Author: — Last update: 14 February 2022 Show
When you are nearing the end of your Bachelor’s degree programme, you are faced with an important question: Should you get a Master’s degree? And if yes, should you start with a Master’s programme directly, or should you first get a few years of work experience? This guide is written by Gerrit Bruno Blöss, Founder and CEO of Study.eu. Between finishing his Bachelor’s degree and starting his Master’s programme in another country, he did an internship that also led him abroad. Should you work, or should you study?Career decisions are rarely easy. A big one is whether you should continue studying right after your Bachelors, or whether you should start working and do a Masters later on. Both options have a lot of good reasons going for them. Let’s have a look at them: Find Master’s programmes in Europe Reasons to do a Masters instead of working:
Reasons to work and postpone your Master’s degree:
How long should you work before you do a Masters?If you plan to get work experience before you pursue a Master’s degree, there is the question of timing: When is the right time to leave your job and go back to university? While this is highly individual, consider working between 18 months and 3 years before you go back to university. Here are a few points to take into account:
If you have already worked longer than that and plan to go back to university, contact the admissions offices at the universities or business schools you are interested in. They will be able to answer how well their programmes suit you, and how successful other mature students have been before you. Is a Master’s degree worth the cost?Getting a postgraduate degree can be expensive, especially when pursuing it full time. You do not earn a salary for the one or two years you are at university; you may have to pay high tuition fees; and perhaps you study abroad in a country that’s more expensive than your home country. You may try to find a scholarship, but those are not available to all students. You could also get a student loan, but debt is never advisable if you can avoid it. These factors add up, so you need to ask yourself if you can (or want to) afford it. The good news: Generally, getting a Masters is worth the money! While you may find it difficult to finance your studies, over time, the financial benefits will outweigh the initial costs. You will earn a higher salary and be much more flexible in your career. The salary increase with a Master’s degreeWith a Master’s degree, you will earn more money. That’s an undeniable fact. The question is: How much more money will it be? And that’s difficult to generalise. The added value of the degree depends a lot on your industry, your country and region, the shape of the economy, and your individual experience, skills and circumstances. To get a rough idea of the potential salary increase, it pays off to look at labour market statistics. The European Statistical Office (Eurostat) reports that - among the whole workforce, i.e. at every age and level of experience - those employees with a Masters (or higher) earn on average 24% more than those workers with only a Bachelors, with differences in some countries as high as +53%:
Source: Eurostat [earn_ses14_30] Now, keep in mind that these numbers refer to the whole workforce, across all industries. Having a Masters will not automatically net you a 24% higher salary in your first job. But your starting salary will be higher, you will be more likely to get promoted, and eventually earn substantially more, all the while enjoying higher job security. (And for you Americans considering grad school: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports similarly promising numbers, with wage premiums of 14 to 89% for those with a Masters.) This way, while getting a Masters may be an expensive investment, it generally pays off over time. Do you need a Master’s to do a PhD?A PhD (Doctorate) is the highest academic qualification a student can achieve, and requires substantial research work. To be accepted into a PhD programme, universities usually require students to have a Masters in a relevant field. Find PhD programmes in Europe However, and especially in the UK, it is often theoretically possible to progress directly from a Bachelor’s degree to a PhD programme (“fast track”). The explicit minimum requirement for admission is then usually an “upper second class” Bachelors (2:1), or the equivalent from your country. (What a UK institution considers equivalent to a 2:1 differs from university to university.) In other European countries, the eligibility criterion for acceptance into a PhD programme is often a certain number of ECTS credits that you are unlikely to have obtained after just a Bachelor’s programme. In any case, doing a PhD directly after a Bachelors is more common in the “hard” sciences (STEM subjects) than it is with the humanities. But before you apply to PhD programmes with only a Bachelor’s degree, ask yourself why you want to skip the Masters. If you’re already fed up with studying and doing academic work, then the research-heavy path of a PhD - and the career in academia that may follow - is most certainly not the right option for you, anyway. Should you even get a Masters degree at all?If you can, then get a Masters degree, and do it abroad. You will learn a lot, make friends from all over the world, grow as a person, and open up many new opportunities for yourself. And you can expect to earn more money, as well. Don’t feel bad if you decide against a Masters: There are many reasons that can make it difficult, like family or finances. If the time just is not right, it is always possible to go back to uni or graduate school later in life. If you dislike the idea of going back to college for two years, don’t forget about shorter Master programmes: You will find plenty of options that are 18 months, 1 year or even 9 months. 1-year Masters are particularly common in the UK and Ireland, and also available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, and elsewhere. Find shorter Master’s degree programmes in Europe Should you get a second Master’s degree?If you already have a Master’s degree, there are a few scenarios where a second Master’s degree may be worthwhile, and a few where it’s not a good idea. Let’s look at it in detail:
A second Master’s degree can facilitate a career change. Just make sure you have explored other options, too: See if you can change positions at your current employer, or find a different job elsewhere. And keep in mind that - depending on how different your new desired career is - your previous work experience may not be relevant, and you may be forced to start in a junior position again. Some universities, especially in Franceand Belgium, offer Advanced Masters in addition to their “normal” Masters. Such programmes are specifically targeted at applicants who already have an previous Master’s degree - it’s an admissions requirement. They usually last 1 year, with usually 60 ECTS credits. Here is another very good reason to get a second Masters, and maybe even in a similar discipline to what you studied before: If you will attend university in another country - in which you then plan to stay and work after graduation. Such a move will substantially increase your chances with local employers. You are already on location (and perhaps enjoy the benefits of a post-study work visa), and it will be easier for companies to judge the contents and quality of the degree you obtained in that country. Also, don’t forget that a university degree is not the only way to learn and qualify yourself for new endeavours. Consider flexible alternatives like short courses, professional certificates or others. What about doing a gap year?When you cannot decide between a Master’s degree or working, doing a gap year might be another viable alternative. There are no fixed rules for what a gap year is, or what you can spend your time doing. It’s a chance to travel, gain new experiences and make up your mind about what you want to do later in life. It’s also something you will likely not do later in life - so if it appeals to you and you have the chance, go for it! Here are just a few ideas of what you could be doing during a gap year:
Checklist: Is a Masters right for you?A Master’s is not the right choice for everyone, and there is no shame in admitting it. If you are unsure, go through the lists below, and see which of the statements apply to you and your situation. And if you’re still unsure, don’t feel rushed: You can postpone this decision for a while and check again where you stand in 6 or 12 months. Pursue a Master’s degree...
Do not pursue a Master’s degree (yet)...
What are alternatives to getting a Master’s degree?A Masters may not be the best way forward for you. Depending on the goals you want to achieve, the following options are worth exploring:
If none of these alternative options seem attractive to you, don’t give up: There are many ways to obtain a Master’s degree and you will find one that suits you best! Find Master’s degree programmes in Europe 9641 Masters in Europe Gerrit is the founder and CEO of Study.eu. He holds a BSc in Informatics from Technische Universität München (Germany) and an MSc in Finance & Investment Management from the University of Aberdeen (UK). Gerrit started the company after many years working for a global corporate finance company, on three continents and advising clients in multiple industries. Over the past years, he has also volunteered as a career mentor to students who partake in his alma mater Aberdeen’s alumni mentoring programme. You might be interested in this: |