university degree or it cert?

My recommendation is to get that degree, and then pick up certifications as appropriate to your then current job or goals.

A degree has several advantages in the long term when compared to certifications. First, the degree has no expiration. Thirty years from now, you will still gain value when listing a degree on your resume. No certification I know of has that kind of longevity. Next, the degree holds value across careers. Certifications are ICT specific, and even job specific in value. Finally, effort applied in earning a degree may transfer towards earning a certificate. The reverse does not hold at the same rate.

IT-boy,

I have been in IT for about 12 years, it has been my experience that the relativeness of certifications to prospective employers and long term career growth, although valuable, do not even come close to the value that you can place on an accredited degree.

Prior to getting into IT, I graduated from an accredited University with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. Although I did not pursue a career in that arena, every time I have applied for a job, the person interviewing me has never said, "Wow, i think it is very impressive you have all these certifications!". However, I have had several interviewers comment on my college education.

Certifications are great, but from personal experience, I have wasted alot of money taking a certification class and then not being able to apply it in "real world" situations.

Bottom line, certs are great but an education will last you a lifetime.

Good luck in your endeavors.

Being able to pull out a Uni Degree will have more weight with any potential employer and has an unlimited life unlike MSCE which have to redone every time a new OS becomes available.

But just a word of warning here DON'T beleive that because you've got the piece of paper it automatically makes you an expert al it gives you the right to do is to start to learn what you have spent your time studding for. Speaking from experience here I've seen too many Uni Grad go out thinking they know it all when in actuall fact they know nothing and are worse than usless in their job as the bosses always take their advice as true and correct even when it's wrong. Having that peice of paper has some huge responsibilities attached and for the sake of any job that you wish to take you must bear this in mind as you never stop learning that degre only gives you the right to go out and start learning nothing more and on some occasions it may even count against you as a potential employer may consider that you are over qualified for a position or that because of your qualifactions you are too expensive to employ. these are all things that you have to keep in mind.