Which Graduate Degree to Choose?
In North America generally speaking and in many other countries, in order to get a good paying job one needs to have completed a bachelor’s degree. Some people may have to go on to a master’s degree or professional degree in order to satisfy the criteria for employment and specialization. All this is to say that post-secondary education takes time, commitment and money. So how will this translate into long-term financial investment and returns? Consider the type of degree you will be going into because some degrees are more marketable and have better job prospective waiting for them after graduation.

MBAs
The MBA degree is one of the degrees which come to people’s minds when they are thinking about making a good investment in education and their financial return afterwards. MBAs can prepare students for a diversity of jobs in business administration and management – qualifying them to eventually have the chance of getting a CEO position which pays over $1,000,000 per year on average. However, various different types of MBAs exist and they do not result in the same job prospects.

According to Investopedia: “MBA programs have become so popular that they can even be completed online, or by attending school part-time for less than $10,000. The average salary for a management position is $105,000 whereas CEOs pull in an average of $1,352,000 according to Salary.com.” MBAs are versatile and applicable to the real job market.

Other benefits of obtaining an MBA are demonstrating to your potential employer your responsibilitiy management, increased compensation and increased chances at promotion. It is an opportunity to climb up the socio-economic ladder in the corporate and business world. MBA programs can help you in negotiation skills, leadership, public speaking, strategizing and marketing skills.

There are different kinds of MBAs to choose from.

1. Your standard MBA is the classic model found in North America which takes an average of one or two years to complete full-time and part-time programs are available. Generally it is preferred that prospective applicants have a minimum of two years of post-undergraduate working experience prior to enrollment.
2. Executive MBAs are like your standard MBAs however they specifically address the areas of management and administration professionals who have more experience would be more interested in this degree. The investment return on this degree is greater than the classic MBA.
3. Global MBAs centres attention on a global standpoint instead of focusing just on local corporate realms. This prepares students for positions internationally and in different demographics and scenarios.
4. Online and Distance Learning MBAs provide individuals with flexibility to learn online or in a mixed/classroom setting. Thunderbird School of Global Management offers such programs.

MBA holders can expect to make between 50 000 $ to 100 000$ and more.

Medical Degrees
Medical degrees are always good to have. A master’s degree in the medical field makes a huge difference in terms of income increasing. The average salary for doctors is an estimated $ 180 000 and private physicians can expect even more. A sole consideration to keep in mind is that physicians pay a lot of money for malpractice insurance premiums in the United States.

Jurisprudence Degrees
Lawyers generally earn high-paying salaries. Lawyers working for the government, NGOs and other organizations may receive an income in the lower end of the scale of around $50,000-70 000 per year, however it is very normal for them to earn in the $100,000 range. Similar to doctors, those who have a private practice can fix their own schedules and enjoy much higher incomes. Corporate lawyers and those working in law firms can earn six figure salaries and live comfortably.

Engineering Degrees
Engineers enjoy job satisfication, guarantee of jobs upon graduation and high salaries. One can consider between the two types of engineering degrees:

· Master Of Engineering– this degree equips students to market their skills, build their competencies and focus beyond what their undergraduate has provided them with.
· Master Of Engineering Management – This degree prepares engineers to manage and supervise a full team of engineers and manage engineering projects.

Other more lucrative engineering fields to consider are: computer engineering, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering, aerospace engineering and chemical engineering.

Science Management Degrees
Science managers look over entire teams of scientists who conduct research and development. Science management degrees are usually field-specific. Jobs found at the undergraduate level has the difference in annual income between a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree is usually about $20,000 – resulting in salaries in the $70,000 range for people with master’s degrees.

Computer Science And Information Technology
Ever consider the array of jobs available in this rapidly evolving and increasingly versatile technological world we are living in? Professionals who are technologically apt are in high demand. Software developers, database managers, network managers can expect salaries of a surplus of $90,000. Undergraduate degrees in these fields have encouraging job prospects, nevertheless, the prospects for those with master’s degrees are notably better.

Degrees For Education
Teachers are some of the workers which people think are underpaid and overworked. Not when it comes to university professors however! A PhD in education or specializing in any field can prepare one to be a university professor and earn a salary of $100,000 or more.

Conclusion
As you consider graduate programs, re-evaluate the income investment you will be receiving and the job market to your prospective degree. This will help you know what to anticipate and avoid surprises down the road.