Navigation
After earning a bachelor’s degree, many professionals look for opportunities to become more attractive to potential employers. Completing a master’s degree is a good way to develop new skills, expand your career options, and improve your earning potential. Whether you’re concluding your bachelor’s degree or well into your career, choosing the right master’s program can help you achieve your professional goals. In this article, we list 14 of the best master’s degrees to earn, discuss how to choose a master’s degree, and cover tips for applying to graduate schools.
Here are 14 of the best master’s degrees you can earn after your undergraduate program:
1. Computer science
Computer science is a growing field with diverse opportunities for students pursuing a master’s degree. If you enrol in this program, you may learn advanced computer programming languages and algorithms. Computer science coursework may include topics on managing software, networks, and databases. As a student, you may focus on areas such as software engineering or computer design. Students who earn a master’s degree can work as computer scientists, information systems managers, or software engineers.
2. Engineering management
Engineering management is a field that enables engineers to apply business and management skills at work. Students enrolled in an engineering management program learn how to use technical, financial, and human resources effectively. You can expect to learn about strategic management, decision-making tools, marketing issues and solutions, and leadership qualities. With this degree, students can work as engineering managers or advance into other leadership roles in a specialized field, such as petroleum engineering, industrial engineering, or chemical engineering.
3. Health-care administration
A master’s degree in health-care administration prepares you for leadership positions in the health-care sector. If you choose this path, you may learn about financial management, health-care practices, health law, and healthcare delivery. Upon graduation, you can find health-care management jobs, executive positions in medical facilities, or roles in a governmental agency.
4. Finance
Completing a master’s degree in finance is a good way to enter the financial sector’s workforce. Graduate programs teach students topics such as risk management, investments, mergers and acquisitions, and insurance. Depending on the school you apply to, you may earn a master of arts or a master of science in finance. Regardless of the type of master’s degree, you may find work in an executive role, such as chief financial officer, finance coordinator, finance administrator, or finance director.
5. Nursing
Earning a master’s degree in nursing can help you develop your nursing skill set and find more employment roles. If you enrol in a nursing graduate program, you may specialize in nursing administration, nursing education, public health, nursing research, nursing informatics, or other nursing fields. With a nurse practitioner degree, you can examine and diagnose patients, run tests, and prescribe medications.
6. Marketing
Graduate degrees in marketing prepare you to lead a company’s marketing department and perform advanced marketing duties. During the program, you may learn more about product development, media platforms, consumer behaviours, and promotional strategies. Typically, earning a master’s degree in marketing can qualify you for roles such as digital marketing strategist, global marketing manager, marketing manager, or vice president of marketing.
7. Business administration
If your career goal is to become a business leader, such as a chief executive officer (CEO) or chief operating officer (COO), consider earning a master’s in business administration (MBA). This program typically offers you a background in leadership, management practices, teamwork, and quantitative analysis. While studying to earn an MBA, you can specialize in marketing, finance, or accounting. The program teaches you skills to be better at strategic thinking, planning, and addressing complex business challenges.
8. Actuarial science
Completing a master’s degree in actuarial science is another good option to consider when applying to graduate school. These programs typically teach how to evaluate risks using financial, statistical, and mathematical data. You would typically develop your critical thinking, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills while studying for this master’s degree. Graduates may work in insurance companies, banks, or credit facilities as actuaries.
9. Information technology
With increasing cloud computing and data storage applications, earning a master’s degree in information technology can make you an attractive candidate. The coursework of this professional degree typically includes programming, networking, telecommunications, business information systems, and security. You can work as an information researcher, a director of information technology, a computer systems analyst, or an IT manager.
10. Statistics
Graduate programs in statistics cover advanced methods for collecting, analyzing, and presenting data. Professors typically teach concepts relating to practical situations, such as statistical computing, probability theory, operations research, bioinformatics modelling, and Markov-chain analysis. After completing your graduate program in statistics, you can work as an actuary, an economist, or a specialty statistician.
11. Electrical engineering
If you enjoy working on math, engineering, science, or technology problems, consider enrolling in an electrical engineering graduate program. This program educates you on advanced electrical engineering concepts, such as nanotechnology, bio-signal processing, mixed-signal integrated circuits, and control systems. You may work on projects relating to your area of study, such as computer networks, signal processing, or power systems. Upon graduation, you may work in leadership roles, such as electrical project manager or electrical engineering lead.
12. Physics
Physicists study the relationship between energy, matter, time, and space. If you choose this path, you can specialize in biophysics, quantum physics, computational physics, or astrophysics. Earning a master’s degree in physics can qualify you to work as a researcher, physicist, or director of research in companies, research laboratories, or educational institutions.
13. Economics
If you want to gain advanced knowledge of economics and its principles, a master of science (MSc) in economics may be a good option to consider. Students learn about macroeconomics and microeconomics, economic forecasting, computational economics, econometrics, and economic theories in these programs. With a master’s degree in economics, you can work as an industrial economist, financial economist, or other specialty economics roles.
14. Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a developing technology field with multiple career opportunities for candidates who complete a master’s degree. You may learn about natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition, computer vision, machine learning, image analysis, ethics, and software engineering principles. Typically, these programs enable you to work on projects to apply the skills you learn. Upon graduation, you can work as an AI engineer, data scientist, machine learning engineer, NLP engineer, or researcher.