Student Column: Is a Bachelor's Degree Enough?

25.02.2019

Most people are satisfied after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. To them, it is an accomplishment that warrants great celebration and festivity. But is it really sufficient in this new age and technology where online information is widespread and available to anybody with an internet connection? To many of our youngsters, a bachelor’s degree is a key to adulthood or the much-awaited career world. What they do not realise is that, in this technologically-driven society, the completion of their undergraduate course is only the first step up their career ladder. There are many more steps they need to climb to reach the top and reap success.

Why pursue a master’s degree?

Pursuing a master’s degree provides an individual with practical learning experiences and the opportunity to accumulate confidence, professionalism and a competitive advantage. These are qualities which are desperately required for one to really succeed in the working world. Why is this so?

A master’s education provides you with a more in-depth knowledge and comprehension of your specialty and career focus. It helps to equip you not only with the knowledge but also with the pertinent skills to survive in the competitive business world. Most master’s education in any university, such as at WUAS, prepares students with in-depth, hands-on learning experiences that build their critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, entrepreneurial, innovative and many more 21st century skills. These specific skills accentuate and boost their proficiency in a particular discipline, which thus gives them an advantage over any other candidates.

How Does a Master's Degree Meet your Basic Needs?

A candidate with a master’s degree can secure a much higher pay than one with a bachelor’s degree. We are not talking a mere one thousand or two thousand more, but double, triple or more the salary of a bachelor’s graduate. With more money, you have more freedom to do the things that you’ve always wanted in your life. You not only reap financial security, but also medical and social security.

In your pursuit of a master’s degree, you will inevitably make various profitable connections, come into contact with up-to-date technology and knowledge, and thus foster your own academic and professional development. You’ll become a lifelong learner, which adds to your educational and academic prowess. This in turn will definitely enhance your ability to climb up the corporate ladder faster and easier. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride that command a higher level of respect and credibility.

If you’re still so keen to work, know that attending a graduate school does not necessarily take you out of the workforce. The workload is less, and the schedule is much more flexible compared to undergraduate studies. Many universities provide opportunities for students to apply theory to practice through apprenticeships, internships, teaching or research assistantships and various project works. Many companies also encourage their employees to continue their studies and even support them through financial support or any other tangible and intangible benefits. Such providences will definitely benefit the company in the long run as their employees become more educated and expert in their own areas of specialty.

A Guaranteed Return on Investment

Pursuing a master’s degree is definitely an investment for your future as it involves a sacrifice of your time and money. However, unlike financial investment where the odds of losing are constantly there, getting a master’s degree will always reward you with positive returns. The knowledge and skills that you have acquired during those extra years after your undergraduate education will be your plus points wherever you go. To sum up, with a master’s degree, you will reach the peak of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and achieve your self-actualisation needs. What more could you ask for?

Learn more about the Master’s Programmes at WUAS @ https://www.wittenborg.eu/master-postgraduate.htm

Beginning this week, MBA student Hanna Abdelwahab, will write a regular "Student Column" for WUAS News, contemplating the ups and downs of student life and the questions international students in particular grapple with. Hanna is from Egypt, but also lived in Singapore. She is doing an MBA in Education Management and also has a postgraduate diploma in education.