Tempted to go back to school

I am very much tempted right now to go back to school. I have been at my current company for almost a year and a half, and I'm worried about growing stale. For almost three years of my life, as a consultant, I was at a new company every few months. I was constantly being exposed to new business environments, and as a result, constantly growing. That experience was something I could take with me to my current company. But after a year here, there is a great deal of pressure to conform to the same old way of doing things that everyone else does. However, I know what I offered, beyond programming skills, project management, communication skills and whatnot – is my unique perspectives. I brought change and new ideas to an organization that, in my opinion, really needed it. But my fount of new ideas is running low without new stimulus. I do feel like I'm on a mission here, to be a agent for constant improvement. So I am not content to just relax into a steady job and run with the status quo. I know that we can do better, but I need to find out how – and come back with the confidence to lead the way.

That's one reason to consider going back to school, and it is my main one. When I was back at one of my first software development jobs, I started taking graduate courses in software engineering, and I made a clear and amazing jump from clueless to clued-in. Suddenly, all the things my boss had been talking about (requirements, use cases, etc) made sense. It was also my first encounter with the software development lifecycle and with project management. You could definitely say that it put me on the career path I am now on, even if the degree itself didn't have much to do with it. Another reason to get an additional degree is for the inevitable resume. Those qualifications can help, within the company, but mostly outside of it. Of course, I also have the social pressure to become more educated, as so many of my friends attain their masters, and even PH.Ds. Two of them have MBAs. Even my spouse has more education than I do. Living in Boston, you can't escape the "keeping up with the Jones" of education. It often seems like everyone is in school.

I'm looking at three different programs. Given that my career path has been veering towards Business Analyst and Project Manager, further degrees in Software Engineering are out. And technical management doesn't seem exactly relevant right now. So count out MBA programs, for now anyway.

The most unique program I am eyeing is Bentley's Human Factors in Information Design program. This program is all about combining psychology with computer science, understanding how the human brain works, and thus, how to build the best possible interfaces for it, be that in software applications or television remote controls. Naturally I would lean towards the software end of design. The classes sound fascinating. However, applying to this program requires a full time commitment, as it requires the GRE or GMAT test, an application, and a commitment to be enrolled. Bentley is the most expensive option of all, almost 3000$ per class.

Less strenuous is the Boston University PMI accredited 4-class Project Management certification. The classes do not sound that interesting, and with only 4 classes, they are required to be very broad. Advantages include the fact that it's entirely "online", and that it's accredited by PMI. It is pricy though – I would only be able to take 2 classes per year before paying out of pocket.

Finally, there is the familiar. I have a graduate certificate in Software Engineering from Brandeis. The only reason I did not complete it was that my consulting job did not allow me the luxury of taking classes, nor did the company have tuition reimbursement. Brandeis offers an M.S. in the Management of Projects and Programs. The program is not certified by PMI, and I wonder how much that counts. After all, Brandeis is a reputable institution, not a degree factory. The classes for this degree look quite varied and interesting, covering not just project management specifics, but also general management topics. Having taken classes from the school before, I know that the classes are good, very relevant to business and yet still academically challenging. Brandeis is the least expensive option, about $2000 per class.