MSc the new BSc?

Generalising.. For technical roles here I have for the most part given up on looking at graduates grades.. may sound crazy but now I look for a well presented C.V. and information about them as a person, social skills, activities etc...

Most graduates have a comparable level of technical skill.. and very few will have any technical skill in a business environment.. therefore it doesn't really matter all that much on the grade achieved because we are still going to have to spend six months making you useful.. I would far rather therefore hire someone that's going to be a good team fit and that has the ability to communicate ideas / information, than someone that can code slightly better but has no clue on how to communicate / interact with a team
 
I don't recognise the picture you're painting. I went through the graduate recruitment round 4 years ago and a BSc from a decent university was easily enough to qualify for the vast majority of jobs on offer.

The exception seems to be my field of engineering where a MEng is now the norm - but this is because of the new MEng requirement to reach CEng.
 
sid said:
tbh phds are the new bsc. Many unis now offer 4 year undergraduate masters which dilute the importance of the proper msc's which are much tougher. Many prefer this as it is easier to get funding for it

sid
Click to expand...
EngD's are the new PhD :cool:
 
I did a 3 year BSc Applied Physics and followed it up with a separate 1 year MSc Physics & Technology of Nuclear Reactors and I've got to say, I've never worked as hard for something as I did for my MSc. Ultimately it paid off for all the students on the course, many of whom went straight into work as a results of their placement on their MSc.

The main point I am trying to get across is that MSc's certainly aren't easy by any stretch of the imagination. At least mine wasn't.
 
exhashdotdot said:
(you'd think most of the people in the stock market were business graduates wouldn't you? - they're actually mostly physicists and mathematicians).
Click to expand...

This is because mathematicians and physicists are most likely to have the rigourus understanding of the mathematical concepts needed to get onto the ladder as an analyst. Truth be told, anyone with an exceptional mathematical ability can become an analyst, regardless of their degree. Nothing to do with rarity.
 
sid said:
tbh phds are the new bsc
Click to expand...
Disagree. Most of the non-related-to-my-field companies I've spoken to/looked into, don't give a ****.

exhashdotdot said:
One thing you hear all the time (as I believe someone pointed out) is that a lot of graduates with rarer unrelated degrees get chosen over more relevant but higher populated qualifications (you'd think most of the people in the stock market were business graduates wouldn't you? - they're actually mostly physicists and mathematicians).
Click to expand...
I wouldn't think that at all. Traditional physicists and mathematicians have an attention to detail and logical understand second only to none (include proper engineers here too). Although I'm finding this is less the case these days I a few maths and physics graduate friends can't answer even the basic mathematical questions. Anyway, you can teach business noggin relevant to the job in weeks, so "relevance" is a total non-issue against analytical ability.
 
Last edited:
sid said:
tbh phds are the new bsc.
sid
Click to expand...

This.....

In response to meghatronic above.... I do agree that companies do not give a hoot about PhDs, however the number of people with a BSc 20 years ago is roughly the number of people with a PhD today... Times have changed and a BSc is too standard, a PhD will be the norm not before long (infact a PhD is the norm if you want to stay in academics)
 
Last edited:
Jonny69 said:
EngD's are the new PhD :cool:
Click to expand...

There's some truth to this... I did a couple of the EngD modules at Bristol before deciding instead on a conventional PhD. My situation was rather different though having already got 10 years engineering experience at a high profile multi-national. For young people with no experience, the EngD programmes are great.
 
Percentage wise I'm not convinced that there's a huge rise in the number of people studying for MSCs or PHDs, there's simply a lot more people in university these days than previously. There's also a lot more corporate sponsorship of university degrees at master and PHD level, my wife is doing her second MSC with the backing of her employer.

Makes up for me being the thicky without even a standard poop-degree :)
 
sbi5ar said:
This.....

In response to meghatronic above.... I do agree that companies do not give a hoot about PhDs, however the number of people with a BSc 20 years ago is roughly the number of people with a PhD today... Times have changed and a BSc is too standard, a PhD will be the norm not before long (infact a PhD is the norm if you want to stay in academics)
Click to expand...

20 years? 1990? I thought you needed to go back to more like 40-50 years before BSc numbers were similar to PhD numbers today?
 
I did a masters (MBA) straight after BA and got the job I wanted which was even a decade ago not open to people without a masters (unless very applicable professional experience for some years post degree).
 
sbi5ar said:
This.....

In response to meghatronic above.... I do agree that companies do not give a hoot about PhDs, however the number of people with a BSc 20 years ago is roughly the number of people with a PhD today... Times have changed and a BSc is too standard, a PhD will be the norm not before long (infact a PhD is the norm if you want to stay in academics)
Click to expand...
Some do, IBM for instance. But most of the FTSE100 don't care (Energy companies being an obvious exception). It might help you get the job, but it won't get you more money, better prospects or quicker promotions.

The Big Four place more worth on A-levels than degrees - bizarrely including PhDs and MBAs. Crazy world.
 
I did an Earth Science degree at uea, got a 2:2, I found it hard. Didn't stop me getting good jobs!


Now looking at doing a G.I.S Masters via distance learning while I work. I think leeds do one.
 
I have a BSc but, oddly, am thinking of going back for an MSc.

After a few years, no matter how well paid and interesting work is... it still gets boring compared to true learning.
 
Skidder said:
I did a masters (MBA) straight after BA and got the job I wanted which was even a decade ago not open to people without a masters (unless very applicable professional experience for some years post degree).
Click to expand...

How did you get an MBA without the requisite level of professional experience?
 
[TW]Fox;16263777 said:
How did you get an MBA without the requisite level of professional experience?
Click to expand...

requirements vary. I did my MBA in the US, straight from my BA. In the US an MBA is a bit more run of the mill and quite a lot of people add it to their degree. To qualify I had a decent degree (in economics) and had to prove either academic or professional experience in various undergrad areas (quant stuff like calculus as well as base degree level courses in economics, law, marketing, managemetn etc. as I didn't have that work experience it basically meant an additional couple of semesters of undergrad stuff before the MBA proper). Also had to take the GMAT and do well in that. My only jobs at that time had been student type jobs (mostly working as a cook).

My wife is doing an MBA at the moment and her 10 years of so experience qualifies her despite an academic background which is not very applicable (history).

Personally doing an MBA straight from degree got me into a position by 24 which I would not have been able to achieve with my degree. It is my only qualificaiton which still matters when dealing with clients and is called upon in my work everyday (I'm a very specilaised management consultant focused on business planning and market economics.) However, the best value in terms of learning is definitely to do an MBA with some real experience already in place - less academic and more applicable.
 
I did my masters part-time, as i was already working in IT and wanted to keep gaining experience.

It took longer and was tougher due to being knackered. Dont know if it will help me yet as i already have a good IT manager position and have not looked as the current climate is dire for work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom