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I don’t understand how the highest voted comment (at this time) in this thread is a user spreading a false notion that ‘if you only have a bachelor [in Europe], people assume something went wrong’.

Do they have sources to back this kind of snooty claim up?

Anecdotally, the only time I’ve come across this attitidude is when individuals heavily-vested in academia are attempting to stake out the moral high ground.

3 comments

Certain countries in Europe (e.g. Italy or Poland) have only adopted concept of bachelor degree in 2000s. Before that you had to study for 5 years and you got master degree. Certain majors still follow that rule (e.g. psychology or law).

I started university in 2007 and among ~180 people studying CS with me, majority continued with full-time master studies immediately, and most of the others did it part-time (either immediately or after 1-2 years break).

These days it's different, it becomes more common to either finish formal education with bachelor degree, take a long break or continue in another, related major. 10 years ago it wasn't the case.

They’re probably German or Austrian. That’s an accurate description of how stopping with a Bachelor’s is read there. I think the same is true in Switzerland but I’m not sure. It’s probably relevant that prior to the EU’s Bologna Process the lowest university degree was basically equivalent to a Master’s. That’s true for everywhere in continental Europe but German speakers love their Doktortitels more than anywhere else.

Exactly, I know plenty of people who spent years in academia, just to get their CS Masters degree. In the end of the day it seems harder for them to get decent (entry-level) jobs, because recruiters claim they lack work experience. Its not impossible mind you but on the surface, it seems harder. I wonder if there are recruiters out there, who could maybe explain this attitude?