Really this question centers on the Master's Degree...and what exactly people do with one? Do you basically teach in a highschool or something?

I'd like to complete one, if my law school app gets completly shillacked, or even otherwise down the line it seems like it would be enjoyable as far as increasing my knowledge on certain topics of interest, but as a standalone degree....what do people do with them? Just wait a few years till they can upgrade to a Doctorate?

 

I have a joint Master's degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Alberta. I work as a manager with the Alberta Government handling the business planning, operational planning and annual reporting for one of the ministries. With a PhD you are often only marketable in academic positions. An MA provides an edge over people with just an undergrad, yet doesn't scare away potential employers like a PhD will. In certain government competitions, an MA will be considered in lieu of a few years of the required experience for a job, or often as an equivalent to an MBA or even CMA. Hope that makes sense. I also worked as an analyst with Deloitte and Touche before joining government. I quantified economic loss for legal proceedings.

 

Interesting stuff chrenan. With regard to the PhD limiting you to more academic pursuits, is that because of the heavily theoretical nature of the PhD program as opposed to the more current and uptodate MA courses one might take?

 

The further you go, the more specialized you become. Both my sisters and father have PhD's and are very limited in the jobs they can apply for. If they were to apply for a "regular" job like I have, the employer would wonder why this person isn't working in their exact field and putting their PhD to use. A Master's is more specialized than an undergrad, but not nearly as specialized as a PhD. You still get some general knowledge from an MA, and most schools recognize that many people do an MA and then leave academia, so the courses and instruction are setup with a little more thought to "real world" training. Of course, keep in mind that a Master's degree from a US university is often viewed as a parting gift for failing out of a PhD program, so I'd advise that you stick to a Canadian school if you want to pursue a Master's. I'm off to the gym but I'll check in later to see if you have anymore questions.

Chrenan

 

Does it matter where you do your masters from when it comes to employment? I know law schools and whatnot don't give two ****s about where you did your undergrad, so does taking a UofT Masters program give you any advantage on the employment front? Or can I move away to Mcgill or some such place to write one and still have all the benifits.

 

I think the answer to your question depends on...as Master's in what? What field are you considering?

 

Political science

 

Definitely depends on the field, some schools are good for some subjects, I'm sure it is the same for Poly Sci. From my point of view, I hate seeing people who have an undergrad and a grad degree from the same school. That doesn't make any sense. The idea behind grad school is that you are supposed to take your learnings from undergrad and expand on them by learning from new instructors with new perspectives. Honestly, for the most part, as long as it is a major Canadian university, you won't be looked down on when you apply for jobs. Think Queens, McGill, Western (woo hoo, go Mustangs!), UofT, UBC, UofA (woo hoo, go Bears!), Waterloo, and a few others.

 

Omar, what are you going to do with a masters degree in poly-sci after you graduate? go for a mba as it could be useful in the business world.

as for schools, i vote for mcgill ... french cdn women are hawt!

 

hahahahha good point about the french canadian women...they're damned hot...but so hit and miss as far as everything else goes.....althouh that's pretty much a secondary conscern after hotness

 

In keeping with the above answers, I think so much depends on what degree you want to do and what you want to do with it. A doctorate will pigeon-hole you in some cases, and make you seem over-educated in others, but may be absolutely required in still others. As for university, for polysci, I'd think UofT, Ottawa or McGill would be best, but it's a fairly common degree, compared to something more specialized, where you might attend a particular school to work with a particular prof. Aside from that, think of what the city will offer you in terms of personal development. Sounds kind of silly, but I think it's really important, especially if you're looking into politics. You've already spent lots of time in Toronto, so I'd say go elsewhere - out of province, or even out of the country. Living in QC will give you a better perspective on one big aspect of Canadian politics. Living in, say, Europe will give you a much more global perspective. I think that's probably one of the really great things someone like your father brings to the table, in terms of politics. Canadians are sometimes too insular, and are unable to see their own country from a more international perspective (cough-Stephen Harper-cough).

Oh, and I think the line about french-canadian women being hot is a bit over-rated. Or maybe it's just that lovely middle-age cigarette smoke "patina"... I lived in Montreal for 3 years, and the hottest chicks I saw were McGill students from Ontario! OTOH, Montreal is hands-down the coolest place I've ever lived and I'd move back there on a dime if I were able to.

 

Good points by Christien, broaden your perspective not just by studying but by picking stimulating surroundings for your studies. Ottawa would have to be the political hot-bed in Canada.

 

I did my undergrad at Western (London, Ontario) and I can honestly say that campus was full of hotties. Ask any Western grad about the "Concrete Beach" on campus and they will likely start drooling.

 

I'm 2/3 of the way through my MBA at the U of A, so if you have any questions about going that route, I would be happy to answer them.

Justin