Importance of grad school

[Geoff hart <ghart -at- attcanada -dot- ca>]

AZUROSE <<...would appreciate some input on the importance (or unimportance) of 
graduate-level instruction in the technical writing profession.  Does it pay 
off? Do graduate programs adequately preparing students to function as 
effective technical communicators in the real world?>>

I'm of the school that no learning is ever wasted, so as you might imagine, I 
think grad school is a Good Thing. What I don't think is that it's necessary, 
though there's a growing "credentialism" movement in technical communication 
(i.e., just as some personnel managers insist that you know how to use Frame 
before they'll hire you, some also want to see a degree "in technical 
communication or a related field"). The STC salary surveys routinely show that 
people with advanced degrees earn more than those who don't, but it's not an 
overwhelming difference, and might be a factor of something other than the 
degree itself (e.g., that people motivated enough to seek a degree are equally 
motiviated to seek and win better jobs, and would get those same better jobs 
without the degree). Bottom line: if you can afford the time and tuition, and 
enjoy school, go for it; if not, you can still make your way without the degree 
based on native talent and training.

--Geoff Hart  ghart -at- netcom -dot- ca
Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
"Most business books are written by consultants and professors who haven't 
spent much time in a cubicle. That's like writing a firsthand account of the 
Donner party based on the fact that you've eaten beef jerky."--Scott Adams, The 
Dilbert Principle