I have a general question about programs that are offered at a few graduate schools. I am curious about pursuing them in the future (post MArch I) but I wonder about the merit of such programs against going for an MArch II?

Specifically I'm curious about the MSDes programs at Harvard, the M.E.D. program at Yale, and other programs such as the Master of Advanced Architectural Design at GSAPP.

What is the value in such a degree, is it regarded well in the profession or just as a 'filler and resume padding' for people just after the namesake? (I'm also interested in other programs, not just the IVY league schools.. but for the sake of discussion I was curious about them)

I've heard and read on past threads that students of such programs like MSDes are regarded as second-class citizens and not taken as seriously? Is it like that in the profession too?

It's not needed in practice, and working at a large firm now, I don't see many of my colleagues holding these degrees. However I'd love to teach at some point and wonder what path might be the best for that in the long run.

Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated!

EMG