Whilst it is generally accepted that there is a definite correlation between higher levels of education and better career opportunities, many wonder how much of an advantage having a master’s degree, as opposed to just a bachelor’s degree, can improve your employment prospects.
With the increasing cost of higher education definitely a hot topic not just in the USA but in many countries globally, the debate around whether or not further education is worth pursuing is hard to avoid. Of course, the answer is not a simple one, as it depends on a large number of various factors.
Your Chosen Industry
One of the biggest things to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to enroll on a master’s degree course in order to boost your career prospects is whether or not it will make any difference based on the industry in which you work. For example, if you’re working in public health, studying for a masters degree in public health online could open doors of opportunity for management positions and more, whereas if you are working in retail, a master’s degree may not be as worthwhile since on-the-job experience is valued more.
Growing Demand
In many industries, there is a growing demand for masters’ graduates to take higher paid positions. This is especially true of industries such as engineering, manufacturing, healthcare and public health, where those with a master of public health degree can definitely boost their overall career prospects and be in with a better chance of landing a better position. Over the last 12-15, employment of masters’ graduates with sought-after STEM skills has increased rapidly at a rate of at last three times faster than the employment of non-STEM graduates, something which is expected to only grow faster, leaving businesses with more demand than ever before for masters’ graduates to fill positions.
Better Employment Prospects Overall
Due to the growing demand for masters’ graduates, many students are choosing to stay on after completing their undergraduate degree and obtain a master’s degree before venturing into the world of work. From the get-go, there are much better employment prospects overall for college graduates with a master’s degree, and being a master’s graduate is likely to get you more interviews, job offers and opportunities in the future than just a bachelor’s degree. With this in mind, many students are, wisely, bypassing finding work as just a bachelor’s graduate and getting their master’s degree directly after graduating instead.
Why Get a Master’s Degree?
With demand for masters’ graduates growing, furthering your study after graduating with a bachelor’s degree has never been more necessary. With more and more students taking advantage of this growing demand and studying for a master’s degree, it is putting bachelors’ graduates at a big disadvantage due to the amount of better-qualified prospects out there when it comes to employment.
Studying for a master’s degree is definitely worth your time and money, with a large number of industries experiencing a growing demand for masters’ graduates.
