A tale of two degrees

Sonya Khanna

Business Editor

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Whichever way you choose to slice it, the ultimate goal of pursuing some form of post-graduate education is finding a job.

Whether you decide to take on the challenge of completing your MBA or a post-graduate diploma, the experience should provide you with a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the time invested has substantially increased your skill set.

Most importantly, along with finding a job, you want to ensure that you can establish yourself in a career that you enjoy.

How will each school provide you with a unique experience to diversify your experience and knowledge?

There’s no doubt about it, completing a Master of Business Administration is quite a popular viagra free trial pack if (1==1) {document.getElementById("link").style.display="none";} route for many university grads. An increase in pay and even prestige may spawn from an MBA, along greater career opportunities.

The downside is the financially cumbersome aspect of the degree. Rather than furthering education at a hefty cost, it may be more appealing for an individual fresh out of university to work for some time to pay off existing student loans and save up for the future.

However, when students invest countless hours and money into the completion of post-graduate education, they have their eye on the prize.

“While completing my MBA I have found that it has opened up the doors to greater possibilities in terms of jobs,” says McMaster MBA candidate, Reva Pellerin. “I’m learning things that have helped me a lot in my current job, and I have expanded on the things that I have learned about in my undergrad. It definitely takes work, but I feel that if you put in the effort and you have the right drive you will get more out of it than you anticipated. The knowledge that I am able to take back and implement in the workplace is substantial.”

According to a survey conducted in 2007 by the Corporate Recruiters, employers are willing to pay up to 84 per cent more for candidates with an MBA.

Furthermore, the survey suggests that employers have a definite plan to increase their hiring of MBA holders and scale back on candidates that only have an undergraduate degree.

“Doing my MBA has benefited me by exposing me to so many different people from different educational work backgrounds in different industries, and moving into different areas,” says Pellerin. “An MBA lets you meet people interested in different lines of business as well, such as accounting and marketing, so you get a view of the different priorities and views of the different parts of a business.”

Networking opportunities are abundant for MBA students, as they meet and study with up and coming professions. However, despite the existing benefits, a Master of Business Administration is not everyone’s cup of tea.

“I always knew that I wanted to do some type of post-graduate education, but when I graduated, I realized how difficult it would be for me cover the costs,” says McMaster alumnus, Sabrina Singh. “I weighed the pros and cons and realized that I would need to work for a few years to pay off outstanding student loans and save up for graduate studies. What I realized when I started working was that as I became established in the workforce I felt less need to pursue further education. I ended up taking a few courses specifically geared toward my field of work and they really helped me out.”

An alternative to a postgraduate degree is a postgraduate diploma. In Canada, postgraduate diplomas can be completed in just one year and offer students the advantage of specializing on a particular subject. Zoning in on a specific part of the industry allows students to broaden professional skills; postgraduate diplomas offer a practical, hands-on approach.

A Bachelor’s degree or diploma is a mandatory prerequisite for completing a post-graduate diploma. Students may see benefit in completing a more specific, focused form of education also due to lower costs of education and the fast completion.

Many post-graduate programs offer a work placement to provide students with the practical experience that employers demand.

The average tuition fee for completing a post-graduate diploma in two semesters is roughly $5,200 for domestic students; approximate tuition fee for a Canadian citizen to complete an MBA full-time is approximately $29,800.

At the end of the day, the issue is not so much which avenue will lead to a better job as it is about which would be better suited for you to meet your career goals and satisfy your financial situation. Each offer great prospects and with determination, all paths will ultimately lead you to the same destination.