Nowadays, academic and educational attainment requirements are climbing. Before, people can graduate with a 4-year course and that was enough. Now, people find themselves taking a Master’s Degree for their specific courses. While others have pursued post-graduate studies such as Law and Medical school, others have thought of pursuing a Master’s Degree. But what exactly is a Master’s Degree?
A Master’s Degree is what allows a person to delve deeper into what they studied in college. However, the reason why people apply for a Master’s Degree can vary.
- Increasing their market value – People who take Master’s Degree have this as the sole reason as to why they want to take it. In order to obtain higher pay, people would enroll in graduate school again to further value. This will also prevent them from being stuck in a menial, clerical job.
- Opening more job opportunities – Some job opportunities such as a lecturer at a college or a psychologist require a Master’s Degree in order to go through the licensure to become one. For Psychology majors, they want to push past being stuck in clerical work. For Psychology, there are different concentrations depending on what the individual would like.
- Taking a break from working – Not many people would use this as a reason but it is a possible occurrence. The toxicity and stress that can come from a workplace can become crushing to the point it may rob a person of their motivation to work. As a means to remain productive, people take their Master’s Degree.
However, is taking a Master’s Degree really worth it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking a Master’s Degree? Below is a list of the advantages and disadvantages of taking a Master’s Degree.
Advantages of taking a Master’s Degree
After completing your Master’s Degree, you not only have higher educational attainment but you’ll also be able to ask more. You’ll also know a whole lot more than most people especially when it comes to a certain part of your job.
Other advantages to taking a Master’s Degree include:
- More job opportunities – Some job opportunities would prefer those who have a Master’s Degree under their belt.
- Higher Pay – Someone who has a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology has a better chance of asking for a higher salary than a person who only graduated in Psychology in college.
- Expanding your network – You’re not the only professional who’s going to be taking a Master’s Degree. Even people as old as grandparents will be taking their studies further for their knowledge.
And if you’re the kind of person who wants to learn more and more, having a Master’s Degree can help with that. Learning from a more experienced individual is a common occurrence that would help enhance your skills over time.
Disadvantages of taking Master’s Degree
While the idea of getting a higher pay is definitely more interesting, there are some sacrifices one has to make.
- Possibly giving up your current work – Most people who apply for a Master’s Degree and try to find work while still a student is often considered “liabilities” by most companies. The main premise is because they think the individual will not be able to commit most of their time to the company. At the same time, most working policies are not friendly for those who are in a Master’s Degree.
- Gaining an extra load of work – If your work is heavy with handling accounting, a business, or even a class of children, taking Master’s Degree is adding the extra weight of the other requirements. If you feel that you’re not mentally prepared then, it’s okay to delay it. There’s no age limit as to when to stop learning!
- Physical and Mental Stress – Time waits for no one and if your school of choice is far, imagine all the driving you’ll have to do or the commuting. There are also exams to study and other things to deal with.
Should I or should I not?
Master’s Degree is a challenging thing. However, the rewards at the end – like any goal – are big. If you’re planning to do a Master’s Degree, it’s up to you if you think you’re ready to go another round of school.