In today’s article, we’re going to consider some of the hardest master’s degrees to study in the world.
Competition has leaped in every field of study, while opportunities are taking a downward slope as a result of the current boom in population. No course is not important because they are all designed to groom students and help them build a career in their various fields. Among all the courses, some are considered very hard to study due to what it takes to graduate from them. Most of the time, the hardest courses also hold the hardest examinations and this could become problematic for students who have not developed a tough skin for such courses.
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Generally, master’s degree programs are not so easy to study. They build on previously learned concepts and skills, which involve a lot of time and effort. You will need to make discoveries in your way in the form of research and come up with ideas different from the existing ones.
Furthermore, research at the graduate level does not come with ease. Master’s students are burdened with the task of coming up with sophisticated research topics and doing justice to them as well. The research must be original, with students supplying new knowledge to their field of study.
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Reasons for Desiring Master’s Degree – According to Hiring Experts
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employees with a master’s degree were paid, on average, $1434 per week in 2018. This was against the $200 per week paid to undergraduates. Therefore, it is important to note that, the earning power of the master’s degree holders far outweighs that of bachelor’s degree holders.
Additionally, master’s degree holders face lower employment rates than undergraduates and some career paths cannot be built except with a master’s degree. So many students pursue their master’s degree programs to prepare themselves for new roles or to transition into a different field. Some also want to improve on their existing skill sets and prepare themselves for greater tasks. All these also mean that they would be paid higher than those with just a bachelor’s degree.
Master’s degree programs are suitable stepping stones to studying many PhD and doctoral programs. So, after obtaining your bachelor’s degree, it is expedient for you to go for your master’s in a relevant field.
Check: Masters Degree In The Netherlands: 10 Things You Must Know Before Applying
These are the Top 10 Hardest Masters Degrees
1. Engineering
Engineering is one of the hardest master’s degree programs to study. As an engineer, you must have the capacity to understand a lot of information as quickly as possible. This is because there is so much information to be consumed in the field, no matter your branch of engineering. Most engineering courses require that students should take some of their courses in the lab and both class and lab require assignments. However, the pay for engineers is relatively high, and when you present your certificate as a master’s degree holder; you are already taking more than you can spend as a salary. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary of an engineer is $ 110,000.
2. Physical Sciences
Physical sciences are a very difficult master’s degree program to study as outcomes are weighed hugely on testing. How well the students do on the tests will determine how much they are contributing to their grades. Some courses in physical sciences include mathematics, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. Just like engineering programs, they also require lab work and this includes large paper writing in the lab as well as extra testing. However, their salary is not as huge as that of engineering. The average salary is $75 530 per annum. This is not to say that people are not earning higher than this in this field.
3. Business
When we talk about business, we majorly focus on accounting and finance. These master’s programs are highly mathematics-based and require a lot of calculations. They can be very difficult for those who are not math enthusiasts, especially for those changing from a theory-based course. However, it pays off in the end to study these hard business courses as the average salary per year is $ 79,000. Getting a job after graduation is one of the easiest things for master’s degree holders in the field of business as most business fields love to hire folks with this background.
4. Architecture
Also, obtaining a master’s degree in architecture is not such an easy task. There is a lot of testing to be done and many of them overlap one another. Drawings are also not a question of choice, but compulsion. You will need critical thinking and problem-solving skills, in addition to beating hard deadlines most of the time. One of the mantras of the students of architecture is “You can always do better” and it has always worked well for them. The starting salary for an architect is around $80 750 but project managers can make it higher than that.
5. Economics
Economics is another master’s degree program that requires strong mathematical skills and the ability to adapt to new things easily. The economic world is changing rapidly; therefore, students in this field must learn how this affects national, organizational, and individual growth and offer the best advice to help cushion the effect of any harsh condition like inflation or recession. The median annual salary is between $ 75,000 and $ 110,000.
6. Cellular and Molecular Biology
Additionally, this course seems to have a very heavy workload for students. The students who wish to do well in this field need strong skills like critical thinking and the ability to visualize concepts without seeing them with the naked eye. They would also need to understand how different parts of a system work together because it can be leveraged to build a successful career in bioengineering, business, or lab research. Pursuing a PhD or doctoral program will be very helpful as that would enable the student to gain a deeper understanding of the course while building a formidable career in the future. However, he or she can still choose to work after earning a master’s degree in this field. The median annual salary is $ 70,000.
7. Nursing
Furthermore, Nursing is one of the fields that have great prospects, though very difficult to study. Upon receiving licensure, it is as good as master’s degree holders in this field have made it in life. Advanced programs in nursing will allow students to specialize in any field of their choice like midwifery, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, and so on. Nurses have more in-person contact with their patients and so, need communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. With these skills, they would be able to interact with their patients and families and help to solve both the medical and psychological effects of their ailments. The average salary is $ 111,840 per annum.
Check: How To Obtain An Australian Work Permit With a Master’s Degree
8. Medicine
Medicine is not just a hard course, but requires a very long time to graduate from. Worst still, the entire process is spent learning rather than memorizing textbooks, definitions, and terms. Whatever you learn as a medical student is of immense value to you because it will help you to understand the intricacies of the medical field.
After MBBS, you can choose courses in different fields like clinical pathology, healthcare management, hospital management, hospital administration, biomedical engineering, public health, and more. You can also register with the medical council of your state to obtain licensure. Additionally, you can choose to pursue your career in your field after graduation. With the MBA, you will have a better knowledge of how to put your skills to use and provide the best services to your clients. The field of healthcare has been revolutionizing and getting better since the outbreak of the pandemic Corona Virus disease in 2019. The median salary is $151 570 per annum.
9. Pharmacy
Though medicine and pharmacy tend to walk on the same path, both are quite different. They could be seen as the same side of a coin. Pharmacy, like medicine, requires a lot of structure and hard work. You have to understand that you must deal with chemistry and biology as a whole and it can be quite tasking and draining. Master’s degree courses in pharmacy include physiology, drug formulation, human anatomy, and others. Those from India also study Ayurveda, a kind of alternative medicine, though it has not yet been universally accepted. The average salary is $ 140,445 per year.
10. Quantum Mechanics
With the aid of quantum mechanics, a black hole by name, of Telescopium Constellations, was discovered in the constellation. Quantum mechanics deals with different forces of nature. It ushered in an insight into the elements and physical nature of objects in the world. Humans have been able to explore the intrinsic particles that can only be seen with the aid of microscopy. These particles are atoms and sub-atoms. Those who study quantum mechanics should be able to understand how to manipulate complex numbers, integral calculus, basic probability, functional integration, and analysis, among others. This course is an advanced physics course and helps you to understand more about the universe. The median salary for physicists is $ 93,876 per annum.
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This is not to say that running a master’s degree program is not to be encouraged. Frankly speaking, it is intellectually thrilling to study for a master’s degree as the research and other activities send the students on a kind of expedition where they get to learn more about their program and also develop some kind of relationships with their professors and classmates.
Do not forget that becoming a master’s degree holder is one gateway to career advancement which also is another avenue to excel financially.
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