When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.

As I enter the 1/2 way-point of my education at Drexel, I find myself at a fork in the road. The path I am currently traveling gets me a BS in Information Science after 5-years. My education, as many of you know, is combined with several (3) co-op's. Essentially I spend 1.5 of my 5-years, working full-time in the IT industry. I am just about to complete my 2nd co-op, and I'm slated to start my 3rd in the fall 2004. Given my current pace, I should graduate on-time in June 2006 with the degree mentioned above.

So where is the fork?
It has come to my attention that a small window of opportunity exists, wherein I can opt to earn a MS in Information Science in the same amount of time. The option is made available to all students having completed 90-120 credit hours, and having a GPA of 3.25 (or better). To do this, however, I would need to drop the last of my 3 co-ops and basically stay in class from now until June 2006. Graduate level courses would be integrated into my schedule, and I would be able to finish up BOTH degrees at the same time for June 2006 graduation.

What do you stand to gain?
For lack of a more elaborate description...an MS. It is also worth pointing out that the graduate program at Drexel's College of Information Science (the college from which I would receive my MS) has been ranked #1 for information studies by US News for the last 5 years. Granted, this speaks volumes about its undergraduate program, but to have an MS in Information Science from the #1 school issuing that degree would be very keen.

This seems to be a no-brainer... what are the caveats?
Surprisingly, the drawbacks are few. I do have to give up a 3rd and final co-op, though I will be working part-time for ISSI for (at least) the next 3-6mo. Entering this program would also mean school (the non-stop kind) from March 29th 2004 - June 2006. When I say non-stop, I mean exactly that. Drexel has four 10-week terms a year, and students are expected to attend classes year-round, when not on co-op. Freshman get their 1st summer off...but for the most part, campus stays pretty busy all year. So aside from the small breaks between terms, I would be in classes full-time between now and June 2006. For those of you keeping track, that's 9 terms over 26 months. I've talked to some seniors on the same co-op cycle as me who loathe the 5-term stretch at the end of their 3rd co-op.

More money?
Aside from the two additional terms (from the removal of co-op 3), the financial obligation does not increase by leaps and bounds. Actually, I get to take graduate level courses and earn graduate credits at the undergraduate rate (cheaper). Undergraduate scholarships also remain valid for the duration. So you don't have to pay extra?... I do, but compared to the cost of college education as a whole, the monetary influence is minimal.

I've pretty much made up my mind to apply for this program. It equates to giving up 6 months for an MS that would normally take 1-2 years to earn. Earning my MS after my BS would not only be more time consuming, but cost me much more $$$ in the long run. Having a year of IT work under my belt, puts me in a position to work in the industry (which has recently being known for hiring temps over full-time employees) part-time, while working towards my degrees. Actively working part-time during school will not only facilitate "out-of-class" learning, but make-up-for if not surpass my 3rd co-op in overall value, both professionally and monetarily. I'll let you know how things go...

Please weigh in with your opinion of my tentative decision... (that means comment)