“A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory”
-Arthur Golden
Most of the students are in an utmost dilemma as they do not know how they would choose a course at the Master’s level that can help them embrace a successful career. They often take wrong decisions and this wrong decision has an adverse impact on their careers.
It is true that Master’s degree helps. It means you are better qualified than most of the other people and improves your job prospects but how to choose a proper course. Given here are a number of tips that can help you make the right choice.
Those who want to study Master’s should answer the first question and that is why they want to pursue this. What is your purpose for studying the same? Is this for career progression or for pursuing a higher Research degree? Whatever the reason may be, you can narrow down your career options. Choose a career that can fit in your own goals.
If you are ignoring an interesting stream just because you have not studied it in the graduation and it is not your mainstream, you are wrong. Also, do not pick up a course blindly because you feel it will look good in your resume. Make a wiser choice and choose a course that interests you and can open a door of opportunities for you.
You should keep in mind that the postgraduate study differs drastically from the undergraduate studies and that the learning and structure style may be something that you may have not experienced before. So, you should be well aware of what approach to be taken. If there is more autonomy, less of classroom-based learning etc. you need to choose a degree that suits this type of learning.
Make sure to indulge in a lot of research work to select the options. You can take a look on the streams which are in vogue and can go for them. Apart from visiting the official website of the university, you can go online to the forums and take out a popular choice. If you have chosen a particular program, refer to your friends and family members to find out how popular it is among the students.
Pay a close heed to the reputation of University and find out how many students are taking part in the program that you have decided to choose. You can also choose the employment rate of that particular program and the success stories. Take care of not getting confused on the choices of Universities. Try to focus on streams more than the institutions.
It is advisable to attend the graduate fairs and reaching out the people who are pursuing the same or career counselors will be of great help. You should talk to the teaching faculty and get to know the career avenues available for the stream that you want to pursue. By doing so, you will also have a better idea about the course and the admission staff would be impressed from your enthusiasm.
Masters degrees are not cheaper and hence you have to consider the affordability factor.
It is good to remember that Masters Degrees are not cheaper and therefore you need to consider whether you can afford them or not. Cost-affordability is one of the factors to consider. You need to remember that it is not only course fee, but the cost of living and accommodation also that you are paying too and hence you should talk directly to that authorities of the Universities that you want to apply.
Length of the Masters Degree varies with your previous qualifications, your past experiences and also reason for which you are pursuing the study. Duration of the Masters courses varies. Though the standard length of the Master’s course is 2 years but there are courses that begin from 6 months and there are those who run till 5 years. So, be careful and do not choose a course which is less than a year in duration. If you do so, it may or may not be recognized and there is no use of getting such a degree.
This may sound like just a common sense but most of the students overlook this. If you think that you are good at calculations and writing essays is not your cup of tea you can try something which you are good in doing. If you think you can learn more by practicing then you should avoid picking up a course which is class-room based.
So, avoid a course which is not your forte or may sound utterly challenging to you.
There are certain courses for which a particular university is known for. So, you can conduct an online research and find out the courses that are popular in the University of your Choice and are most sought after by the students. There is nothing much to do. A thorough online research work or taking referrals can be helpful.
If you think that you want to pursue certain courses be explicitly clear about their finer points. Check out the availability of teaching facilities for the same, the exact number of contact hours and the availability of IT services, library etc. These are some of the factors which can have a huge impact on the quality of your studies. Check out that the course you want to opt for have sufficient facilities available.
There are times when you want to opt for a course and you are not fulfilling the basic eligibility criteria. If this is the case with you, you should not lose the heart because there are institutions that are flexible. For example, if you do not have the requisite academic qualifications but the desired level of professional experience you can easily go in for the universities which can accommodate you.
Apart from that, it pays to be proactive. If you have to complete a particular module or even a short course get ready for obtaining the qualification that is relevant.
There are a lot of things to consider when you want to opt for Masters. It is a significant financial investment and a wrong decision can ruin your career. This higher educational qualification can land you in a great career and brighten your chances of getting a suitable job of your choice. You need to be smart enough to choose a course that can meet your career goals. If you have interest in certain stream and want to go in for a deeper study in the same, you can go in for Master’s and then a research work on the same.
If you are curious about which course would be a right choice for you, go in for a personality quiz and follow the same to find your area of expertise, get hold of as much information as possible on the same and know what exactly you want to do it. Conduct an online research to find things like fee structure, time duration for the course, suitable Universities for the same and most important of all find out whether the course learning style suits your understanding level.
Always remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail and hence it is good to plan what are you interested in particular and then go in for pursuing a course for the same. Before doing so, find out a suitable University, course length, fee-structure and career scope for the same. A suitable choice for Master’s degree goes a long way in building your career!