Graduate Degree vs Specific Courses. What’s better for working in IT?

The discussion about the necessity of a graduate degree to work in IT is not new.

30 years ago, I decided to go to University, contradicting some of my friends who preferred to study any of the few programming languages existing at that time. Today, that decision is much more complicated due to the infinite areas and courses available in IT. But the main question remains:

Is it better to get a degree or enroll in some specific courses to succeed in IT?

Is a degree required for IT?

No. The degree is not a must. Some companies may require it, but it has never happened to me.

In one opportunity, when working at a big global consultancy, I asked my manager why HR inquired about degrees but didn't request to provide them. His answer was:

Because we believe in our employees.

My translation to that answer was:

Because we actually don’t care.

So, in our case, the paper is not as relevant as what we learned during those years.

Considering that we are free to choose between University, specific courses, or none of them, let's see the advantages of each option.

Specific courses' advantages

Although I prefer studying a career to specific courses, I can recognize some advantages the latter have:

• Time: This is the most obvious. They are shorter and get straight to the point, so we gain a considerable level of knowledge faster.
• Depth: They go deeper into one topic, meaning we are in a better position right after finishing the course.
• Methodology: Generally speaking, the specific courses are more hands-on than the university careers.

The above advantages generate better short-term results, and that's the reason why they are so popular.

Graduate degrees' advantages

Coming to the other side, these are the advantages I see in university careers:

• Foundation: We learn the whys and the hows at the lowest level. We get to understand how things work and acquire the ability to build on top of that knowledge. This foundation helps us to learn easily each emerging technology.
• Width: A single University career covers a wide range of areas but not a single language or paradigm. This approach is great for identifying what we like the most about IT and going deeper in that direction.
• Discipline: The combination of courses, professors, and exams we encounter during our careers requires us to be organized and develop self-discipline. That's mandatory for success in any job we choose.
• Resilience: Considering the length and variety of topics we need to study, we will unavoidably face frustrations and encounter activities that we don't like, but we must perform anyway. And that's exactly what we face later in our professional lives. So, University trains us to deal better with those difficult situations.

Although we are not prepared enough to do great things right after getting our degree, those years build a solid foundation that helps us to grow in multiple directions.

Experience gets into the picture

Whenever someone wants to diminish the benefits of University, the following phrase appears:

I learned more in X time doing Y than in 10X time studying at university

That's true in many senses… After 6 years at University, you are ready to become a fresher in a company.

However, you will certainly achieve a senior level after the same 6 years in your job.

I'm not going to talk here about the Experience vs Education discussion, but I consider both required to become a successful IT Specialist, as described in this article:

Do you require a university degree to become an IT specialist?

IT has one of the lowest entry barriers, as no degree is required to get a job. But can you become a specialist without it?

Leandro'sLeandro

Whether you are bent on formal education or specific courses, experience is always a must, and the more dedicated you are in your area, the faster you will gain that experience and make real progress.

Conclusion

In front of the doubt between going for a graduate degree or enrolling in short specific courses for working in IT, my advice is:

1. Start a University career to build a good foundation.
2. A few years later (if you can), seek a job in IT to gain experience and define your area of interest.
3. Enroll in specific courses for deeper learning and staying up to date.
4. Build your experience, together with your knowledge and skills.