<p>I've seen some stats that show overall you will actually lose money by getting some humanities degrees. However I really think things have changed. A lot of the employers of Linkedin have some kind of Masters degrees and as a top level academic I feel like if I just stick with a BA I'll never get into an upper level job. I would get an MBA or something but I can barely count. What do you think the value of a Masters is? Are the humanities a PHD only kind of deal?</p>
<p>Academic master’s degrees (as opposed to professional degrees like an MBA) are about developing high-level research skills. Are those what you need for the jobs you’re seeking?</p>
<p>Well most of the private sector jobs are in HR/PR and then federal jobs which are slanted towards intelligence analysis.</p>
<p>I rather doubt that a master’s degree in English or history would help get a job in corporate human resources or public relations. If you’re looking for a federal analyst job, it might - if you focus your historical study on a particular area of interest (Middle East, etc.)</p>
<p>Never pay for a graduate degree in the humanities. Only pursue one if someone is willing to pay for you.</p>
<p>If you want technical and professional skills, get a master’s degree in a career field (human resources, public policy, business, communications, engineering, etc.). These types of professional advanced degrees have higher ROI.</p>
<p>What about Poly Sci? I feel like I could do that and it would probably be helpful for federal jobs and D.C. based companies. I would do Human Resources Management but I think it’s a MBA program and I’m not touching a calculator unless someone has a gun to my head.</p>
<p>You’re going to have to take at least one high-level research math course (usually statistics) no matter what you pursue a degree in. Statistical analysis is a cornerstone of any academic research.</p>
<p>A masters in political science, an MPA, or an MPP degree are essential if you want to work in government, at least in a middle-level management-type role. There are exceptions, but many government and NGO positions require an advanced degree. </p>
<p>If you’re working in political science or policy and don’t know statistics, you probably won’t get a job in the field.</p>