Is there a disadvantage to getting your masters degree at the same school where you received your bachelor's degree? I have heard that it is important to have two different schools on your resume. I don't know how much truth there is in this when being hired though. Specifically, I'm interested in attending UW-Madison for my masters.
I don't think there's a disadvantage per se but it's helpful to go to a school in another location to get a different perspective on planning. If you want to stay in Wisconsin though, there's no real reason to go to another school.
I agree with Blide in that there doesn't necessarily have to be a disadvantage. However--and this is from someone who did get his graduate degree from the same institution as his undergrad--ideally, I would have gone to a different school, for the following reasons:
1. You obtain a different network of colleagues and professors. This can be the greatest advantage of going to school, because having a strong network is worth a lot when it comes to potential jobs and career advancements.
2. It's easy to just slide into a grad degree at the same school you got your undergrad from, and I think this can be a waste of potential. You should want to expand your perspective, your skills, your knowledge, and a totally different institutional culture can provide the opportunity to do this.
3. It looks better on your resume. Much of the apparent value obtained from an institution is captured in a single degree, whether its a grad or undergrad degree. It looks good that you have knowledge and skills acquired from two universities rather than just one. This gets back to the second point, above.
4. You're less likely to suffer burnout and intellectual stagnation if you go to a different school. You have to keep it interesting for yourself, above all.
With that said, my employer paid for my grad degree while I worked at a firm full-time, so for me it was a no-brainer, even though it wasn't a different school. So obviously, personal circumstances play a large part here.
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