I am considering going back to school for a Masters Degree and wondering what the general opinion is. My bachelors is in Marketing and Management and I have worked in insurance sales for many years (licensed agent). I have been laid off since Feb and now there is talk about Obama giving money to the unemployed to go back to school, but I am not sure if Masters are included. I have approx 20 more years to work and would like to get an advanced degree in English or something like that (not sure what I would qualify for).

Do you think it is worth it? Or would I just be another bartender with a Masters degree on my wall........

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"It's not about how much baggage you have, it's about whether or not you can carry your own baggage with grace and dignity."

I doubt money will be given for people that already have a degree. On the matter of going back, I say it is never a waste to be educated.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

And what would you do with your Masters in English?
Before pursuing any further education, you might want to decide what professions/employment fields are hiring. I can tell you that just about any field that is Healthcare related will be a good bet for future employment.
Can you not translate your insurance background into doing underwriting, claims handling, etc? Are you willing to relocate?

While I'm all for continuing or furthering your education, I would suggest that you do so in a productive manner. (unless of course you are independently wealthy and going back to school is just "something to do"! )

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

The way I understood what Obama is going to do, is extend Unemployment benefits for 26 weeks to allow people to go back to school. I am NOT up on it, tho, so you should definitely look into it some more.

I agree with the other poster, education is never wasted, and if you can swing it financially, I say go for it!!!!

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Perhaps you should get a Masters in something that will have a good job outlook. English might be ok if you got a teaching certification along with it.
I have gone back to school for a Masters in Occupational Therapy, I start in August and it is a two year program. But starting salaries are about $50k in my area.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

Well, I sure hope that money isn't being given out to pay for college educations without any sort of plan for how it's going to improve a person's job prospects. That's nuts and a crappy way to spend my tax dollars.

I'm with tessa - I don't see the value of a Masters degree in English without tying it to an education degree or something. How do you think a Masters degree in English will increase your marketability?

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

Ditto. I would have a plan as to exactly what you are planning on doing with that Masters first. A Masters in English would be fun, but it will probably only get you a gig teaching HS English. If you wanted to teach at the collegiate level you would most likely have to have a PhD. It's a very hard field to get into as well. I like what Marilynk said about getting into the health field. . .maybe a Masters in Business Admin would fit you better and be more beneficial.

I have also considered going back and getting another undergrad degree. . .nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy. . .are all good fields to get into right now. Just something to think about.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I agree with GG, nothing bad ever came from being educated. Who knows where the journey will bring you.... if it's at all an option, I say go for it!

I was thinking of a Masters in English to lead to teaching at college professor level. Not sure what I would have to do to get a teaching cert tho.....

What Obama is looking to do is open up money for grants for the unemployed. Most grants are based on last years earnings, which of course, have drastically changed. Makes me uneligible at this time due to last years salary.

I just read on Msnbc that MBA's are virtually worthless. Many people with brand new degrees are looking for jobs and many are starting at below salaries they left behind to go to school.

Healthcare is a great field--we have a major nationwide healthcare office in our town, where I worked for 5 years. Underwriting requires a great deal of math and claims processing is one of the crappiest jobs in the whole place (lots of metrics...you must be fast and accurate and work at a certain pace).

Just an idea..... I am trying to volunteer, read, improve my golf game, ride my motorcycle and actually look for a job that has a decent wage and benefits. So far, nothing....

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"It's not about how much baggage you have, it's about whether or not you can carry your own baggage with grace and dignity."

You would probably need a PhD to teach at the college level, except maybe a community college but I don't know what the pay would be.

Many colleges have programs where you can get a teaching cert at the same time you are getting your Masters.

And just as a side to hambirg, OT is now a Masters and PT is a doctorate, can't really do either with an undergrad. But you can do Occupational Therapy Assistant with a 2 yr degree.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!