Is Graduate Study Worth It? Here’s What the Professionals Are Saying

Make change happen with a graduate degree built for impact 👨‍🎓

This article is presented in partnership with Monash Business School.

With career expectations shifting and industries evolving faster than ever, many university students and even working professionals are asking themselves the same question after they complete their undergraduate degree.

Is postgraduate study really worth it?

And it's a fair question. After dedicating three or four years to university, the idea of continuing to study can feel daunting. Especially when you're eager to step into the workforce and start building your career. 

To better understand why a post-grad might be the right choice for you, we spoke to Chloe Bozorgomid, a final semester Master of Business student at Monash Business School.

She told us why studying a master's was the right choice for her.

It helps to accelerate your career.

Chloe has been pursuing a Master of Business, entering postgraduate study as a mid-career professional. It had been ten years since she finished her undergraduate degree in Art History. But like many others, she found herself working in a different field from her degree.

She has worked in the tech industry in business development, partnerships and marketing roles.

Eventually, this is what motivated her to study a Master of Business: she wanted to feel more confident in her career long-term.

“I don’t have a formal business degree, but I was doing so much business that I kept telling myself it’s great that I’m able to do things like that,” she told Student Edge.

“But maybe I need a little bit more focus, or I could be doing better with how I’m approaching some of these clients or companies.

“And I’ve been working for over a decade, maybe it’s time for me to focus on myself so I can think about senior roles or beyond.”

Your skills = future-proofed.

Now at the tail end of her degree, Chloe has received a job offer in a marketing role and admits her skills have only improved thanks to her Master of Business from Monash.

She was able to leverage what she learnt in her master's degree during her job interview.

“I definitely felt much more confident in describing certain techniques I had learned, [very] formal techniques,” she told Student Edge.

“To then present to the company that ended up hiring me, it made them feel like a) I absolutely knew what I was talking about.

“And b) if I didn’t know something, I’m such a good learner I can study and research.”

Building a global and diverse network.

One of the key benefits of postgraduate study is the connections you can make. From new friends, to meeting professionals in your field, there are countless ways to expand your friendship groups, and professional circles.

Chloe said the connections she made were ten-fold.

“I think I’ve made 50 plus friends [and contacts]. I talked to most of my examiners. I still keep in touch with a lot of my previous examiners,” she said.

“And through Monash I was given lots of other opportunities. I’ve done other things for the university, on the social media side." 

It’s more flexible than you think.

The good thing about most post-grad study is that it can fit around your professional life.

Although Chloe chose to study full-time at Monash Business School, there are also options for part-time study.

“I think if people feel like they don’t have enough time, it just comes down to planning,” Chloe told Student Edge.

“Sit down, think about what you want, what do you want at the end of the day, what do you want in ten years?

“If you think that getting another degree will help you really get the job of your dreams...it’s definitely worth it.”

And the numbers back that up: 87.4 per cent of Monash Business School postgrad degree holders secured full-time employment in 2022 and 2023*, highlighting the strong career outcomes for graduates.

If you’re keen on making an impact on your long-term career like Chloe, a postgraduate degree at Monash Business School might be the thing for you.

You can study a single master's in just one year, or a double master's in up to two years.

Explore your options at Monash Business School today.

*Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) for Australian Higher Education, 2022 and 2023.