Ask HN: How important is a master's degree?
Things just got complicated because my college announced a joint BS/MS program that means I could get a master's degree by the end of the next year, but I'd have to drop almost everything else to do it. Earning the master's would mean sacrificing most of my statistics coursework, as well as a lot outside of class (clubs, sports, even friends to a degree), so the question I'm facing is how much of a difference an MS actually makes in the working world. I'm planning to do startups, or if that fails, probably to go into project-manager type positions in the software industry (potentially machine learning project specifically). In those kinds of roles, does it make a difference to have an MS in computer science vs a double BS in computer science/statistics? I'd prefer to just work on what I'm interested in, which wouldn't lead to the master's degree, but if it's worth it it might make sense to make some sacrifices.
Thanks for the help.