If you were given 50k to spend on getting a(nother) degree, what would it be?

Question

Baba: I love your first sentence. I spent 100K on education, pursuing something my dad wanted me to do and I gave up my real passion to do the "right thing" to make money and make him proud...and I dragged every day of it. I'm so ready to go back to school to pursue my real passion that won't earn me any status or more money but that I LOVE doing.

Answer 1

Masters in industrial technology

Answer 2

Very very difficult question for me, because on some levels I am facing it for real in this...newly defined migrant life.

I am torn between several possibilities including the fact I really don't need to bother getting yet another degree at all, and what would it do for me anyway.

OK...here's the thought train.

For a journeymans qualification, book-keeping and accountancy are steady, easy money earners as I am good with numbers.  Very flexible because I can work hours to suit and don't  need to put in any physical effort at all.  Also very cheap to qualify.

Fantasy land  - criminal law..Because it's fascinating, and where I live, there will be a regular stream of clients, however obtaining that degree will take 3-4 years of hard work and a lot of money.  And probably require me to smarten my hair up, which, frankly, is a deal breaker.

Which leaves option 3 - bugger all.  The likely option.

Still if anyone wants to swap an honours degree in physics, a masters in applied optics and a lifetime of cynicism, maybe we can do a busmans exchange.

Answer 3

At this stage of my life, I have earned the right to do as I d**n well please without worrying how it would affect my ability to earn a living.  I would pursue a degree in art, my first love.  Or Food Science and Nutrition, which would be my next career.

Answer 4

PhD. /  Bryophytology.  (moss)  I'd want to study how to keep certain species of high altitude moss alive at sea level.  There's no recent science anywhere about what I want to know about altitude effects on moss.  I've been looking hard, too.  I just want to know more physiology and how on a celluar level the atmospheric pressure difference harms transplants and how I might stop the harm. All the alpine species that I'm interested in are endangered plants.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...

http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/new...

Just LOOK at this image!  Isn't this gorgeous?  That whole VERY enlarged image, actual size, is only about the area of the top of a pencil eraser.  Click on it to enlarge to see better:

http://www.carrienorin.com/Photography/M...

http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/...

http://k43.pbase.com/u11/ericnoel/upload...

Painting by Jacob Mantia, "Mossy Rocks".  I love that deep dark mossy vernal lush feeling that engulfs you for a moment when you first connect with this painting:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b48/bi...

Answer 5

MBA - finance.

It will help you not only with landing your dream job but will teach you about how to save, invest, manage funds, play with stock market, avoid scams, and of course, run your own business. Why don't you do it at UCLA, I did it there and I highly recommend.

Answer 6

I would become a psychologist (PHD). I have listened to my psychologist tell me of all the things they did (the class) and all the experiences they had and it intrigues me. I have been to psychiatrists, therapists, and other psychologists and have never been so amazed at the insight that this man has. I would want to learn everything that he has learned and I wish the other Drs I went to before had learned the things this man learned, I wouldn't have had to change Drs. so much before I found a good one.

Answer 7

I'd like a Master's in history, preferably US history.

Rose is right, there's a lot of history people on here, although I seem to be the only one going the US history route from all I've seen.

Answer 8

Politics, in all likelihood. I love my current degree program, but it doesn't have much room for electives, so I only get to take one Politics course.

Answer 9

I would get my Master's in Buisness Administration

Answer 10

An MFA (Art) or a PHD (Counseling Psychology)

Answer 11

phd in education...working the history masters already.  Are you giving out scholarships ;-)

Hey Woe...lol join the club about half of us here are studying or have studied history.  Kinda scary...we still havent figured out why.

LOL...there seems to be a connection among our young sexist boys...they are ALL Alpha men and ALL going to be millionaires!  wow...when life starts for you two, it's going to be something.

Answer 12

a masters in architecture.

i'd have to make up the difference, but that chunk of change would get me a lot closer.

Answer 13

I would take a plethora of different classes... I would love to study world religion, art, music, photography, politics... if I could build a degree out of these classes, sure why not!

Answer 14

first degree in chemistry / medicine / biomedical science or phd in genetics / taxonomy / ethnobotany or something along those lines >>> hopefully am going to within the next couple of years :-)

edit > patois, i loved your answer > are you a botanist already? :-)

Answer 15

Political science or international law, something nice to tack onto the undergraduate degree.

In Australia 50k wouldn't buy a post-graduate degree, not even a good chunk of one, but it would be a start.

Cheers :-)

Answer 16

Social work. I know the money's not good, but it's important.

Answer 17

PhD in Indigenous Women's Spirituality

http://www.ciis.edu/academics/wse.html

Answer 18

I don't know if there's any such thing, but I'd want to study culture and connections to tales and heros. Topics of study would include the development of and importance of: fairy tales, folk heros, super heros, Hollywood icons, pop culture, fashion, etc. I'm fascinated by fairy tales and love learning about their lost history and what they were meant to teach us and the impact changes in cultures have had on these kinds of tales. Sure, it's not going to help me get a better job (unless I go on to write books or something) but it'd be a lot of fun.

On the more practical side, I'd consider psychology, graphic design or photography.

Answer 19

Flip! Is that how much a degree costs in the US???

I'd do a Masters in Social and Statistical Research, I want to work in public policy and I don't think my degree (Philosophy and Economics) is enough!!

Answer 20

i would get my degree in nursing  and i would finish my marine biology degree

Answer 21

Interesting question!

Definitely something that would give me a clinical qualification, thus guaranteeing I could get a job I like at the end of it.....

I struggled to support myself through my medical science degree (after my Mum raised me in the belief that having no degree would equal a dead end job!) and can do nothing with it! In the meantime I missed out on income I could have been getting from my job.

These days you need a postgrad to get anywhere so this should be made clear to anyone thinking of going to uni.....

Answer 22

I've often said, "You couldn't PAY me to go back to school"...never thought there would be an application of that!  LOL.

Answer 23

Chemistry perhaps. Or I'd forego the degree and spend the money on my own research on some other area. The world is littered with degrees to the point of meaninglessness and I don't see why I should have to get more so that people take me seriously when I say things on a certain subject. David Hume altered the whole trajectory of philosophy in the 18th century and he was an 'amateur' philosopher. Everyone is too quickly measured my what letters come before after their names. (even though I have those letters too).

Answer 24

BS in : "Making money and not bullshitting with nowhere jobs that generate no profit and waste valuable years of my life but this degree will also make opportunities to meet people to even further my life more as well as give me something enjoyable to do with my time and steer me towards a future as a young multi(m/b)illionare"

     Whew, I need a few deep breaths and i'll be good.

Answer 25

Masters in history.  Focus on Central/Eastern Europe and USSR, 20th century.  Same as the first.  Why not just keep the momentum going?

*"I'm so ready to go back to school to pursue my real passion..."

Then do it now - while you can -  or else you will regret not having done it the rest of your life.

Answer 26

MA (History) I just love studying it!

OR

Beer brewing!

Answer 27

Can I have a Ph.D. in *everything*?  I want to learn everything that there is to learn -- learning new stuff is my biggest hobby.

I think I'll take at least 2 more, please. . . although I may change my mind on that by the time I get another year or so on my current one.  :)  $50k would go a very long way in this one (having funding is nice!), so I should be able to squeeze out a couple more on that, right?

Answer 28

Probably 'the third degree' from the Police. It sounds like the 50K could be hot money.

Answer 29

Medieval European history. Pretty useless unless you want to teach (and I don't), but it would be fascinating.