<p>I have heard/read about some companies sponsoring its employees into a Master degree...
How often does this occur?
Wouldn't this interfere with the person's jobs?
What about PhD?
And maybe include some interesting conditions that would occur should this course be taken that I have not thought the question of.</p>
<p>10-Q</p>
<p>I know of someone who was hired by a company right out of college - except the company wanted him to get his masters degree. They paid him his salary ($50k/year) while he attended school even though he was not working for them yet. I believe they paid for his tuition also.</p>
<p>I'm sure this type of deal comes with commitments attached, such as an agreement that the person will work there for so many years or requiring that a person repay that money if they leave the job before that occurs.</p>
<p>Depends on the current tax law. Common in the 80's when big companies could deduct it, uncommon in the 90's, semi-possible now.</p>
<p>My girlfriend asked about it at all the companies she interviewed at and was told by all of them they'd support it if she wanted. The big minus was that most wanted her to do it either online or at the campus they had deals worked out with, which, unfortunately, wasn't always with the best of schools in the area.</p>
<p>I believe somebody or somebody's husband on this board has a deal similar to what mo24 has been saying. I can't remember his/her username, but I remember MIT grad and something with aerospace or EE.</p>
<p>I don't think those are quite that common though. Every company that I've seen in my field offers tuition reimbursement, but only up to a certain amount each year. It has something to do with tax deductions. These people usually get their MS part-time and work full-time, though I know a few who are actually going for their PhD part-time, though I don't know if they need to go full-time at some point. </p>
<p>My graduate program was chock full of part-time MS people. They're probably one of the biggest source of income for my school. It works out in my department because all of the graduate courses begin at either 4:10pm or 6:40pm, so they can leave a little bit early from work or leave after work. They typically finish the program in 2 to 3 years.</p>
<p>Some companies actually tie in their tuition reimbursement to the grades you get. Some, but not all.</p>
<p>I find the situation common here in Northern Virginia. Most MS programs here are also filled with people who are being reimbursed by companies (or the government). Normally, the company will pay for an MS if it fits your job responsibilities. Engineers are discouraged from getting MBAs, for example.</p>
<p>Normal rules go like this: You pay for the courses at the beginning of the semester after getting the reimbursement approved. You get reimbursed at the end of the semester. If you leave the company within a year, you have to pay the company back for the tuition reimbursement.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I believe somebody or somebody's husband on this board has a deal similar to what mo24 has been saying. I can't remember his/her username, but I remember MIT grad and something with aerospace or EE.
[/quote]
That's me! My husband's company will pay for him to go back and get his master's at MIT in aerospace engineering -- they have a fellowship program set up with the department.</p>
<p>He would take two classes a semester and work full-time, since his thesis would be related to work the company is doing. After finishing the master's, he would be obligated to work at the company for some number of years.</p>
<p>It's not a bad deal for him, particularly because his classes would be within walking distance of his office. :)</p>
<p>I was offered this by a company with tuition provided for any school I could get into as they had offices in many places nationally. unfortunately, they wanted me to work full time and attend classes part time in the evening which would have resulted in taking 5 years to complete a 1-2 year Masters. Needless to say, I decided against that plan.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think tuition reimbursement to a point is more common than a fully-sponsored master's. It's what I get.</p>
<p>
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unfortunately, they wanted me to work full time and attend classes part time in the evening which would have resulted in taking 5 years to complete a 1-2 year Masters. Needless to say, I decided against that plan.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Personally, I think that getting the work experience, pay, and benefits package of full-time work, while pursuing an advanced degree with partial funding, is the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>Working full-time and studying part-time will take its toll on you; it's not easy. I think it's the best route to take if you can handle the workload though. You'd also have to live in an area that has jobs in your field and has a college that offers graduate programs in your concentration.</p>
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Working full-time and studying part-time will take its toll on you; it's not easy.
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</p>
<p>I still find it quite a bit less rough than my undergrad years.</p>
<p>I realize that I may be an odd case. :)</p>
<p>I do think that whether you get a <em>good</em> job with your bachelor's degree is a factor to consider. I like my job. It's a good job (both in terms of pay/benefits and in terms of job satisfaction), with advancement prospects and decent security, and it's in my field. I see no reason to give up this job just so that I can get a master's more quickly by going to school full-time - sure, doing it part-time will mean that it takes a few years, but it's not like I plan to leave this job within that time frame. Now, if the jobs that you can get with a bachelor's are irrelevant to what you want to do, or jobs that you hate, you might be better off going to school full-time, so you can get that degree quickly and get better a better job.</p>
<p>
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I do think that whether you get a <em>good</em> job with your bachelor's degree is a factor to consider. I like my job.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah... also, a not-insane-hours job, even if it's a good job that you like. I can't imagine the idea of working my current gig and doing my masters at the same time. We get crunch times, and I spent 62 hours at the office this past week, so the idea of doing grad work while being a full-time employee here strikes me as particularly ridonculous at the moment.</p>
<p>I want a drink with one of those little umbrellas in it.</p>
<p>Oh, but salaries... Salaries are really nice, though.</p>