MASTERS DEGREE OR A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE

In a world of many opportunities and choices, one of the issues facing fresh graduates who want to advance their education for a postgraduate programme is ‘which way?’ A Masters degree, which gives you an in-depth knowledge of a specilization of your first degree, or A Professional certificate- which gives you the edge a career and make you seen as a professional. Your choice should depend on life goals and your definition of success in life. The following would serve as a broad guideline on whether you should take a Master degree or a Professional course.

Choice of Master’s or Professional Certificate

1. Career Goals: Your career and life goals should determine if you are interested in a Masters degree of a Professional certificate. When purpose is defeated, abused becomes inevitable. Ask your self, ‘what do i want to make a career in?’ If you want to become a revered I.T consultant, or a lawyer who is a senior advocate, would a Master’s degree take you closer? 10-15 years down the career, how do you want people to see you, or what defines your fulfillment? You don’t just enroll into a Masters programme simple because you finished NYSC and there is not job, rather do something that you would be proud of later.
2. Employability: By this, i mean the ease of getting a job after acquiring either an Master degree or a Professional Certificate. In the Nigerian setting, some courses continue to be ‘hot cakes’ and having a Masters degree or a Professional Certificate would stand you out amidst the hoards of job seekers. A graduate with a Master degree is a prime candidate for a lecturing position, an employment which a first degree with a professional certificate would not earn you. Likewise, a graduate who is chartered in accounting, a professional requirement for accountants would easily get a job in auditing firms, banks e.t.c. Make your choices based on how easy the extra certificate would get you a decent job. People really don’t care about your master degree/professional certificate if it dose not bring home a pay check.
3. First Degree Course: At first degree, many courses graduate you into a professional, without any necessary extra requirement. Courses like law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture are all professional courses. Except you desire to become an academic, you do not need a master’s degree. Moreover, there are courses that still need extra certification to be called a professional, examples are Accountancy, Engineering, Insurance, Public Relations, Education, Computer science e.t.c.