You may be wondering what value the different degrees hold in the real world. That really depends on what type of career you want to pursue. In general, an associates degree can open lots of doors for administrative/support jobs. This degree is the easiest to obtain, but it rarely will qualify you to move much up the corporate ladder. Most jobs require that you at least have a bachelors degree in a relevant field. A bachelors will get you in the door, but often it is difficult (if not impossible) to get into a management position without some sort of graduate degree. A second bachelors degree will only be beneficial to you if you are trying to make yourself unique and be a “hybrid” employee (i.e. one with two or more unique skillsets). Personally, I think that a second bachelors degree is a waste of time and $$$. A masters degree (or equivalent graduate degree) is increasingly becoming the desired standard in many businesses. With a graduate degree, you are qualified to climb the corporate ladder, and you will usually get a higher salary, too. Yeah…..it’s another 1-2 years of school, but the return you get from having the degree is usually worth the effort!

building on what you got from earthquake, the value of a second bachelor’s depends upon what they are in. My first bachelor’s was in applied music (flute playing) but I didn’t want to pursue a master’s in flute performance. By getting a second bachelor’s degree with considerably more business courses in it, I was able to open the door to more options.

Many people with a bachelor’s degree in the arts will get a second bachelor’s in business or in another subject area to increase their earning potential. Teachers are also known to get a second bachelor’s in order to add a subject area to their certifications.

And, of course, there’s the whole personal interest angle. When I was studying music, I had more than a few peers who had a bachelor’s in another area such as business but they just wanted to study music for their own love of the arts.

master means after your degree