It’s necessary to know the most popular master’s degrees for people who want to pursue higher education in the US. Some pursue a master’s degree to improve skills and abilities relevant to their study fields. Others are keen to have a more successful career and earn more money in the future. There are still some students who do not know what they really want. They apply for the Master’s Degree just because of the pressures from their families or because they follow the crowd blindly. In fact, they have no idea what they can do after graduation, and they do not even know which master’s degree is in demand in the USA.
Benefits of a Master’s Degree
More knowledge
Most students choose a graduate program with the same research orientation as the major they studied during their undergraduate years. With professional guidance and meticulous study, postgraduates can acquire more systematic and specialized knowledge, which can lay a solid foundation for their future careers, making graduates more competitive in their chosen fields. Employers in a variety of industries, such as healthcare, education, and business, require or strongly prefer candidates with master’s degrees for specific roles.
Skill development
As we all know, it’s more challenging to master the knowledge during graduate school. To obtain a Master’s Degree, students have to pay more attention and focus on their research within the time limit, which can improve their self-study ability and the ability to withstand stress. Besides, it’s inevitable that students often have some trouble doing research or communicating with others, which can make them more patient and help them improve their problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
More opportunities
The master’s degree, especially the most popular master’s degree, can bring more networking and work opportunities for graduates. Compared with undergraduates, postgraduates have more advantages in terms of academic qualifications, which can open doors to leadership positions and personal growth.
Financial incentives
Today’s society is becoming more and more competitive. Enterprises are increasingly demanding academic qualifications for job candidates, so further education is also a way to improve one’s competitiveness. Earning more money is one of the reasons that students choose to further their studies continually after graduation. Generally speaking, people with a master’s degree in the same position are paid more than those with a bachelor’s degree.
10 Most in Demand Master’s Degrees
Here’s a list of the most popular master’s degree.
1. Finance
Finance is undoubtedly the most desired master’s degree on the path to achieving financial freedom, and it has become one of the most popular master’s degrees in the hearts of countless strivers.
The research direction of the Master of Finance covers a wide range of fields, including investment, pricing, and in-depth research of financial instruments, financial market analysis, banking, and mathematical statistics.
The curriculum in this field is rigorous and challenging, often requiring students to sacrifice time for rest and recreation and invest more energy and effort. However, the effort is worth it because graduates with a Master of Finance are often able to go on to high-paying careers, such as financial analysts, managers, planners, and directors, maximizing their personal value.
2. Computer Science
Computer technology is progressing at an unprecedented rate. At the same time, the market demand for computer science (CS) talents is also growing.
With their excellent development, programming and computer information analysis skills, CS talents have become indispensable and valuable “assets” in the development of enterprises. They have brought a steady stream of innovation and competitiveness to the enterprise and are the core force for enterprises to achieve long-term development.
3. Math
It sounds like mathematics is limited in finding related jobs. While it is often mistaken for being limited to education, the career prospects and benefits of a master’s degree in mathematics are considerable.
The elite with master’s degrees in mathematics can work in a wide range of fields. They can work as investment analysts, statistical researchers, accountants, actuaries, and action research analysts. It is worth mentioning that the average annual income of an actuary is as high as $102,000, which proves the value and potential of mathematics in the professional market.
4. Marketing
If you’re a social butterfly at work, then you are advised to pursue a master’s degree in marketing, which is also one of the most prestigious masters degrees.
There are most popular master’s programs in marketing that delve into the core concepts of consumer behaviour. Students can improve their modern digital and traditional marketing skills to help them make informed management decisions in creative design and customer management.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the marketing industry is expected to grow by 13% over the next decade, further demonstrating its vast promise and unlimited opportunities.
5. Petroleum Engineering
Students majoring in petroleum engineering must study oil-related programs covering oil-field development geology, engineering mechanics, fluid mechanics, drilling engineering, and oil production engineering. Relatively speaking, these are more specialized and one of the hardest masters programs, so they require a solid grasp of the basic knowledge of physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics.
Although the universities that offer this major vary, students can enjoy rich practical opportunities during their master’s studies. They can visit factories, oil RIGS and energy facilities in person and accumulate valuable experience through practical operations.
While it’s challenging to study petroleum engineering, students can earn more in this industry after graduation. Petroleum engineering is one of the most profitable graduate degrees. The average salary for petroleum engineers is more than $118,000, and this attractive salary level also attracts many students who are interested in pursuing a career in this field.
6. Business Administration
A Master of Business Administration degree, or MBA, is the most popular graduate degree available. The MBA program covers a number of key areas, such as accounting, finance, operations, human resources and marketing. Its core courses usually include financial accounting, business statistics, fundamentals of management, business law, management marketing and human resource management. These courses are designed to provide students with comprehensive and in-depth business knowledge that will enable them to excel in their future careers.
When pursuing an MBA, you can choose an area you are interested in, although you’ll receive a broader education covering many business administration subjects. Whether you’re planning to work for a larger organization or start your own business, the knowledge and skills you learn from this field will be helpful.
7. Educaiton
Education is one of the most popular university degrees in the US. Graduates with an education degree have the professionalism and ability to engage in teaching. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor, the demand for teacher positions is expected to grow by 4-10% in the next decade. It may even be as high as 10% in some areas, which fully shows the broad prospects of the education industry.
In the course of a master’s degree in education, students typically take a set of core programs, such as early childhood education, social studies, mathematics, language arts, world languages, and science, which are designed to give them a solid foundation to become good teachers in the future.
In addition, pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership would be a wise choice for students who wish to take on leadership positions in the field of education. By majoring in education, they have the opportunity to take up administrative positions in schools, such as serving as the assistant to the principal and other positions. These positions usually have an annual salary of more than $100,000, providing a broad space and attractive rewards for their career development.
8. Statistics
The postgraduate statistics program aims to deepen students’ mathematical and statistical skills, enabling them to acquire knowledge in a wide range of applied areas of statistics. During the course of learning, students will be exposed to different masters programs, such as an introduction to machine learning, applied stochastic processes, probability theory, regression methods, statistical consulting, analysis of variance, and experimental design.
The employment prospects of a master’s degree in statistics are very promising. It can be applied in many industries like education, science, technology, health care, and government. The statistician job is particularly popular, topping not only the best business jobs list but also the “best jobs” list. According to statistics, the average median annual income of statisticians is more than $88,000, which fully demonstrates the value and potential of the statistics profession.
9. Entrepreneurship
At first, entrepreneurship was just a branch of the MBA. With the rise of entrepreneurship, more and more colleges have begun to pay attention to this field and offer it as a stand-alone master’s degree program. Today, it has developed into an independent subject. Unlike MBA programs, which primarily focus on how to manage large businesses and companies, entrepreneurship has two core levels.
The first level teaches students how to be self-employed, that is, to create a business from scratch and achieve a breakthrough from zero to one. This involves many aspects, such as market analysis, business model design, and fundraising.
The second level focuses on entrepreneurial activities within the enterprise, such as the development of new products, the expansion of new business lines, and the exploration of new markets. This requires students to have innovative thinking and keen market insight to drive the continuous development of the business.
Yet the number of institutions that offer a master’s degree in entrepreneurship is not as high as universities offering other majors. Some mature and complete universities have made remarkable achievements in this field. Among them, Babson College, Stanford University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of California at Berkeley are among the top schools in the field. These schools not only have excellent teachers and rich teaching resources but also have established close cooperative relations with the business community, providing students with a broad platform for practice.
10. Management Information System
In the United States, MIS during the postgraduate period is divided into two directions:
One is business management, which belongs to the business school. It focuses on IT management, business communication, e-commerce, marketing, strategic decision-making, operation management, logistics management, and project management. This direction requires a higher application background knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and computers, aiming at cultivating interdisciplinary talents with management literacy and technical ability.
The other is computer science in the school of engineering. Its core courses mainly focus on information technology research, information system architecture, software engineering-related fields, database systems, data processing technology, and practical application of information systems, aiming to cultivate students to master a solid technical foundation and practical ability.
The field of MIS is growing faster than the average of other industries, and the demand for jobs in the industry is expected to grow by 11% over the next 10 years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual salary of graduates with the master’s degree is generally more than $142,000, which fully demonstrates the field’s broad prospects and favourable benefits.
Tips to Pursue a Master’s Degree in the US
Many people consider pursuing master’s degrees another shot at changing their fate. If you want to study for a master’s degree, consider the following tips.
- Get an undergraduate degree. On the safe side, ensure you have a bachelor’s degree before applying for a master’s degree. Usually, completing undergraduate courses in a related field is a precondition for studying the master’s programs in some universities. In contrast, others allow you to apply and attend regardless of your previous study area.
- Research programmes that align with your academic interests and career goals. Think about what you really want by studying the master’s programs and choose one of the most useful graduate degrees to make sure your degree will benefit you most.
- Prepare for the required tests and documents highlighting your unique qualities, like letters of recommendation and undergraduate transcript. Be mindful of the application deadlines and submit them promptly.
- Once you get the desired offer, it’s necessary to know more about financial aid options, such as scholarships and loans, to ease your financial burden. The cost of living in American universities is not a small expenditure. When you fail to apply for on-campus housing, you can choose some student apartments near your college whose price is almost the same as dorms.
Conclusion
Earning the most popular graduate degrees in the United States, such as Business Administration and Computer Science, can be a transformative experience for many people. We introduced the ten most popular master’s programs in the blog and offered some tips to help prospective students pursue their desired degrees. Graduating from such programs not only equips students with specialized skills and knowledge but also allows them more space to choose the positions they want.
FAQ
What is the most common graduate degree?
MBA, the Master of Business Administration.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is often considered the most common graduate degree because it covers comprehensive programs like finance, marketing, strategy, operations, and leadership. Students with this degree can find jobs in many industries, from technology and healthcare to consulting and entrepreneurship.
What are the five graduate degrees?
Below are the five most popular graduate degrees:
- Finance
- Computer Science
- Math
- Marketing
- Petroleum Engineering
What graduate degree is most useful?
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is the most useful graduate degree. However, with the development of technology, other programs, such as Computer Science and Engineering, are increasingly crucial in the related fields.
