I dont know if its the right place to ask such questions: I have a bachelors degree from an Indian university. I want to persue masters in one of the universities in usa, my profile is good enough to get me admitted to the school that I want to get into. I also have an offer letter from one of the top software companies in India (Infosys). I dont know which path to take, I know a masters degree will be of great help in future both in terms of money and career but I do not know whether I want to do it at this moment. I have signed up for both edx and coursera for some of the courses and I really liked learning them online. I am not sure if taking these courses can be a substitute for a masters degree. Also how will i be able to differentiate myself in the real world if I do not have a masters degree, since there are many in india who dont have it. And is it advisable for me to take some work experience say 1-2 years and then apply for a masters degree. Although universities do not explicitly mention work experience as a criteria, will any kind of work experience help me in deciding whether i want to do masters? finally I want to know what are the cons of not doing a masters.