Whatever your reason for deciding to hit the books once again, you should know that
graduate degrees offer several advantages, including:
1. Practical, Relevant Skills: This first benefit is probably the most obvious. Master’s degrees are specialized programs of study. A master’s degree will help you develop advanced, field specific knowledge, skills, and training, which can help you progress within your current job or make you a more attractive hire to future employers
2. Competitive Edge in the Job Market: A master’s degree may give you an advantage over other job applicants or land you the job itself. Back in 2016, the Harvard Business Review announced that according to a Career Builder survey, 27 percent of organizations are hiring only those with master’s degrees. That is, some positions, which previously required only a BS, may now demand an MS or MBA. Along with thorough preparation, of course, additional knowledge from advanced education might help you succeed in one of the most stressful of situations: the job interview
3. Increased Earning Potential: Adding MS or MBA after your name can significantly raise your salary. According to the Salary Survey of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, some master’s degrees lead to significant salary boosts, with business management and administration being included in the top four.
4. Mobility in Your Current Career: Supervisors appreciate employees who challenge themselves and who develop expertise
that adds value to their organizations. A graduate certificate or master’s degree
may move you to the
top of an internal candidate list.
5. Leadership and Management Roles: The specialized training, critical thinking, and focused skills developed with a graduate certificate or degree may qualify you to direct more complex projects. And many graduate programs, such as the Tech MBA®, prioritize real-world professional skills, such as teamwork, management, and leadership. These aptitudes give you confidence to take on more responsibilities in the workplace while signaling to employers that you are definitely management material. Also, employees who excel at representing their companies often get more chances to travel.
6. Networking Opportunities: Graduate programs create learning communities; students build relationships with fellow students, professors, alumni, and other disciplinary experts. The professional connections, friendships, and networks you establish during graduate school can help you further hone your skills and grasp relevant opportunities. Michigan Tech alumni, some 70,000 strong, have access to many helpful resources and services.
7. Career Change: 12.4: That’s the average number of times a person changes jobs in their lifetime,
according to one career expert website. Maybe you’ve been on the job for two or even
10 years, but your interests have changed and you are seeking a new direction. A graduate
degree may allow you to develop your previous education
and/or capitalize on your professional experience, granting you more versatility (and
options) on the job market.
8. Intellectual Growth: Despite the saying about the difficulty of teaching old dogs new tricks, you’re never too old to learn. Pursuing a graduate degree means you get to dive deeper into a subject that you love, or perhaps one that has haunted you from your early undergraduate days. You’ll satisfy your love of learning and the goal of mastering a tricky subject while getting smarter. Yes, smarter. A recent study even found a correlation between achieving a higher education and warding off the effects of age-related cognitive decline. So you’ll grow your brain while contributing to the world’s bank of knowledge.
9. Increased Emotional Intelligence: Additional education also makes you smarter in other less obvious ways. Advanced education, when it improves your interpersonal, communication, and conflict-management skills, will enhance your emotional intelligence. Earning a graduate degree might help equip you with the traits of the most emotionally intelligent leaders.
10. Personal Satisfaction: Last but certainly not least, by earning an advanced degree, you’ll receive a sense
of
accomplishment from pushing yourself. Or, if life got in the way the first time around,
you’ll gain the peace of mind of finishing something you started. Achieving a demanding
goal brings increased self-esteem, which
is not only one of the best advantages of completing graduate school, but also one
of the biggest gifts you can give to yourself.
Whatever your motivation, if you’re ready to consider a master’s program and Michigan
Tech is your school
of choice, check out our Graduate School, which offers more than 99 certificates and
programs. If your life
circumstances prevent you from attending on-campus programs, know that there are flexible
education options
that let you work around your schedule. Michigan Tech’s Global Campus offers more
than 40 in-demand, online
programs, which allow you to pursue an advanced education without stepping too far
away from your life
or from your job. Many of our online certificates may be completed in as few as two
semesters. Whenever you’re
ready, the Michigan Tech Graduate School and Global Campus have graduate programs
designed for you and
your goals. To learn more, go to: mtu.edu/globalcampus
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
