Hope someone can help

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>I apologize, this is going to be a somewhat long post. </p>

<p>I'm a college graduate with a degree in comm, from a state school. Needless to say, it hasn't led to any fruitful jobs or a career path. In fact all of the jobs I've had post graduation, only required a diploma. It's beyond time for me to get a Masters degree, however, I don't want to be stuck in the exact same position I'm in right now. Most people have suggested I apply and (finish a Masters program, more on that later.) </p>

<p>My initial plan was to do a certificate or associates degree in networking or CS. But my first attempt at that did not go well, through no fault of my own. (College canceled a required course, that only they offered. I withdrew and started looking at MS programs.) My second attempt involved Brooklyn College and their MSIS program (since I wasn't a CS major, it would have required seven prerequisites and the way the college was scheduling them, would have meant several semesters/years before I could even start graduate courses.) I left that program and was admitted to Iona. Slightly better, but nonetheless did not have exactly what I was looking for. I've been out of Iona for two semesters now and I'm not sure I could get back in without reapplying again.</p>

<p>I've started looking at different programs again, for a variety of reasons. I stumbled upon Cornell's M.Eng program, which is appealing to me for several reasons. It's a one year program (and I'm sure significantly more rigorous than Iona and would look substantially better than Iona.) Additionally, they allow you to apply to the Johnson school and get an MBA. I've been told by several people it would be advisable to do a joint degree/dual major somewhere. My interest in the MBA portion stems from my current position with a financial services company, in the payment processing field. I'd also like to intersect my interest in comm/marketing with CS and a grad degree in those areas is worthless. (Many companies are looking for a jack of all trades person, who understands tech and marketing/comm.) I think this might make me more appealing to potential employers, but even if it doesn't I could go the tech route. </p>

<p>My question is two-fold, should I try to go back to Iona (would that be impressive to employers) or should I go the other route and apply to Cornell or CMU, since they're certainly ranked higher than Iona?</p>

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<p>Tough Love: You’re on the third try. Whatever you do, you must make it work. At this point consider a MA in MIS /accounting, which should be an easier transition. Also go cheap and good over expensive and prestigious. GL</p>

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<p>Thanks for your reply. You’re right, I have to make it work at this point, wherever I end up. </p>

<p>I’m weary of going cheap again, I did that with my BA and can’t find a meaningful job. I don’t want to do the exact same thing with a masters and be stuck in the same position.</p>

<p>I’m looking into grants and scholarships, of which there are a fair amount. (Should have done that the first time around, but you live and learn.) The reason I was thinking of going prestigious is because it would presumably look better than Iona, and certainly better when stacked against my SUNY degree.</p>

<p>I unfortunately, have met a fair amount of accounting and IS majors struggling to find a job (through my current job with a financial company,) which makes me weary of going into a program like that. Many companies, I’m close to IBM and a slew of financial companies, seem to want a straight CS degree. Though they’ll list/take MIS/IS/IT as being acceptable if one doesn’t have the CS degree.</p>