The International Student Blog

Do You Need a Master’s Degree in Communication

Congratulations, you made it. You worked long hours, went through many restless nights of studying, writing, calculating and crying. Now, the tassel is yours. But wait. What’s next? It’s now time to decide whether you should repeat the process again and earn a master’s degree in communication. This decision should not be taken lightly- below are a few pros and cons to what earning a master’s degree in communication would mean for you, but the decision is all yours.

Pros
There are certainly pros to having a master’s degree in communication. Since not everyone acquires a graduate degree, it may give you a competitive edge. This degree can help you improve your research, writing and presentation skills which will most definitely help you obtain a communication career in the future. The master’s level coursework will also help you learn how to write for a variety of audiences. The degree may open doors to a variety of careers in business, education, politics, advertising and other fields. You can specialize in human resources, conflict management, public relations and more. The specialization that you can’t always receive in undergraduate study could potentially help you advance forward in your career and arrive at the summit of success with high-level job opportunities and leadership positions.

Cons                                                                                                              
Since communication is such a broad area, international students who know their career goals may want to consider pursuing a master’s in a more specific field such as journalism, advertising, business administration, etc. Another factor to keep in mind is that grad school can be expensive. Before deciding to pursue a master’s degree in communication, make sure that the increase of earning potential is worth the lost wages during your time in school and any student loans you may have accumulated. Also, some businesses do not require a master’s, and do not favor applicants with a master’s more so than they do applicant’s with only a bachelor’s degree.

The pros and cons of any graduate degree can be a heavy weight on your shoulders when deciding whether or not to apply. Some students see the advantages of getting a master’s while others see the negative consequences. Since the decision can really go either way, it is important to sit down and really weigh the pros and cons of a graduate degree in communications for your specific situation. Ask yourself where you want to go, where you want to be, what you want to earn and when you want all of this to happen. Be realistic—do you have the money and time to pursue a degree right now? Does your industry require a master’s degrees? Will this degree advance your professional goals? After you answer these questions you will be able to decide whether or not the degree is worth it and move on from there.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 5th, 2016 at 6:24 am and is filed under International Student, Study in the USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.