Originally Posted by
ewrbasedpilot
When I was active duty (80-88), not having a masters degree was a sure way to not get promoted. When I went to Squadron Officers School in residence (86), it was even brought up during some of our seminars that not having a masters degree was the proverbial "kiss of death" if you wanted to get passed over. I saw it myself plenty of times. That was one of my biggest gripes with the military.....it didn't matter what your job was, if you didn't have the upper level education squares filled, you didn't get promoted, period. I guess if your dad was a SGT, he didn't have to worry about being passed over for major, did he? I guess to make it simple, if you're a flight attendant, you don't have to worry about busting your captain upgrade either..........
You missed my point...my dad was a SGT (not a general) and I made O-4. I was refering to your VIP father comment earlier. You have a few years on me so I understand where you are coming from now. O-4 educational "requirements" differ by service. For the Navy, it is not "required." The kiss of death you speak of for us occurs when screening for O-5 and if you don't have JPME (Joint Professional Military Education) phase one complete you are all but done. I believe the USAF equivalent is ACSC. I too am frustrated with that mentality. So if you don't take personal time away from your family taking night courses for some useless knowledge, you are not worthy of promotion (regardless of your record)? Frustrating indeed.
To the OP - IMO, if you have the time and don't mind the sacrifice, a Master's degree definitely can't hurt you. When comparing you to another potential hire, it could be used to separate you from the group, but it won't take the place of or supersede professional education/experience within your field.