So you’re all set to apply to grad school? Not sure where to start? These pointers will help you in choosing the right Master’s program.
Mirror Career Aspirations
The choices are overwhelming, especially if you’re one to welcome the idea of studying in countries or regions other than your own. There are thousands of universities offering Master’s programs; instead of dragging your feet from prospectus to prospectus, the first thing you should do is identify what your long-term aims are, in terms of profiting from the Master’s program.
Size up your career aspirations and give careful thought so as to what skills, experience and specialist knowledge you’ll need; base your career around them.
Education experts also recommend targeting your Master’s search to go in line with your professional goals, since studying at this level really is an opportunity to nurture your know how in a specific field or industry. With just so many out there, there’s got to be a program that covers every individual’s scope.
If you haven’t yet decided on specific career goals, you should look for a Master’s programs with integrated flexibility – which allow studies along a wide range of topics, and preferably grounded around several professional roles.
Why Location is Important
Many professionals choose to study in their hometown or somewhere close to work, probably because they prefer studying while working. Here’s why study location plays a more pivotal role in terms of career building, than you might be led to believe.
First off, studying outside your country has its benefits. Many graduate employers invite and highly value graduates with international experience, across a wide range of job functions. Studying for your Master’s abroad will add sizable strength to your professional profile.
Secondly, you should go for a program that puts you in the middle of a ‘global village’ of different cultures – out there in the business world, the ability to demonstrate intercultural skills as well as being able to fare well in a global pool of sectors and professions, is unarguably vital. At best, your Master’s program should give you this opportunity, whether it’s via an international cohort or select locations.
Additionally, specific locations can go along well with specialized career sectors. EMLYON is one business school offering Master’s programs which are taught in industry-specific locations. So for example, students who specialize in say, the luxury sector, can study in London. Those who specialize in the outdoor industries can study in the great Alps, and those eager to study the Asian business landscape can go to the school’s Shanghai campus.
Grad School Advice is Best Sought In-person
There is plenty of valuable information available on the internet, be it grad school websites, or other sites dedicated to study in a particular field or in general.
Online forums and social media is also a great way to get good advice from alumni as well as current students. Education fairs provide opportunities to directly meet university representatives and advisors, and get advice that’s tailored to your career and education goals.
Whether you end up contacting the school on phone, visit the campus yourself, or attend a fair, it pays to get personalized advice before you take the plunge. Don’t hesitate to contact grad school representatives and pose your questions or concerns.
You need to be very thorough during this process; no need to feel you might be wasting someone’s time. Grad schools are in fact, on the lookout to seek good matches for their programs.
There’s no denying the internet has proven to be highly useful over the years, when it comes to discovering new and concrete information. Though, it still doesn’t top person to person interaction.
