Having been an IAM member for 17 years, and having just taken the High Performance Course (
http://www.high-performance-course.com/) with Andy Morrison (one of the course managers) I couldn't recommend it more - it was a fantastic course.
I think the difference (my perception - may not be accurate) is that:
- the IAM Masters is about getting to that level - the Masters is the achievement...
- the HPC course is more, it is a) about getting to the level the course expects, but a lot of it is also about attitude and journey - an awareness that while at the end of the course you are (hopefully!) driving at a certain level, it is also opening the door onto a personal journey of development...
I certainly found that while my driving improved considerably I also became aware of huge potential to improve and that to me is the real gain - that I can see a route ahead to keep learning.
So, if for someone it were simply about achieving a bit of paper then the Masters is a better route - the HPC course doesn't offer you that 'formal qualification' - but if it is about learning, learning, learning - then the HPC course is a far better option...
Alasdair