MAs, talk to me...

[VinceFox]

I have possibly got the chance to do an MA through work (lecture at FE and HE) and am picking through the bones of the paperwork of it now. Looks like part time 20 hours per week over 90 weeks, give or take a bit. I'd be looking at doing graphics, animation or interactive based on my background and existing quals.

I guess my question is to anyone who's done one... did you think it was worth doing and what did you get out of it? I wouldn't have to pay for it (i think work do) but not sure about committing to an extra 20 hours per week on top of my normal work commitments. Any experiences others have would be greatly appreciated on this.

Edited by VinceFox on Thursday 26th April 08:02

[Insanity Magnet]

I took 2 years out to do an MA course in Industrial Design aimed at engineers. I had planned to do one part time to fit in with work but the full time course was too good an opportunity to pass by.

Cost was a major issue - transport into London, loss of earnings, course fees, materials, equipment etc.. Fortunately this was offset by my other half having a good job and by various bursaries that were available at the time.

The MA has allowed me to get into far more varied work than I had previously managed and I really look forward to the next bit of work as generally no two jobs are the same. Cash wise I would probably have been a little bit better off following a professional engineering route, but my recent earnings have been a little bit mucked up by health issues so I haven't worked to full capacity for a few years (I freelance so variable / odd hours are possible).

8 years on I still think that I made the correct decision.

What's your current field of expertise?

[VinceFox]

Insanity Magnet said:

I took 2 years out to do an MA course in Industrial Design aimed at engineers. I had planned to do one part time to fit in with work but the full time course was too good an opportunity to pass by.

Cost was a major issue - transport into London, loss of earnings, course fees, materials, equipment etc.. Fortunately this was offset by my other half having a good job and by various bursaries that were available at the time.

The MA has allowed me to get into far more varied work than I had previously managed and I really look forward to the next bit of work as generally no two jobs are the same. Cash wise I would probably have been a little bit better off following a professional engineering route, but my recent earnings have been a little bit mucked up by health issues so I haven't worked to full capacity for a few years (I freelance so variable / odd hours are possible).

8 years on I still think that I made the correct decision.

What's your current field of expertise?

Interactive media, graphics and animation, moving into motion graphics, some compositing and effects.

[Insanity Magnet]

VinceFox said:

Interactive media, graphics and animation, moving into motion graphics, some compositing and effects.

I don't really have any experience of these so perhaps someone else can offer some guidance.

What is your motivation for doing an MA? Professional development, career move, interest etc?

[VinceFox]

Insanity Magnet said:

VinceFox said:

Interactive media, graphics and animation, moving into motion graphics, some compositing and effects.

I don't really have any experience of these so perhaps someone else can offer some guidance.

What is your motivation for doing an MA? Professional development, career move, interest etc?

not so much a career move, maybe a cementing of my existing role, but more for the challenge and to update my skills and whatnot. i'd have to break new ground with software, designing and theory to do it.

also, it's being paid for by work and theyre not a cheap thing to do.

[Insanity Magnet]

VinceFox said:

not so much a career move, maybe a cementing of my existing role, but more for the challenge and to update my skills and whatnot. i'd have to break new ground with software, designing and theory to do it.

also, it's being paid for by work and theyre not a cheap thing to do.

All of the above sound laudable and the fact that it would be funded is a bonus.

The amount of work was a bit of a shock for me, though this might have been the nature of the institution and the professor's merciless approach to workloads. Not sure how this pans out as a part time course. The only real yard stick I have is that of my sister who did a distance learning MSc in something veterinary; she was always working and getting stressed. Obviously didn't put her off as she spent a further 3 years doing a PhD and is trying to finish her write up whilst holding down a reasonably responsible job.

[z4chris99]

I do a part time MSc which is two nights a week 6-9 for 6 terms.

it's very tiring and the work is hard but I hope it's worth it In the end

[rog007]

Desire to improve yourself and others through your increased knowledge needs to be there inside you. If it is, you will find the time and revell in your new found insights. If it's being funded by your employer, then that's an added bonus. In addition, you get post nominals, which attracts both kudos amongst your students and peers, and could make you more competitive in a challenging job market. Good luck!