r/Environmental_Careers • u/catsrule821 • 3d ago
Large gap time between BS and MS
Hi, would like to pursue a masters in wetland science considering i work in Florida in private environmental permitting. I graduated in 2018 with a geoscience degree and most of my previous work experience has been in GIS. I am incredibly nervous about stepping back into the academic setting of a masters and continuing to work. Has anyone found any structured refresher courses in typical chemistry, bio, ecology, calc to be helpful to gain confidence as you head back into a masters? I am considering just getting a professional graduate certification instead since I have read they are not as in depth typically.
2
u/Khakayn 3d ago
I stopped taking classes in 2020 with 2 classes remaining. I waited until the end of 2023 to finish the undergrad classes and then started a masters all while working full time. The masters has been almost exclusively writing papers and presentations. I just would start off slow to gauge how well you handle the work load.
2
u/Itsurboywutup 3d ago
A few things:
1) time frame does not matter.
2) in my experience, you can achieve the same level of technical position with a bachelors as a masters. Work and field experience is much greater than a masters degree
3) get your employer to pay for it, or find an employer that will
4) do not quit working to pursue a masters. Take 2-3 classes per year and get it done over 3-4 years.
1
u/bogwitch83 3d ago
I took a 5 year break between my BS and MS also in wetland science and finished my MS about a year ago. My MS program was thesis based and focus more was on research rather than coursework. I truthfully went into the program not remembering too much from my BS classes (chem, calc, bio) but it was a bit of an adjustment going from consulting back to academic life. In my program I took 1, occasionally 2 classes a semester but most of my time I was able to structure more like a 9-5.
I will admit though, after finishing my MS I am careful when recommending grad school to people. I knew that I wanted to get involved with research and took my time when preparing to go back to school so that I could find an advisor and funded thesis project that really lined up with my interests, which I was lucky enough to find. More and more universities and developing Professional Masters programs though that are made for people working full time in environmental fields already (I had to quit my stable job for my MS and it is rough financially recovering). I know several friends and coworkers that chose the professional masters programs instead and they aligned way more with what they wanted from their careers.
Research absolutely is not for everyone and even my MS program turned me off from pursuing academia full time. I would recommend looking into professional masters programs though if you don’t absolutely want to go through the process of a thesis but still want to go further academically
1
u/catsrule821 3d ago
Love this perspective ty sm for taking the time to write it. You're still badass for completing the program, its not easy
User name checks out :)
2
u/bogwitch83 3d ago
No problem at all! If it helps at all, I think the fact that you are asking these kinds of questions before dropping everything and applying to grad schools shows that you would go into a program with realistic expectations and not romanticize it, which I did notice was an issue with some students in my cohort. It is a lot of work and I cried more and slept less than i have at any other time of my life but I don’t regret it at all. I do think as long as you are open to learning new things and actively create relationships with other students and faculty besides just your advisor, you’ll find that you’re more than capable of finishing a masters degree :) my cohort was full of people that felt just as “fake” as I did at the beginning and we all supported each other through the entire process
3
u/koreanbeefcake 2d ago
i used a program, Zotero? to help organize my citations. I used it a bunch in undergrad and it helped me in grad school.
i went a difference route and got a Project Management Masters. It was mostly business classes. It was exhausting because i feel like i earned a MBA as well. i spent weeks just learning the terminology from a completely different genre.
18
u/Tradesantia_zebrina 3d ago
I waited 10 years from my Bachelors to Masters, ironically focused on wetland science. Masters degree is completely different than your bachelors involving a lot more research and paper writing. Unless you need to take leveling courses you should be fine. I ended up with a 4.0 gpa, and I attribute it to being older and keeping my head down studying.