Will a Master's Improve Your Career?

By: Randy Dotinga For many journalists, especially those stuck at smaller newspapers, the clarion call of a master's degree is hard to ignore. Maybe an M.A. will give their careers -- and their morale -- a badly needed boost.

College graduates hear the call too, and some wonder if an extra year of school will save them from the drudgery of paying dues at a weekly.

But the truth is that a master's degree by itself doesn't guarantee anything except tuition bills and a diploma to hang on the wall. "It's the breadth and quality of experience that we're looking for. Having a master's degree, particularly in journalism, in and of itself isn't a factor in determining salary, or whether you even get the job," said Randy Hagihara, newsroom recruiter for the Los Angeles Times.

So why spend up to $50,000 to get a degree? Experts say there are still plenty of good reasons to go back to school, whether you're just out of college or have decades of experience. Here are a few things a master's can do:

** It can provide the basics. Plenty of college students don't realize they want to go into newspapers until they've almost graduated with a degree in something else, like political science or history. These students may have a tough time getting a job without the benefit of internships or experience at a college newspaper.

"For them, the master's degree is really sort of an entry-level credential," said George Kennedy, professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. "What we hope it provides, in addition to the basics, is some understanding of theory and context that may help them as they to build a career, though probably not so much in their first job as a police reporter or a copy editor."

Kennedy said his school especially likes to get students who jump into journalism after developing some other kind of career. "Most have done something else in their lives," he said. "We prefer it that way."

He thinks students who majored in journalism as undergraduates should stay away from graduate school, at least right away. "I advise them strongly to not go straight into a master's program," especially if it's in journalism, he said. "That?s kind of redundant."

** It can provide specialized expertise. Several universities offer master's degrees in areas like science journalism or medical journalism. And, of course, journalists can branch out into subjects like law, religion or politics.

But Melinda Voss, executive director of the Association of Health Care Journalists and former reporter for The Des Moines Register, said newspapers often fail to appreciate the value of extra education. "One of the key problems we face in the journalism industry is that editors and publishers don't understand that health reporters, for example, need a basic understanding of epidemiology and biostatistics," she said. "If they don't understand that, then they're unlikely to seek out journalists who have that knowledge. So, first we must educate editors and publishers that journalists need this kind of knowledge to even begin to do their jobs properly."

** It can improve your perspective on your career. "It gave me time to read and think about what I'm doing. It forces you to do that," said Richard Roth, associate dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and former editor of the (Terre Haute, Ind.) Tribune-Star. He got his master's degree at the age of 40.

Bruce Lieberman, a reporter at The San Diego Union-Tribune, echoed Roth's comments. He said his recent year in the master's program at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism left him with a better understanding of his craft. As an added bonus, he thinks his degree helped him get a job at the Union-Tribune after working for years at a suburban San Diego daily.

"Graduate school can establish some good habits, and in my case, hopefully, it offered some refinement," he said. "In that sense, editors recognize the value of graduate school."

** It can lead to a teaching job. Many colleges and universities won't offer professor positions to anyone who doesn't have a master's degree. "We can and do hire people with bachelor's degrees if they have distinguished professional records," said Kennedy of the Missouri School of Journalism, "but not very many schools have that flexibility."

In other words, before you teach you'll probably have to be taught.