Allison
Is a masters necessary for the stem field
I don’t know if I want my masters or just bachelors degree #women-in-tech
7 answers
Lindsey Emerson
Lindsey’s Answer
Agree with the above! It really depends on the field of study, but for product and technology, often it may benefit you to start exploring with some internships during your undergraduate degree. The people that you work with and meet during those internships can help give you an idea of what education they have, paths they have taken and that may surprise you! Internships are a great way to probe into areas to figure out what is necessary, but more importantly whether you want to take a similar path or work in a different area. For myself, I went to undergrad, worked for 6 years and got a better idea of what I wanted to do. Then, I decided to get my graduate degree to help me really align with where I wanted to drive my career next. It ended up being a very different area then I originally thought and both internships, job experience and lots of informational conversations helped me there.
Good luck with everything!
Jamie Chui
Jamie’s Answer
I think it depends what field you will be studying for. Biochemistry might be different from hi-tech. I work in hi-tech. Master degree is not a necessary requirement. Hi-tech is very much focused on experience and where and which field of hi-tech you worked on.
Jessie Hulligan
Jessie’s Answer
It very much depends on the type of STEM field you want to enter into. I would do some research on sites like Linked In and Indeed for job postings in the area you are interested in, and see what the desired skills/certifications/degrees are for those roles.
Another thing to keep in mind is that for technology fields specifically, the industry is moving and changing and creating new technology and software that it's hard to say any specific degree will give you the knowledge you need. When I am hiring, I am looking for people who have stayed actively learning new skills by adding certifications and taking classes to keep their knowledge fresh.
For reference - I have a Bachelors degree in Computer Science, and have been working in the computer networking industry for 16 years. I have been a sales engineer, sales engineering manager, and now a leader in customer success (helping customers gain value from their software subscriptions).
Kacie Winsor Carlson
Kacie’s Answer
It might also be beneficial to identify several people to serve as mentors and ask them questions about their particular career path, what they factored into the decisions around education, job selection, company selection (for example, do you think you would prefer to work for a larger or smaller company) - what a typical day in the life is like for them in their role.
Jamie Chui
Jamie’s Answer
but then, if you want to work for Google, a master degree will be a big plus! Google does emphasize "smart people" and strong academic degrees.
Lydia Bell
Lydia’s Answer
You certainly don't need a master's degree to flourish in a STEM career. However, the impact of such a degree can vary depending on the specific field within STEM you're involved in. For example, in engineering, obtaining a master's degree could potentially speed up your career progression.
When it comes to a software career, an MBA isn't a necessity. But if you're keen on understanding the expectations of senior leadership in a company, an MBA could come in handy. It can equip you with the strategic problem-solving skills that leaders often seek.
Lydia Bell
Lydia’s Answer
Thoughtful answer: Although you don't need a Masters, other things are looked at in detail such as how much experience do you have (so you could invest some of your time while in college in internships or coops) or take specific course certifications relevant to the field of interest.