On Mon, 6 Jan 1997, Jay Smith wrote:

> My argument here is that a good graduate program will teach more than what is
> in the books.  For instance, discipline--knowing how to accomplish 1001
> assigned tasks when you have enough time to complete 500.

While this is surely true, this is also something that one can learn
on-the-job with a good mentor.

> A good graduate
> program will also familiarize a student with the literature in the field, the
> history of the field, and current trends or thoughts about the direction the
> field is taking.

This is not an activity restricted to graduate school. It is vitally
important to maintain one's familiarity with the field after you have
entered it. Getting started certainly should be easier in graduate
school, however that is not the only way. You can discovery the
literature through research in libraries, talking to people who already
work in the field, and reading the notes and references in journals and
books.

I suspect, that (in addition to that piece of paper) THE most valuable
benefit of attending graduate school is the contacts you make. While this
cannot be fully duplicated outside the university setting, you can
still build networks by fully participating in local, national,
and international professional groups, attending annual meetings such as
AAM, and corresponding with others in the field.

There is no question, that the road to success will probably be easier
with an MA. And, as some others have pointed out, many institutions
demand a graduate degree. However, I do not believe that graduate
work is the only way to get there (wherever it is you may think you are
going;)

Susan Wageman
Grants Manager                    [log in to unmask]
The Tech Museum of Innovation     (408) 279-7178
145 West San Carlos Street        fax (408) 279-7149
San Jose, CA  95113  USA          http://www.thetech.org