In short: the true value and differentiator of doing Master is not the knowledge but the experience that you get from others and from doing the work during two years.

As someone who loved doing a master in Service Design back in the days and who today is part of the people who run it I’m very biased in finding that a master is worth it.

More and more going to university isn’t that much about getting access to knowledge. Because the knowledge is already accessible elsewhere in libraries, books, articles, videos, conferences, webinars, podcasts, etc.

Sure it’s nice that in master program the knowledge is curated which means you don’t have to sort through what is valuable and what isn’t.

But you can find the content online.

I often explain that doing a master program is like doing a sabbatical. It’s a break where you can focus on things you would never have the time otherwise.

By joining a master program you’re blocking time in your calendar for 2 years to learn. You could do that by yourself but it takes much more energy and discipline. Joining a program positively forces you to not only block the time but also « do the time ».

In a master program you are not learning alone you are with other learners. This means you benefit as much from the teacher than from the experiences from the other learners.

Yes there are alternatives like the Service Design Network chapters and other communities where you can get that too. But this isn’t continuous exchange as when you spend 2 years together with other people.

When doing a master program there is a bonus: you get a fancy title that in some cultures and countries does a lot for you. Personally I never got a job because of the title but the title made me feel I could apply for the jobs. It healed a tiny bit the impostor syndrome.