Six Ways a Graduate Degree Can Help You Get Ahead
What a Graduate Degree Can Do For You
Getting a graduate degree in today’s job market will give you a competitive advantage over others. Learn more about how a graduate degree can elevate you to success both professionally and financially!
Earn Your Master’s Degree
Reasons for a Master’s Degree
Six Ways a Graduate Degree Can Help You Get Ahead
1. You’ll have a competitive advantage
Many times, the difference between getting the job or not can come down to educational experience. For example, take the health care professions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many jobs within health care, including leadership positions, require a graduate degree for employment. So you can see why having a Master’s degree in Health Care Leadership would be beneficial if you want to move up in your industry.
2. You’ll make more money with a higher salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2020, those with a Master’s degree made more than 18% more on average than those that only held a Bachelor’s degree. That’s a pretty big bump that can pay back any costs associated with getting a graduate degree.
3. You’ll be able to follow that career change you’ve always wanted
Let’s be real: Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Getting a graduate degree can help guide you into a new career path and be able to start at a higher paying position. In addition, many times, a graduate program will let you specialize in a particular field of interest by choosing a concentration.
4. You’ll have newfound real-world experience
Between international travel and working with local businesses, you’ll have many opportunities to gain real-world experience that many times, you just can’t get on your own.
5. You’ll grow your professional network
Because of the hands-on, real-world experience you get while studying for many of our graduate degrees, you’ll meet people in higher levels of businesses, government and other sectors that will help grow your professional network. Numerous polls and survey’s have been done on this, including this one that states that up to 85% of positions are filled by networking.
Sometimes the old saying of “it’s all about who you know” really can be true. Knowing the right people can sometimes help you find that perfect job that pays that salary you’ve wanted! Our professors are well connected in their field of expertise. Many adjuncts also already work in those fields you’ll be applying for.
6. Job Satisfaction
According to a Pew Research study, employees with a postgraduate degree were 77% likely to have a sense of identity with their job, while 60% of those holding just a bachelor’s degree had that same sense of identity. Only 38% of those with a high school degree or less felt they had that sense of identity in their career. Getting a graduate degree can highly improve your career satisfaction!
Choosing the right Graduate Degree That Works For You
Here at Friends University, we offer seven amazing graduate degree programs to choose from. There are a number of options between in-person and online classroom settings.
Graduate Degree Programs
Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership
The Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership (MACSFL) is designed as a personal growth, academic and professional program for both lay people and people in professional ministry. You will receive the tools and resources for developing a framework for spiritual formation, while building a stronger theological foundation.
Global MBA, Global Master of Business Administration
Our Global MBA degree program is designed for working professionals, just like you. You’ll gain the leadership and cross-cultural communication skills necessary to take your career international. Complete your degree in as little as one year, either on-campus or online.
Professional MBA, Master of Business Administration
The professional MBA program, offered in Wichita, Topeka and online, includes significant learning experiences through case-studies, simulations, thought-provoking individual and collaborative projects, and stimulating classes taught by remarkable faculty and business leaders.
Master of Science in Family Therapy
Marriage and family therapy is a great profession for people who value helping others discover positive change in the midst of personal and relationship struggles. A family therapy degree can help prepare you for the specific challenges faced in family counseling.
Master of Health Care Leadership
The MHCL program will prepare students for responsible positions of professional leadership in the health care environment. The coursework was developed by leaders in the health care industry and specifically designed to encompass all phases of health care leadership, including acute and long-term care, clinic and hospital management, and home health and hospice agencies.
Master of Management Information Systems
The master of management information systems (MMIS), offered in Wichita and online, is a professional degree that integrates the information systems and business cultures. During their program of study, students focus on the strategic role information systems plays in a business organization.
Master of Education
The new METL degree program includes a revised, cutting-edge core focused on the common core, learning, performance and assessment. Beyond the core, you will select 12 workshops from more than 100 potential choices to fully customize the remainder of the program of study.
Master of Science in Strategic Leadership
The Master of Science in Strategic Leadership (MSSL) prepares students for leadership roles in many occupational fields. MSSL graduates will be prepared to be change agents who can create meaningful organizational improvements through effective communication and highly developed emotional intelligence. The purpose of this program is to develop transformative leaders to serve in profit and non-profit organizations.