Planning for Your Master’s Degree Program

You're currently working as a teacher in one of the international schools in the Philippines. You're in your second year. You're having a blast teaching the kids in school and when you're not working, just enjoying the country's tropical weather and sandy beaches. 

But you've given yourself up to three years only for this posting. Part of the reason you took this job was to reflect on what you want to do next in terms of your career. Taking a post-graduate program is one of your many plans. You haven't focused on that as well. But now you might have to since next year would be your last year for this posting. You need to get the ball rolling. But how do you choose a program?

Here are a few things that might help you decide:

A Brief Profile of Post-graduates in America
In 2018, an impressive 21 million Americans aged 25 and older, obtained a master's degree. This is twice the number in 2000. A study by the U.S. Census Bureau also revealed that people with higher degrees are 3.7 times better income earners than those who quit high school.
Decision Time
Taking a master's program is still considered by many as having huge benefits career-wise. But choosing the program you want to enroll in, as you very well know, isn't a straightforward decision as it seems. Here are a few things to consider while you're in your deliberative process:

1. Understanding your context. A vital step to take is to understand your background and relate that to why you want to pursue post-graduate studies. Are you pursuing a program because it is the "in" thing right now? Or do you want to build your expertise in a specific area so that you can land your dream job? These are the things that you need to reflect on, which will help you determine the program you want to pursue.
2.  Vet your options. You'll need to invest time in researching universities, the programs they offer, and even the method of learning. There are now options to complete, for example, an MBA online. Scrutinize the university and the program that they offer. Make sure that the course contents suit your needs best and how you want to apply your learnings in real life. You will be surprised to find that similar programs in two different universities have different course contents.
3. Leverage your strength. There are programs where you will be evaluated based on your essays or written work. If this isn't your strong suit, then maybe you should consider another program. Find out how your learning will be measured. Perhaps it's best to select a program where you can be evaluated based on the practical work that you do in the field rather than what you can produce inside a classroom.
4. Cost. If your work as a teacher allowed you to save money for your graduate program, then kudos to you! For any aspiring graduate students enrollees, funding their master's program is an obstacle. Depending on the school, tuition fees could be anywhere between $13,000 to $20,000. You add the cost of accommodation, books, and other materials, and travel for an internship, and you'll be looking at a number far higher than this price range. Obtaining a full or partial scholarship is the only way to go. Find out what the different university departments are offering in terms of scholarship.

You'll find other lists with much more than the items mentioned here. But this should at least set you on the right track.

---

by Iconic Chica Mag contributors