(BPT) - The economic impact of COVID-19 has hit U.S. employees hard, causing millions to lose their jobs or be furloughed, while others switched to all-remote work — and still others risk their health to stay employed. The pandemic has also affected some sectors much harder than others.
Since the pandemic began, you may be re-evaluating where you are in your career or considering a higher degree. Pursuing a master's degree involves a significant investment of time and effort, beyond the financial commitment. You have probably wondered: “Is it worth it?”
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmtDA64:2==J :? E96D6 F?AC64656?E65 E:>6D[ 92G:?8 2 9:896C 568C66 >62?D J@FVC6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ H@C< DF446DD7F==J] p C646?E AF3=:42E:@? 3J E96 q64<6C uC:65>2? x?DE:EFE6 7@C t4@?@>:4D 6I2>:?65 9@H 5:776C6?E @44FA2E:@?D H62E96C65 E96 64@?@>:4 5@H?E@H? 2?5 A2?56>:4[ 7:?5:?8 E92E @44FA2E:@?D :? >@C6 AC@76DD:@?2= 7:6=5D @776C65 E96 >@DE DE23:=:EJ] !@D:E:@?D 2==@H:?8 7@C 2? 62D:6C A:G@E E@ H@C<:?8 C6>@E6=J — =2C86=J E9@D6 C6BF:C:?8 9:896C 65F42E:@? — H6C6 =:<6=J E@ 36 3@E9 9:896C\A2J:?8 2?5 36EE6C 6BF:AA65 E@ H:E9DE2?5 F?7@C6D66? 492==6?86D]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mq@@DE D<:==D 2?5 6IA2?5 <?@H=6586k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu@C E9@D6 H:E9 2 32496=@C’D 568C66 H9@ >2J 766= DE2==65 :? E96:C 42C66C @C :?5FDECJ[ 2 >2DE6C’D 568C66 >2J @A6? ?6H 5@@CD 3J 7:==:?8 :? D<:== 82AD 2?5 C67C6D9:?8 J@FC <?@H=6586 23@FE E649?@=@8:42= 56G6=@A>6?ED] x?4C62D:?8 J@FC D<:== D6E 2==@HD J@F E@ 6IA2?5 E96 A@DD:3:=:E:6D @7 J@FC 42C66C 3J 96=A:?8 J@F 82:? AC@>@E:@? @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2E J@FC 4FCC6?E 4@>A2?J[ @C >2<:?8 J@F 2 >@C6 2EEC24E:G6 42?5:52E6 7@C ?6H @C82?:K2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mpC6 >2DE6C’D 568C66 AC@8C2>D 2446DD:3=6 ?@Hnk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ @AE:@?D 2C6 2G2:=23=6 7@C 2?J@?6 D66<:?8 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 6586] #6>@E6 =62C?:?8 @776CD E96 23:=:EJ E@ H@C< E@H2C5 J@FC 568C66 7C@> 2?JH96C6] %96 <6J :D 7:?5:?8 2 AC@8C2> E92E 7:ED J@FC ?665D]k^Am
kAmw6C6VD H92E E@ =@@< 7@Cik^Am
kF=mk=:mkDEC@?8mp 7F==J 244C65:E65 :?DE:EFE:@?k3C ^mk^DEC@?8m%96 D49@@= 2?5^@C AC@8C2> J@F 2AA=J E@ D9@F=5 36 C64@8?:K65 3J 2 C6=6G2?E 244C65:E:?8 8C@FA] u@C 6I2>A=6[ 6?8:?66C:?8 AC@8C2>D 2C6 @7E6? 324<65 3J E96 p44C65:E2E:@? q@2C5 7@C t?8:?66C:?8 2?5 %649?@=@8J[ @C pqt%]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8mp? @?=:?6 AC@8C2> H:E9 2? @?\42>AFD 6BF:G2=6?Ek3C ^mk^DEC@?8m$6=64E 2 D49@@= E92E @776CD :ED @?=:?6 568C66 AC@8C2> 2E E96 D2>6 42=:36C @7 :ED @?\42>AFD AC@8C2>D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ DEF56?ED @7 2?J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2DF@?=:?6]2DF]65F^@?=:?6\568C66\AC@8C2>D^8C25F2E6^nFE>0D@FC46l@FEC6249U2>AjFE>0>65:F>lU2>AjFE>0E6C>lU2>AjFE>04@?E6?ElU2>AjFE>042>A2:8?l>2EC6=62D6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@H ?@@A6?6CQm@?=:?6 568C66 AC@8C2> 2E pC:K@?2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ Wp$&Xk^2m 2C6 E2F89E 3J E96 D2>6 H@C=5\C6?@H?65 724F=EJ 2D E96 @?\8C@F?5 :?DE:EFE:@?[ H9:49 :?4=F56D A:@?66C:?8 C6D62C496CD[ }@36= =2FC62E6D 2?5 !F=:EK6C !C:K6 H:??6CD] ~?=:?6 DEF56?ED C646:G6 E96 D2>6 568C66 2D DEF56?ED H9@ DEF5J @?\42>AFD]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m|2I:>F> 7=6I:3:=:EJk3C ^mk^DEC@?8m~?=:?6 >2DE6C’D 568C66 AC@8C2>D @7E6? 2==@H DEF56?ED E@ 4C62E6 E96:C @H? DEF5J D4965F=6D] ~?=:?6 568C66 AC@8C2>D 42? 96=A J@F 25G2?46 :? J@FC :?5FDECJ @C A:G@E E@H2C5 2?@E96C 7:6=5 H:E9@FE E2<:?8 E:>6 2H2J 7C@> J@FC 4FCC6?E ;@3WDX @C C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8mrFEE:?8\6586 AC@8C2> 56=:G6CJk3C ^mk^DEC@?8m~?=:?6 4@FCD6D G2CJ :? DEJ=6 2?5 D4@A6[ D@ J@F D9@F=5 D6=64E @?6 E92E >66ED J@FC ?665D] pC6 =64EFC6D @776C65 =:G6[ @C 2C6 E96J C64@C565n (:== J@F 92G6 92?5D\@? 6IA6C:6?46D[ @C 2C6 2== 4@>A@?6?ED G:CEF2=n u@C 6I2>A=6[ p$& ~?=:?6 @776CD :??@G2E:G6 G:CEF2= C62=:EJ 2?5 6?828:?8 2E\9@>6 =23 <:ED 7@C >2?J D4:6?46\32D65 AC@8C2>D]k^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m(92E >2DE6C’D 568C66 AC@8C2>D D9@F=5 x 4@?D:56Cnk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(96? A=2??:?8 J@FC 65F42E:@?2= 8@2=D[ 4@?D:56C J@FC :?E6C6DED[ D<:==D[ 2?5 56D:C65 42C66C EC2;64E@CJ] #6D62C49 AC@8C2>D E92E AC6A2C6 J@F 7@C 25G2?465 A@D:E:@?D :? 8C@H:?8 :?5FDEC:6D[ A2CE:4F=2C=J H96C6 9:89=J 65F42E65 H@C<6CD 2C6 :?\56>2?5]k^Am
kAm|2?J @7 E9@D6 :?5FDEC:6D >2J 56A6?5 FA@? >2DE6CJ @7 D4:6?46[ E649?@=@8J[ 6?8:?66C:?8 2?5 >2E96>2E:4D W$%t|X D<:==D] }2E:@?2==J[ g_T @7 E96 72DE6DE\8C@H:?8 @44FA2E:@?D 2C6 :? $%t|\C6=2E65 :?5FDEC:6D[ 2?5 ?2E:@?2= 8C@HE9 :? $%t| ;@3D :D E9C66 E:>6D 8C62E6C E92? ?@?\$%t| ;@3D] %96 56>2?5 :D?’E 4FCC6?E=J 36:?8 >6E[ H:E9 a]d >:==:@? ;@3D =67E F?7:==65 E@52J]k^Am
kAmp >2DE6C’D 568C66 :? E9:D 2C62 42? 96=A J@F 82:? E96 <?@H=6586 ?66565 E@ ;@:? 72DE\>@G:?8 $%t| :?5FDEC:6D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ p$& ~?=:?6 C646?E=J =2F?4965 2 $@4:2= %649?@=@8:6D >2DE6C’D AC@8C2> E92E 255C6DD6D E96 FD6[ 4@?E6IE 2?5 6E9:42= :>A=:42E:@?D @7 52E2 D4:6?46] %@A:4D =:<6 E9:D 2C6 A2CE:4F=2C=J FD67F= :? E96 C2A:5=J 6G@=G:?8 D@4:2= ?6EH@C< =2?5D42A6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m"F2=:EJ @?=:?6 =62C?:?8k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp$& ~?=:?6 :D 2 =6256C :? 5:DE2?46 =62C?:?8[ @776C:?8 @G6C a__ F?56C8C25F2E6 2?5 8C25F2E6 568C66 AC@8C2>D H:E9 E96 D2>6 4FCC:4F=F> 2D E96 @?\42>AFD F?:G6CD:EJ] (:E9 2 C64@C5 c_Z ?6H AC@8C2>D 25565 E@ E96:C @?=:?6 7@C>2E :? a_a_[ E96C6 2C6 ?@H >@C6 A2E9D E92? 6G6C 7@C J@F E@ 25G2?46 AC@76DD:@?2==J]k^Am
kAmtIA=@C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2DF@?=:?6]2DF]65F^@?=:?6\568C66\AC@8C2>D^8C25F2E6^nFE>0D@FC46l@FEC6249U2>AjFE>0>65:F>lU2>AjFE>0E6C>lU2>AjFE>04@?E6?ElU2>AjFE>042>A2:8?l>2EC6=62D6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@H ?@@A6?6CQmp$& ~?=:?6 8C25F2E6 AC@8C2>Dk^2m @C =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 DEF56?E 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 E@A\E:6C 724F=EJ 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2DF@?=:?6]2DF]65F^nFE>0D@FC46l@FEC6249U2>AjFE>0>65:F>lU2>AjFE>0E6C>lU2>AjFE>04@?E6?ElU2>AjFE>042>A2:8?l>2EC6=62D6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@H ?@@A6?6CQmp$&~?=:?6]2DF]65Fk^2m]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In>6>36C:5lfac`fU2>Aj2CE:4=6:5lbe`heQ 3@C56ClQ_Q H:5E9lQ`Q 96:89ElQ`Q ^mk^Am