How many of you Aspies have a Masters or Phd?

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Finishing off BA in Psychology this December, will be applying and likely attending grad school PhD program in Neurobiology. Will be studying ASCs.

Ah, the credentials roster. Ok, add mine:

Associate Degree (2 yr) Sociology
Associate Degree (2 yr) Data Processing (from before it was "computer science")
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (basically 16 semester hours in everything, with about 20 semester hours of "teaching" courses thrown in as a 5th yr student)
Master of Public Administration (applied government)
about 30 semester hours towards a PhD in PoliSci (aka, short a dissertation and a handful of courses)




I still miss grad school. Before I realized what a dead-end it was going to be for me it was one of the happiest times of my life. I dearly love an intellectual puzzle, a challenge, and finding information on subjects I didn't know existed. If I was rich, and didn't owe what I already have to try to pay back to the feds for all that, I'd go back to school in a heartbeat. But I'm not, and I do, so I'm a secretary instead. Because it's steady work, has good health benefits for the kid (although they run out in a year), and it beats working at the BurgerBarn. I still don't earn as much, adjusted for inflation, as I did with that Associates' in Data Processing.

Last edited by Nan on 08 May 2008, 11:26 am, edited 2 times in total.

I just got my masters in engineering, but nobody seems to want to hire me.

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Last edited by delia43 on 07 May 2008, 10:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

Masters in Math. I did it because I love pure math, like combinatorics and abstract algebra. It was a cakewalk for me because the subject fit me perfectly and I loved all the symbols and logic, though my grades were mediocre in subjects like English and History. It doesn't really figure into my job. The college environment can be a good place for those with Aspergers to come of age and get their legs under them (it was for me). I think this is because you effectively press reset on all the high school drama and social immaturity that can be such an obstacle for those that are different.

I'm applying for a Masters Program in Anthropology (focus in archaeology) for Fall 2009. I have a BA in History and by then I'll have a second BA in Anth.

I don't think I've posted on this thread yet. I'm currently finishing my Master's in speech pathology. Right now I'm working on my thesis and completing an internship. Once those are both done (by the end of June), I'll have my Master's.

Oh, and I got my Bachelor's in linguistics.

I'm doing a PhD. Why? Good question. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

What type of work do you all do that have Master's/Ph.D's? Is it mostly teaching? I'm considering going back to school to get my Master's...Some things I'm thinking of are:

MSW - my B.A. was in social psych... The thing is, how good would I be as an MSW if I have trouble knowing when people or lying and all the problems interpreting nonverbal communications, etc.. it would be a depressing curse if I had to work for the state as a social worker probably... another wasted 3 years of education and time/life...

Masters in Wildlife conservation -- I'm not as young as I used to be and I've never even had a lot of courses in physics or chemistry or calculus.. but that's what they want you to have taken. I really love the environment and like the idea of working in the wild completely alone --- way out there with little supervision.. probably dreamin'.. I've heard those jobs are RARE.

I love anthropology, but there are virtually NO jobs for someone with a Master's in anthropology... I minored in Anthropology for my B.A... I heard Ph.D's have to compete for teaching jobs too..

Master's in Music Recording Technology.... I love music, but the only useful thing this degree would have is to TEACH that subject somewhere... and I don't know if I could deal with all the students asking me really technical questions about ever-changing software... PLUS it's extremely over-competitive.. but I love recording my OWN music anyway... there's just not been alot of money in it...

I really hate the thought of going back to newspaper delivery 7 days a week again just to make ends meet and limping everyday with a sore back and feet... I'd rather be dead I think.... I have an I.Q. of around 140, so it would be nice to do something else besides hard labor or delivery work anyway.. I got just about a 1300 on the GRE and I have over a 3.0 GPA.. I don't want to spend all the time/money in school and find that I can't do the job I trained to do, you know? because of my NLD.. (kindof like mild Asperger's.. some say it IS Asperger's...)

WHAT Careers have you all found that you can do successfully with your degrees? I really would like to know.. Or if you teach, how is that going for you?

Thanks -- appreciate the input..

Well, I have NLD also, and I am getting my Masters in speech therapy. I'm not an SLP yet, obviously, but I'm currently completing my second internship, so I have some idea of what it is like. My NLD definitely has shaped the type of jobs I will be applying for in the fall.

I've learned that my organizational issues will probably be challenging in any job where I will need to plan out and complete larger assignments (such as writing IEPs, etc.). That means a school job is not a good bet for me, since they have "crunch times" several times a year when a lot of paperwork is due. I do better when I have smaller amounts of daily, predictable paperwork to do (like the daily notes written in a hospital). Additionally, planning therapy schedules in schools are generally very complicated because of the heavy caseloads. In hospitals, you just start on a floor, and see whoever you need to that day. No scheduling, because you don't have to worry about taking a patient out of PE, lunch, or art, and you don't have to worry about coordinating different patient schedules for group sessions. Also, I really like working with adults (and I'm not great at behavior management), so I'm definitely going to seek a hospital position.

Regarding problems with social interaction, I've found that I don't experience much social anxiety when working with patients with impairments. When working with cognitively intact adults, such as those seeking to reduce an accent or treat a stutter, I do still experience social anxiety. I am able to read facial expressions and tone pretty well I think actually (social interaction is the NLD area of least difficulty for me), and I do think that is somewhat important for an SLP. If you have difficulty empathizing with people, then it might be easier for you to work with kids, as there is a counseling aspect that often goes along with working with adults. The counseling aspect really interests me, and I find it rewarding.

Anyway, hope this was helpful!

In academia in the USA you pretty much have to have a PhD in any field to have a real shot at a tenured job (except in cases of the performing and visual arts, etc., where a MFA may suffice). If you have only a Masters, you might find a job at a community college as a part time lecturer (if you're very lucky or in a really remote area you might be able to score an appointment as a full-time lecturer), but remember that you'll be up against all those with PhDs who could not get jobs at 4 year universities. And the schools are churning out a LOT of PhD graduates. At community colleges here where I live lecturers are getting about $3,000-$4,000 per 15-week-long class taught. At my (4-year) institution we pay lecturers on a yearly contract about $46000 a year for three courses per quarter, three quarters per year. But we do not employ anyone without a PhD. These folks have no shot at tenure.

As far as psych/sociology/anthro go, if you go past a BA, you better plan on a PhD, because there's really no work for anyone with only a masters' degree. In psych, if you're going into clinical, you'll need specialized internships, etc. Social work you might do with a Masters in Social Work, but that's not sociology. Anthro - well, there are a few jobs around outside of academia, but again, you're up against folks with years and years of training for those slots.

The back-door "out" on these is if you want to teach in high school in the public schools you can teach in your field with a BA and a teaching credential in most states. Otherwise, besides being able to say you have a university diploma, a BA in the social sciences isn't worth the paper it's printed on in the job market. If you're doing it because you love it, that's one thing (and good for you). But don't expect to be able for that piece of paper to do much for you after you leave.

Have an MEng in Mechancical Engineering. I just went with the flow and passed with a 2:1. Working as an Engineer now and towards achieving chartered status.

I have my MA in Sociology from the
University of Alberta (convocated for it
in November of 1997, two months after
I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome)

If you do an Anthropology MA and focus on archeology you might be able to do some upper-level CRM, but the PhD is required for most decently paying jobs.

Don't forget research is a person's interested in social psych or anthro.

Like you said, that definitely means a PhD though.