I have a BA and a Masters in Public Administration. Currently working on a PhD at UGA - mostly because of some of the reasons the others have mentioned, curiosity, kids were grown and I had the time, test my abilities against some pretty sharp minds, greater responsibilities, hopefully improve the salary trajectory of my remaining years in the work force - finally decided what I wanted to be when I grow up...I felt like I was intellectually rejuvenated once I got into the doctoral program at UGA. It's a great feeling after the monotony of the usual grind to make ends meet and raise kids. Though I'm old enough to have fathered just about everyone else in the program, and before you ask, no, i didn't, the youngsters appreciate the perspective brought by someone who's been there and actually had to deal on the ground with things they are learning as theory. Like many of you, I can't stress enough the value of real world experience. One of the programs within the University System that I really like and believe has value is our new focus on awarding students credit for college level learning they learned outside of a classroom. The program is aimed at students who are veterans with military training and other adult students primarily. There is a rigorous evaluation process but it can significantly shorten time to a degree if the student's experience fits well with the core classes everyone takes and sometimes even in the more advanced classes of the major. PM me if you're interested in talking with someone at a local college or university. I'm happy to find the name and number of the person at the participating public institution closest to you.
