Carleton Now

Posted Sep. 5/06

With the school year starting, a group of new graduate students at Carleton will be joining approximately 33,000 other graduate students across Canada.

William V. Baker, MA/79

But does having a master’s degree really differentiate a prospective employee from the holder of a bachelor’s degree?

After 27 years of service with the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, let me share with you some reflections about the value of having completed a master’s degree.

My program of study in public administration equipped me with useful knowledge and competencies that I have found relevant throughout my career. As an example, in my last assignment as Commissioner of Firearms, I was thinking about alternative forms of regulation and relying, in part, on fundamentals from a course I took in 1978. (I still have the book!) Perhaps more importantly, I acquired an appreciation of the contribution different disciplines bring to the design and delivery of public policy and administration.

Obtaining an MA in public administration means not only completing a field of study, it is also an expression of a desire to commit oneself to the public (or not-for-profit) sector. The satisfaction I have experienced in my career has been especially rewarding because I achieved what I set out to do with my life—to serve the country.

A master’s degree also pays off from a financial perspective. According to Service Canada, a survey of 34 areas of master’s degrees showed that, on average, master’s graduates earn almost 25 percent more after two years of working. And, as the knowledge-based workforce grows, the educational factors that will differentiate job seekers will start to favour those with education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

For those interested in making a professional career in the public service, for example, a master’s degree has become an essential credential. I recently participated in a selection board for an Assistant Deputy Minister position and an MA was a basic requirement.

I am particularly glad that I pursued my degree at Carleton. It has a solid reputation in teaching and a roster of professors and lecturers that were knowledgeable, provocative and passionate. There is no better place to study public affairs than in Ottawa. We had access to senior public servants and politicians, which added immeasurably to our learning experience.

Careers are, of course, shaped by more than one’s education. I am convinced, however, that my time in graduate studies at Carleton has been and continues to be of great help to me.