The Importance of Advanced Degrees in Today’s Job Market

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There is no denying the fact that today’s job market is more competitive than ever before and if you have any hope of landing the perfect job with better-than-average prospects for a lucrative career, you will often need an advanced degree in your field. This is especially true in some industries that are growing slower than the national average. Chemistry is one of those fields, but that doesn’t mean there are no high-paying jobs out there!

What it means is that if you want to be a contender for those jobs at the top of your field you need to offer something above and beyond what other applicants have to offer. Usually that entails getting a master’s or doctorate in your field of study. But, that’s just the beginning of the importance of an advanced degree in today’s job market!

First – Let’s Talk About Obstacles to Higher Education

There are actually two major obstacles which keep students from pursuing advanced degrees and the first is, quite obviously, the cost of education today. Let’s talk about that for a moment. As of the latest figures, the cost per year for a public university/college is $9,400 for in-state students and $23,890 for those registering from other states. The tuition per year for private universities is even higher yet with the average tuition costing $32,410 per year. That is just for a four year degree! Now you can imagine just how expensive it is to get a master’s or doctorate degree! So, cost would be the first major obstacle. The second obstacle is closely related in many respects and that would be academic excellence.

Why Academic Excellence Is an Important Factor for Advanced Degrees

With cost being what it is and usually unaffordable to the average college applicant, scholarships are becoming increasingly necessary to offset those high costs. Here is where academic excellence comes into play. In order to vie for the scholarships with the highest dollar value, academic scholarships, students must display excellence within their field of study as well as in other subjects earning them a high grade point average, GPA.

As mentioned above, chemistry (for example) shows a slow growth rate over the next decade and if you have any hope of competing in this field, you will almost always need an advanced degree. This is where it is important that you know how to excel in your studies, even where to find chemistry homework help so that you can earn a 4.0 each and every semester. Consider a full scholarship to a leading university and you will understand how important your GPA is. With a limited number of scholarships available, it pays to be at, or near, the top of your class each and every year.

What You Do Today Offers Huge Rewards in the Future

Since both the job market and the leading universities are highly competitive, what you do today will have a major impact on those future rewards. Do you want to remain an hourly worker for the rest of your life or would you like a career that has an annual salary above the national average? Those top jobs in any field are going to be just as competitive as the leading universities, so work hard to be a high achiever now while you are still in school. With technology advancing at the literal speed of light, there is no doubt that the future is wide open to those with advanced degrees and limited in scope for those who have limited knowledge in any field. In summary, let’s borrow an old adage. Pay now to play later.