I've never viewed degrees as vocational training. They were always something I did for myself. For example, I completed an MS and an MBA while in my 30s. Neither were particularly career enhancing beyond credentialism which seems pervasive here in the US. Hence, the success of the various certification programs, Microsoft, Java, et al., which as a former hiring manager, I didn't find that these certifications necessarily yielded better candidates. Both masters required an immense amount of autodidacticism to round out what was acquired in class. And many of these topics were covered on tests, i.e. if you didn't put in the time on your own, you weren't passing the class. Now that I'm retired, the question I haven't yet wrapped my arms around is whether I want to pursue another degree, e.g., math. No real application, just for fun.