I'm considering getting an MS in ecology from a small school in my state mainly for personal rather than professional reasons. However, I know that 90% or more of people out there, even within academia, have probably never even heard of the school, so I'm a bit hesitant to do this when I could probably go to a big a name university elsewhere. Are graduate degrees from directional schools stigmatized?
What is a directional school?
fdssdfa wrote:
What is a directional school?
EAST Tennessee State
University of NORTH Texas
It depends. A program at a directional school could be better than a "name" school.
Flagpole wrote:
fdssdfa wrote:What is a directional school?
EAST Tennessee State
University of NORTH Texas
University of NORTH Carolina
SOUTHERN California University
Wisenheimer wrote:
Flagpole wrote:EAST Tennessee State
University of NORTH Texas
University of NORTH Carolina
SOUTHERN California University
Oops. University of SOUTHERN California.
Don't think of it as a literal definition. Directional school (IMO) is a lower-tier/local state (public) school. UNC is the premier public school in the state (at least from my perspective in CA). Just because it has north in the name doesn't make it a directional school. USC is a private school (which exempts it from directional using my definition above). I guess a private school could also be directional. Mostly, people just label a school directional as a clever way of saying they draw from a local population and most people from a nearby state would have never heard of it.
Both of your examples don't work.Has to be in a state that doesn't ALREADY have North, South, East, or West in it, so you can't do North Carolina or South Carolina or North Dakota or South Dakota because that's IN the name of the state.Also, you can't use "Southern". Has to be North, South, East, or West."Directional schools" is a derogatory term, and MOSTLY schools with North, South, East, and West in the name when it's not part of the state name, are lesser schools.
Wisenheimer wrote:
Wisenheimer wrote:University of NORTH Carolina
SOUTHERN California University
Oops. University of SOUTHERN California.
Now to get to the real question here. I think it depends on why you're getting the degree and what you plan to use it for. I don't know anything about the field of ecology or what job you want to get with an MS in that field. If it's a common job (available in every city) and MS is a requirement then it probably doesn't matter where your degree is from (i.e., as long as you have the degree it's fine, regardless of where it is from). If you're trying to get into a competitive field, then the name recognition of the school might be a small factor. If you want to work local, then there's nothing wrong with a degree from the local school (in fact, you may have a competitive advantage).
You (educationally) will probably get more out of your relationship with your advisor and research project then you will out of the classroom. So the educational value will depend more on that one person than the quality of the school overall.
Flagpole wrote:
Both of your examples don't work.
Has to be in a state that doesn't ALREADY have North, South, East, or West in it, so you can't do North Carolina or South Carolina or North Dakota or South Dakota because that's IN the name of the state.
Also, you can't use "Southern". Has to be North, South, East, or West.
"Directional schools" is a derogatory term, and MOSTLY schools with North, South, East, and West in the name when it's not part of the state name, are lesser schools.
Wisenheimer wrote:Oops. University of SOUTHERN California.
I was mocking the OP that using a "direction" in the name of a school relates to the quality of education one can get from that school. It's useless trying to define what a "directional" school is.
So which one is better, Western State or Adams State??? And is Michigan State bad because it's in East Lansing?
Flagpole wrote:
Both of your examples don't work.
Has to be in a state that doesn't ALREADY have North, South, East, or West in it, so you can't do North Carolina or South Carolina or North Dakota or South Dakota because that's IN the name of the state.
Also, you can't use "Southern". Has to be North, South, East, or West.
"Directional schools" is a derogatory term, and MOSTLY schools with North, South, East, and West in the name when it's not part of the state name, are lesser schools.
Wisenheimer wrote:Oops. University of SOUTHERN California.
Let's see
EAST Tennessee State vs Harvard
East Lansing University vs Princeton
U. of Southern California vs. Yale
West Kentucky State vs. Columbia
Northwest Missouri State vs. Brown
Western North Dakota vs. Dartmouth
Nope, the directionals lose...even the made up ones.
Oh. Let me get this straight. Since Lane Community College is the premier school in the state of Oregon, then Southern Oregon, Oregon State, and UO are directional schools ?
WTF is a Directional school? wrote:
Oh. Let me get this straight. Since Lane Community College is the premier school in the state of Oregon, then Southern Oregon, Oregon State, and UO are directional schools ?
One way to easily identify a directional school is that 1/2 the faculty are 'instructors' and 1/2 the courses are vocational, trade, and high school level. Schools that serve primarily Education majors and provide sorely needed staff for state secondary education mandates. For example the University of Oregon, Southern Oregon, Oregon State University, and Eastern Oregon University are of that nature.
WGAF ? If it's an accredited institution then you get an accredited college degree.
Remember the Columbia School of Broadcasting from the 1960s ?
It's always a good idea to improve yourself through education. Just don't borrow any money please.
SecondTierScholar wrote:
And is Michigan State bad because it's in East Lansing?
No, but Eastern Michigan U. is worse than Michigan and one clue is the name.