Diploma 'arms race'

[marianne202]

As a community college educator I do see both sides of this argument, however, I know we award AAS degrees for cosmetology, gun smithing, electrician, automotive repair, office administration etc. These are all jobs that used to be considered "trade" type jobs that you could just learn on the job. Now we have degrees for these and as such employers want to see these degrees. I think the degree just helps them eliminate prospects with so many unemployed applying for the same job now, they can be picky. Why not choose a college grad over a high school grad, GED holder or nothing at all? This is an employer's market right now, so they can ask for whatever they want. This doesn't mean they will compensate for it, but they can ask for it. A local hospital is requiring their medical coders and billers to get a bachelor's level degree and certification to keep doing the same job some of them have been doing for many years. Their pay isn't increasing, their title isn't changing, but if they just want to keep their job they have to do it.

On the flip side I do see this being run up by the education system. As more people obtained degrees the schools want to keep them by adding more degrees, as such what used to be considered a terminal degree is no longer a terminal degree. An example would be that a few years ago a MHA was considered a terminal degree, now some schools like U of P has introduced a DHA. So now someone such as myself who teaches would be able to teach at the university with an MHA as a terminal degree now needs to get a DHA to teach. Does that seem fair if I have 10 years teaching experience and 20+ years of practical experience to back it up, just because a school creates the programs it changes the landscape all across the board.

Is it a good thing or bad thing? I can't decide. More eduation is always a good thing, but just like a gold card used to be the tops in credit cards years ago, now we have platinum cards and titanium cards now. I think a lot of it is just perception more than actual value or attained status. Schools need to keep students longer and as long as industry makes room and creates demands for these degrees they will keep adding them. Just my two cents, now worth about 3/4th of one cent in this economy!