July 26, 2022
A guide to choosing which Master’s Degree is right for you
Whether you’re a fresh graduate or a working professional, there are many benefits to returning to education and completing a master’s degree.
As a highly-regarded post-graduate qualification that is respected across the globe, gaining a master’s degree has the potential to help you boost your career, gain a more senior position, explore academic or management roles, or even switch the field you specialize in altogether.
However, opting to complete a master’s degree is a very big commitment that requires time, money and potentially taking a break from working.
Master’s degrees are also available in endless different arts and science subjects, and offered at countless different colleges, universities and institutions throughout the world.
For instance, Abu Dhabi University offers master’s degrees in subjects as varied as:
- Special Education
- Educational Leadership
- Business Administration
- Strategic Leadership
- Engineering Management
- Project Management
- Civil Engineering (Project option)
- Civil Engineering (Thesis option)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Information Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Private Law (Arabic)
- Public Law (Arabic)
So, it’s important that you carefully and thoroughly consider the question ‘which master’s degree is right for me?’ before jumping into a postgraduate programme. You need a course that will enhance your life and career, and that is suited to your skills and talents.
But please don’t start feeling overwhelmed by this seemingly complicated, and life-changing choice.
To ensure that you choose a master’s degree that is right for you, simply consider the following aspects...
Your skills and expertise
It might sound obvious, but some potential students forget to think about what they are already excel at.
Look for master’s degrees that play to your strengths and skills. For instance, if you studied English, a master’s in Journalism or Communications might suit you exceptionally well.
That said, some courses are designed to help students learn a totally new discipline. For example, a two-year master’s in law is likely to take students from all kinds of backgrounds, most of whom will have little to no experience in anything law related.
Alternatively, if you have already been in the world of work for several years, selecting a master’s degree that complements your industry experience can also be advantageous.
For instance, if you work in engineering, gaining a master’s in Engineering Management may help you move up the career ladder, and get a promotion.
How you like to learn
The study methods and techniques required to complete a master’s degree, are likely to be very different to the ones you used when you were completing your bachelor’s.
In some courses, there may be less lectures and seminars and more independent study or, if you’re used to studying a subject with lots of reading hours, like English, then you may find you’re on the university campus more than ever, when you switch to a different specialism for your masters.
Consider what suits your style of learning. Ask yourself if you would like your master’s degree to be:
- Assessed with mainly essays or exams
- Taught or research-based
A taught degree is based in the classroom, led by professors and involves some independent studies in your free time. So, if you think being guided and mentored by a qualified and experienced lecturer will leave you feeling inspired and motivated, then a taught master’s, might be a good choice.
Meanwhile, research master’s give you more independence to go at your own pace and decide how you want to work or study, whilst still receiving support from an academic supervisor.
At Abu Dhabi University, all postgraduate students are also invited to access free one-on-one and group tutoring sessions, workshops, competitions and seminars on research, creative writing and other subjects at the Academic Success Center (ASC), a state-of-the-art facility that is intended to empower students and help them reach their full potential.
Your passions
It’s all well and good to want a job with a high salary, or a degree that looks good on paper, but if you're not actually passionate about the subject matter, is it worthy?
Completing a master’s degree takes at least one to two years, plus a lot of research, reading and studying.
It goes without saying that all this hard work will seem a lot easier and more enjoyable if it’s focused on a topic that you love. Not to mention, being invested in your chosen area will also help you achieve better results at the end of your course.
Looking past your time at university, it also doesn’t make sense to pursue a career that you’re not passionate about.
The average person spends five days a week working, which adds up to around 84,365 hours in a lifetime.
It therefore seems such a huge waste to dedicate such a huge proportion of your precious life to something, that you don’t enjoy or care about.
Where you want to study
Once you have decided on the subject for your master’s degree, the next step is to work out where you are going to study it.
Narrow down a list of universities that suit your budget, and locational preferences, and start finding out more about each one, by checking out their websites and social media platforms.
While social events and extra-curricular activities may be less important to you than they were, during your undergraduate degree, it’s still important to research the following:
- The reputation and ranking for the course (for instance ADU was ranked amongst the top 2% universities in the world in the 2018 QS World University Rankings).
- The course structure and modules (assess if they suit your learning style)
- The timetable and hours involved (some part-time masters make it possible for students to continue working while they study)
- The course length
- Who is teaching the course
Although online research can be very informative, the best way to get a comprehensive feel for a university is to visit it in person. Abu Dhabi University holds regular open days, and these provide a great opportunity to tour the campus sites, meet some of the lecturers, find out more about the study programmes, and connect with other potential students who you may one day share a lecture theatre with.
Check out Abu Dhabi University’s programme finder to explore which master’s degree is right for you.
Finally, Abu Dhabi University has created a special programme finder survey, that specifically helps people work out which master’s degree is right for them.
Just fill in a few quick questions and tick all the statements that apply to you, before viewing a personally curated list of world-renowned postgraduate options, that specifically suit your skills and requirements.
To find out more about studying for a master’s degree at Abu Dhabi University, please visit https://www.adu.ac.ae.
