I have an MBA in finance. Actually, I wanted to be a bond trader for Drexel, Burnham, Lambert. But we all know what happened there...

Financial analysis, modeling, econometrics got me into computers in the 80's. Since then, my expertise has evolved into process reengineering. In other words, I'm good at redesigning department, inter-department, and company-wide business processes and then implementing those processes with VFP solutions where applicable.

The key is to recognize, capitalize, and expand on your strengths. I do not (nor will I ever) have the capacity to acquire the level of technical expertise that many folks here on the UT have. I would be wasting my time learning C#. However, there are not too many developers who can walk into a client's finance department and design analysis solutions for management.

Lately however, I have been considering sh?t-canning all of the above and going for a Phd in Economics so I can grow a beard, wear tweed suits, and hit on all the Freshman chicks.

>So here's the deal folks. I have been programming mainly in Xbase since DbaseIII plus. About 15 years. I have started writing programs in C# and am getting the hang of it. But I'm considering getting a Masters in Computer Science. Being self taught, I'm beginning to wonder how much information and techniques I have missed by skipping the formal education.
>This will take significant time to complete and at age 42, I want to make sure I will gain enough out of it to make it worth the time I put in.
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>So, for anyone who wants to respond, who has advanced degrees? (Master's or Phd). Regardless of if you have an advanced degree or not, do you feel there is signifigant value in them (assuming of course the program is good)?
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>Thanks
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>Alan Wyne
>IS Manager
>Rollpak Corp