Earning credentials when you dislike school
 

Hello all,

Yesterday I finished all the credits required for my master's degree in mechanical engineering. I initially contemplated getting a PhD, but the academic experience during this year and a half killed whatever intention to pursue one. It is not a simple coincidence that for 10 years I didn't want to go back to school (my BS is in Mathematics).

I'm great at learning on my own and I excel at my job, I just despise the school dynamics: boring lectures; teachers skimming over textbooks; others being outright lazy, careless and anti-didactic; poor time management in lectures; and let's not forget the tuition, where just one credit-hour costs more than a dozen of solid Dover books.

Is there any reputed test-based alternative to earn further degrees? I'm thinking of something akin to the FE/PE exams, but not the certifications' soup of letters. Would passing any "quals" help one's career in the industry?

Thanks