Web Design. I already have a BA in Graphic Design, but now I'm learning more towards web design, especially in flash & actionscripting. I was thinking to either take some classes on actionscripting & a bit more on programming or get my Master degree. So please let me know what your thoughts are. Thanks

Buddy

[newblack]

it's a hard thing to give blanket advice on... it's right for some, horribly wrong for others and tends to be unmercifully expensive. provided you use time in school to do the stuff you wouldn't have time for with a job. or if you feel you'd actually learn more from some stiff guy in a suede-elbowed blazer than google, go ahead. that said, it does open a lot of job doors provided it's a decent school, just ask yourself what you really want out of it.

[CyanBlue]

I think that helps if you want to go higher on management position and such...
It won't hurt to have one if you have time/energy/$$$... ;)

[Colin Campbell]

It's some people's opinion that a degree of any kind will help you get further along than without it, but there are also many who believe that a good designer is a good designer, whether or not you have a "piece of paper" saying you graduated from a degee program.

[tg]

i would agree with you colin if you a person is doint strictly freelance work. but in the business world, a degree will definitely take you further. and in many cases, you won't even be considered without one.

[Cota]

It really depends on who you're dealing with. I have a BA in CompSci...some times its useful, most times it isnt.

[Flash Gordon]

Very funny to read this thread, when (most 90+%) ALL job positions for music (except for public school) REQUIRE at Doctorate degree....Completey two different worlds.

My thoughts, the more eduction you have the better. However, eduction does not necessarily mean more school. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[oldnewbie]

My thoughts, the more eduction you have the better. However, eduction does not necessarily mean more school. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Yeah, I agree. I have a lot of eduction, and it hasn't been useful at all!

[buddymink]

Well, I guess I should just take some scripting classses then . I'm not really good at at managing stuff, so I guess I'll stick to become a designer. Do you guys have a recommendation on great actionscript/programming classes around Los Angeles area?

Also, what tips would you give for a beginner actionscripter, since I don't have programming background at all?

thanks

[Flash Gordon]

Simply, follow Xeef, Michael, astigicv (sp?), CyanBlue, and the other greats post and try to decipher their code. That is how I learned.

[tg]

i have very little formal education. i would have way more opportunities (in a corporate setting) with any type of degree......

[Cota]

I agree, a degree does help a lot, but not everyone is looking for it. Though, I would suggest getting one..

[Colin Campbell]

Consider this: are your skills valuable enough in their current state to be desirable to a future employer? By this I mean getting hired, but also staying hired. Getting hired initially is but one hurdle, keeping a job through good and steller performance is a completely different and more important beast, and it's something which I think is (oddly) overlooked in many professions. A lot of people tend to get hired on perceptions rather than reality. If you're perceived as a very skilled person by a future employer, but don't have that skillset, you won't last long, and this goes for any job.

In my opinion, people who are destined to do great things can arrive at their destination in very different ways. Steve Jobs dropped out of a college, and look where he is now. Getting a university degree is only one way of achieving success, and remember, it's not the piece of paper or document you should be worried about, it's the journey to getting it and how much good, useful, and practical information you can retain from the program so that you can use it in a future job.

So many people thrive in school but fail in the workplace because they can't properly retain information. Some people say workplace experience is over-rated by employers. I say BS. If they have good workplace experience and they have good references, they know for sure that your resume is reality, not a perception.

In the end, will getting a undergrad, Masters or PHD help you? Of course, but there are other ways to go around it. Some people look at it and say get the degree, some people look at it and say you're better off spending that X number of years of your life investing in handson experience. There's really no gold standard -- if there was one, everyone would go that route and it likely wouldn't be so great anymore. You need to make this decision for yourself, in my opinion.

[drexle]

Personally, I think the real benefit of college is that it opens up internship opportunties for you. A lot of people complain that they can't get a job out of college because they have no work experience, and they can't get an internship because companies only want to give them to college students, so they're screwed.

If you go to school, don't go just for the degree... you *have* to be using these skills outside the curriculum or a lot of employers won't think you have them at all.