Worth doing a masters without a bachelor's?

[Alchemisst]

Is it worthwhile going straight to a masters degree based on work experience without an undergraduate degree, or would most employers want to see both?

[Zette]

It probably depends on what field you’re in, and whether the masters program will accept candidates who don’t have a bachelors degree.

[Metalcat]

This is not an answerable question.

Whether a master's degree is even worth it at all depends on the master's degree and what you intend to do with it.

I've personally never heard of a master's degree that you can get in to with just work experience, but I would assume that if there is one, then the kind of profession it's related to is one that values work experience as much as having a bachelor.

If I was an employer and I was looking for someone with a master's, that's all I would care about. In fact, if I was interviewing two people for a position that required a master's, and one of them had relevant work experience from before the master's and the other had no relevant work experience, just the master's. Obviously I will prefer the one with relevant work experience.

[PMG]

I’m curious what masters program doesn’t require a bachelors? I have seen a recent drive for more credit for competency but in my experience that can only make up a portion of credit towards a degree. I’m not sure employers really care about degree vs experience even if they say a degree is required unless it truly is required for some licensure or accreditation.

[scottish]

My experience in engineering is that a Master's doesn't do alot for you career-wise.   Usually the company will want a bachelor's degree and not care about graduate degrees.   (My boss once commented that she didn't like to hire PhD's because they couldn't get anything done!   I thought that was a bit harsh.)     Alternatively the company will be looking for a researcher or specialist with a PhD and a Master's isn't enough.

YMMV.

[Arbitrage]

My experience in engineering is that a Master's doesn't do alot for you career-wise.   Usually the company will want a bachelor's degree and not care about graduate degrees.   (My boss once commented that she didn't like to hire PhD's because they couldn't get anything done!   I thought that was a bit harsh.)     Alternatively the company will be looking for a researcher or specialist with a PhD and a Master's isn't enough.

YMMV.

That's definitely not the case with my (engineering) company.  Of the engineering staff, we're around 25% PhD, 60% Master's.  Just a Bachelor's degree won't get you consideration unless you have either interned with the company during college and worked your way up or have a lot of industry experience.  Master's is the sweet spot (PhD over M.S. is just counted as 'years of experience' with very little additional benefit unless you're in the labs). 

[scottish]

My experience in engineering is that a Master's doesn't do alot for you career-wise.   Usually the company will want a bachelor's degree and not care about graduate degrees.   (My boss once commented that she didn't like to hire PhD's because they couldn't get anything done!   I thought that was a bit harsh.)     Alternatively the company will be looking for a researcher or specialist with a PhD and a Master's isn't enough.

YMMV.

That's definitely not the case with my (engineering) company.  Of the engineering staff, we're around 25% PhD, 60% Master's.  Just a Bachelor's degree won't get you consideration unless you have either interned with the company during college and worked your way up or have a lot of industry experience.  Master's is the sweet spot (PhD over M.S. is just counted as 'years of experience' with very little additional benefit unless you're in the labs).

Maybe we're in different fields.   I work in product development for telecommunications, mostly software.   My current organization hires primarily PhDs.   I have a Master's.

[Cassie]

Curious to know which field allows someone to skip a bachelor’s degree because I don’t know of any.

[Metalcat]

My experience in engineering is that a Master's doesn't do alot for you career-wise.   Usually the company will want a bachelor's degree and not care about graduate degrees.   (My boss once commented that she didn't like to hire PhD's because they couldn't get anything done!   I thought that was a bit harsh.)     Alternatively the company will be looking for a researcher or specialist with a PhD and a Master's isn't enough.

YMMV.

That's definitely not the case with my (engineering) company.  Of the engineering staff, we're around 25% PhD, 60% Master's.  Just a Bachelor's degree won't get you consideration unless you have either interned with the company during college and worked your way up or have a lot of industry experience.  Master's is the sweet spot (PhD over M.S. is just counted as 'years of experience' with very little additional benefit unless you're in the labs).

Maybe we're in different fields.   I work in product development for telecommunications, mostly software.   My current organization hires primarily PhDs.   I have a Master's.

Yeah, this is why I said that the question as it is is unanswerable.

The value of any master's is career-specific.

[wenchsenior]

Curious to know which field allows someone to skip a bachelor’s degree because I don’t know of any.

Me neither. I'm also interested in this.

[mistymoney]

seems like it would have to be a lot of credit for experience and then you earn the BA/BS along the way?


either that, or I'd worry that it was a really sketchy program.

[Catbert]

I would really investigate a college/university that allowed one to go direct to a Master's program.  There are certainly universities that imo are completely useless degree mills.  Often billed as "online universities for working people".  I'm not sure if you can get a Master's without a bachelors at them, but I wouldn't be surprised. 

[ROF Expat]

Curious to know which field allows someone to skip a bachelor’s degree because I don’t know of any.

Me neither. I'm also interested in this.

I have not heard of this in any "normal" program, but it can happen for people who are truly gifted in mathematics.  I have a family friend who graduated with a PhD in mathematics (in four years, I think) without getting a Bachelors or Masters degree. 

[Metalcat]

@Alchemisst are you talking about a specific program that you know of that you would qualify for without a bachelor's degree? That would really help us in giving you useful guidance.

[YttriumNitrate]

Maybe we're in different fields.   I work in product development for telecommunications, mostly software.   My current organization hires primarily PhDs.   I have a Master's.

It's been close to 20 years, but my Big10 Alma mater produced a crazy number of engineers, and they kept track of starting salaries for the graduates. The career center kept the info posted, and from what I recall, in most fields of engineering there was a pretty significant bump in starting salary going from a bachelors to masters, and then a rather small increase going from master's to PhD.

[Morning Glory]

seems like it would have to be a lot of credit for experience and then you earn the BA/BS along the way?


either that, or I'd worry that it was a really sketchy program.

They have AD to MS programs in nursing where you pick up the bachelor's along the way.  This can be more efficient time-wise than completing the BSN first because some of your courses can count for both degrees. . You have to already have a nursing license and a couple years of experience before starting.  This is different from direct entry MS nursing programs where you have to have a bachelor's degree in another field and you sit for the nursing license at the end.

I am not familiar with any program like this outside of nursing,  but it may be common in some other disciplines, especially if it's possible to get a license with an associates but need the MS to get into management,  teaching,  whatever.

[Metalcat]

seems like it would have to be a lot of credit for experience and then you earn the BA/BS along the way?


either that, or I'd worry that it was a really sketchy program.

They have AD to MS programs in nursing where you pick up the bachelor's along the way.  This can be more efficient time-wise than completing the BSN first because some of your courses can count for both degrees. . You have to already have a nursing license and a couple years of experience before starting.  This is different from direct entry MS nursing programs where you have to have a bachelor's degree in another field and you sit for the nursing license at the end.

I am not familiar with any program like this outside of nursing,  but it may be common in some other disciplines, especially if it's possible to get a license with an associates but need the MS to get into management,  teaching,  whatever.

Yeah, there are a few Bach/master's combo programs out there. I'm also most aware of nursing, but I know there are a few. They tend to be professional degrees to fast track people into professions, kind of like master's/PhD combo programs.

[BNgarden]

I have a master's and no bachelor's. It's a first professional degree and I was admitted on the basis of adult age plus very high undergraduate course grades. Plus entry was probationary for a period of time. They could have pushed me out for poor performance. I managed to get some scholarships and a medal. But I definitely felt the lack of a broader base in some topics. This was in Canada so YMMV. (I also had a tech school diploma with good grades, awards.)

The jobs I could get required an accredited program. {ETA: the master's was in planning and it was an accredited program.} I did not end up in that field but the masters degree opened doors. Depends where you think you're headed (but life happens)...

[AMandM]

Curious to know which field allows someone to skip a bachelor’s degree because I don’t know of any.

Me neither. I'm also interested in this.

Many years ago, my BIL earned a master's without having a bachelor's. It was a distance degree program, as they said in those days, from a university in England (Leicester, iirc). He had a lot of experience working his way up at a human services nonprofit and I think he got to the point where they could not/would not promote him any further without an advanced degree. So he got a master's in management. I'm not familiar with the entry requirements, but he had been working in that field for years.