CONVERSATIONS Degree or Not Degree? That is the question when it comes to deciding how far to pursue one's education. The campus housing and student affairs professions are unique in the ways they straddle the line between the academic and practitioner worlds. Those who may consider themselves first and foremost an academic steeped in research must understand the realworld applications of the theories they research. Meanwhile, many of those involved in the day-to-day operations of a campus housing program must call upon data, research, and theory to be KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS in this article 56 TALKING STICK by James A. Baumann most effective. Perhaps the way this divide is most concretely represented is in the decision one makes about whether or not to pursue a terminal degree. While many residence education professionals enter their careers with a master's degree, there is a percentage that choose to Foundational Identify professional goals and professional development paths to support those goals. continue their education. The Talking Stick spoke with several professionals who earned - or are earning - that nextlevel degree about their motivations, the efforts they made to accommodate the work, and the ways they continue to apply that knowledge. Participating in the conversation are James C. Smith, the director for engagement and development at University of California, Riverside;