Should I Get a Master’s Degree

If you’re wondering, “Should I Get a Master’s Degree?” whether you’ve already graduated or are about to graduate from college, you’re not alone. It’s time to delve deep and uncover the truth. A master’s degree can be beneficial in specific fields, but it is also costly and time-consuming. So, do you think a master’s degree is for you?

We’ll go over what a master’s degree is, four crucial questions to ask yourself before obtaining one, the benefits and drawbacks of getting one, and three ideas to help you choose the ideal master’s degree program for you in this guide.

How long does it take to acquire a master’s degree?’ students wonder. Several aspects, including the program’s theme and format, must be taken into account. This section goes through these issues in further depth and the various length possibilities for master’s degrees.

Should I Get a Master’s Degree

What Is a Master’s Degree?

A master’s degree is a graduate degree that shows you have an advanced understanding of a particular field of study or career. These are the initial level of graduate degrees, with only doctorate degrees, such as the Ph.D., coming after them.

Master’s degree graduate programs are available at public and private colleges and universities all around the world. The majority of people complete their master’s degrees in one to three years of full-time study. Many master’s programs in the United States last two years.

In terms of prerequisites, most master’s degree programs require at least a bachelor’s degree.
You can get a master’s degree in a variety of fields. The following are a few of the most common:

• Master of Arts (MA)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Master of Engineering (ME, MEng)
• Master of Education (MEd)
• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Master of Architecture (MArch)
• Master of Public Administration (MPA)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Public Policy (MPP)
• Master of Social Work (MSW)

Should I Get a Master’s Degree, Questions You Should Ask Yourself?

If you’re debating whether or not to pursue a master’s degree, consider the following four questions before making any significant decisions.

Am I Passionate About the Topic I Want to Study?

First and foremost, are you enthusiastic about the field of study you wish to pursue at the master’s level? If your answer isn’t a resounding “yes,” you should think twice about getting a master’s degree, at least in that field.

But why is passion so important?

The truth is that finishing graduate school might be challenging if you aren’t passionate about the subject or are simply in school because you don’t know what you want to do with your life.

I knew a few folks who dropped out of master’s programs after realizing they weren’t interested in the topic (for the record, they went to different master’s programs).

Leaving a master’s program isn’t a failure by any means, but believe me when I say that having a clear notion of what you want to study (and why) before applying to master’s programs can make your life a lot easier. You don’t want to feel like you squandered your time, energy, and money on a graduate school that didn’t help you achieve your academic or professional objectives.

Try to imagine yourself as a graduate student, taking classes in the subject, researching it, and writing papers before pursuing a master’s degree. If these ideas pique your interest, this field may be a suitable fit for you. If you feel hollow or numb, though, you should examine if a master’s degree in this field is genuinely worthwhile.

If you’re on the fence about getting a master’s degree, perhaps the area you want to study is radically different from your undergraduate major—you might want to consider taking some community college classes in that field to understand better how grad school would be.

Will Getting a Master’s Degree Help My Career?

Another key topic to consider is how this master’s degree can assist you in achieving your career objectives.

There are two general categories of graduate degrees:

• Academic degrees
• Professional degrees

Academic master’s degrees are designed to help you master a specific topic of study related to your academic and intellectual interests (which you might or might not want to use in your career).

Many students pursue a master’s degree as a stepping stone toward a doctoral degree—often a Ph.D.—in their chosen subject. Academic graduate programs are more research-oriented and typically involve a master’s thesis or capstone project.

MA and MS are examples of academic master’s degrees.

Professional master’s degrees, on the other hand, are much more closely linked to your career goals, teaching you about the field you want to work in and arming you with the essential skills you’ll need to succeed.

A professional degree is designed to prepare you for work in a specific sector or career. Many professions, such as law, medicine, and pharmacy, necessitate the completion of a sequence of professional degrees (often master’s and doctoral degrees).

Examples of academic master’s degrees include the MA and MS.
Professional master’s degrees, on the other hand, are much more closely linked to your career goals, teaching you about the field you want to work in and arming you with the essential skills you’ll need to succeed.

A professional degree is designed to prepare you for work in a specific sector or career. Many professions, such as law, medicine, and pharmacy, necessitate the completion of a sequence of professional degrees (often master’s and doctoral degrees).

Examples of professional degrees include the MBA and LLM.

Finally, when considering a master’s degree, you must consider how much you expect your degree to assist you in advancing your work. Again, there is no right or wrong answer here, though a master’s degree should ideally help you succeed in or start your career.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), having a master’s degree earns you more money in certain professional domains than having merely a bachelor’s degree. The following are some of these fields:

• Business
• Education
• Healthcare and social service
• STEM

So, if you’re thinking about getting a master’s degree in one of these four subjects, you can be confident that it will help you advance in your profession.

Don’t panic if you wish to acquire a master’s degree in an area that isn’t included above. It doesn’t imply your degree will be completely useless in your job. On the contrary, it will undoubtedly be an excellent decision if you have a clear notion of how you want to use your master’s degree and give you the crucial abilities you need to succeed in a specific career.

Will I Have to Pay for the Degree?

Unlike doctoral programs, which are frequently wholly financed for up to five years, master’s degrees are rarely funded in the United States. As a result, it’s critical to learn whether you’ll be required to pay for your master’s degree and whether you believe the program is worthwhile.

Again, there’s no right or wrong choice here. Some people are pleased to pay for a portion or even the entire cost of their master’s degrees, especially if the degree is virtually sure to help them advance in their careers. On the other hand, others are passionately opposed to taking out loans and spending thousands of dollars on a degree that may or may not help them advance their jobs or increase their earning potential.

My recommendation? A master’s degree should be as inexpensive as possible.
Often, the cost isn’t worth it, especially if you’re only interested in getting an academic degree rather than a professional one (which is typically more likely to ensure you a steady career).

Keep in mind that the cost of master’s programs in the United States varies considerably. For example, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that is the average annual cost (tuition + fees) for grad school in 2012-13 was $16,435.

However, in my experience, this figure appears to be on the low end of the scale. Master’s degree programs in the United States can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $120,000, according to The Best Master’s Degree, with some even exceeding this “limit”!

This is why I strongly encourage you to seek out master’s schools that offer scholarships or fellowships. Scholarships are frequently listed on the program and financial aid pages of graduate programs.

Am I OK With Not Working?

A master’s degree usually takes at least one year, usually two or three, to complete, which means you won’t work full-time during that time. So make sure you’re completely OK with taking a break from work (or, if you’re going directly from college to grad school, delaying your entry into the workforce) before you decide to pursue a master’s degree.

Taking a couple of years off for school when you’re young (in your 20s or so) shouldn’t have much of an impact on your career path or professional alternatives. However, if you’re older and more established—perhaps you have a promising career or a family to support—taking time off work to pursue a master’s degree may have a more negative influence on your life than you believe.

For starters, you won’t generate much, if any, money. At the same time, you’re a graduate student (unless you’re receiving a stipend or work part-time), so living this way will undoubtedly entail sacrifice.

Second, once you get your master’s degree, it may be difficult to re-enter the workforce because you may not have the duplicate contacts as before and may lack some practical, on-the-job abilities.