INDUSTRY INSIGHT
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
SPONSORED CONTENT
THE SURPRISING VALUE OF A
MASTER’S
DEGREE
As you probably know, earning a bachelor’s degree opens doors
in your professional career. But if you truly want to maximize the
earning and career potential of your education, a master’s degree
can propel you to the next level. According to a recent article in
U.S. News and World Report, completing your graduate degree has
six significant benefits:
As a working professional, you might think earning a master’s
degree is too complicated for your current situation. But balancing
academics with your career expectations and your family situation
is possible. In fact, the benefits of a master’s degree remain true,
even if you choose to enter a program as a working professional.
Consider:
●
Personal Growth
●
Greater Employment Opportunities
●
Greater Career Advancement
●
Financial Reward
●
Sense of Accomplishment
●
Greater Recognition and Accomplishment
Availability and Convenience
Many advanced degree programs offer classes on evenings and
Saturdays to accommodate working professionals. Using state-ofthe-art communications technologies, graduate students can take
advantage of hybrid programs, which consist of 50 percent online
learning and 50 percent face-to-face meetings. This combination
allows working professionals to attend class as little as one night
per week, while still completing the degree in a timely manner.
Costs vs. Financial Rewards
Many college graduates complete their degrees having acquired
some level of student loan debt. These monthly payments may
seem like an impediment to earning a graduate degree. However,
graduate students working on their advanced degree are able to
place student loans into deferment, freeing up financial resources
to assist in paying for their master’s degree.
GRADUATE
DEGREES
FOR WORKING
PROFESSIONALS
Located at Penn Center East, IUP Monroeville offers
convenient classes on a flexible schedule that suits
any working professional in the greater Pittsburgh
area.
Learn more at: iup.edu/Monroeville
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Monroeville Graduate and Professional Center
400 Penn Center Boulevard Building 4, Suite 900
Pittsburgh, PA 15235 [email protected]
Long-term, national statistics indicate earning a master’s degree
results in significant financial advantages. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reports that professionals with a master’s degree
earn $12,000 more per year and are more likely to be employed
than their counterparts with only a bachelor’s degree. In other
words, the return on investment of completing a graduate degree is
overwhelmingly positive.
Accessible Locations
The Pittsburgh area is blessed with many higher education
institutions. Many of these universities offer graduate degrees
on their campus and at regional locations located close to your
place of employment and/or home. To find the right program,
working professionals looking for a graduate degree should take
into account the location, tuition costs, class schedule, and any
other variables necessary to ensure the most convenient graduate
program possible.
As you ponder taking the next step in both your academic and your
professional journey, keep in mind that a graduate degree enables
you to deepen your expertise in your chosen field or become an
expert in another career path. The value and benefits of a master’s
degree remain significant, even for working professionals. Today,
your opportunities are more plentiful than you may have thought.
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