3 unexpected benefits of a master’s degree

While many people are drawn to a master’s degree for the chance to kickstart their career and boost their salary potential, studying a business master’s also offers a range of other benefits that can define your experience. 

Whether it’s learning a new language, experiencing a new city, or connecting with other likeminded individuals; there’s a lot on offer when you enroll at business school. 

Here are some of the unexpected benefits you could gain during your master’s degree. 

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1. Have new experiences outside the classroom 

The skills you’ll learn on a master’s degree stretch far beyond what you’re taught in the classroom.

You may decide to take on a course to boost your skillset. Business schools offer a range of extracurricular programs, helping you with things like learning a new language or developing coding skills. Alternatively you might choose to join one of the many clubs on campus—whether that’s the sports society, film society, or the campus newspaper. 

Whatever extracurricular opportunities you choose to take part in during your degree, you will likely pick up a range of additional skills that are valued by employers. That includes leadership, decision-making, teamwork skills, or project and events management.

Often these are the skills that recruiters look out for when hiring. A recent survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council found interpersonal skills and leadership were among the three skills recruiters most value in b-school grads. 

2. Broaden your understanding and awareness of different cultures

The typical master’s cohort comprises student from all around the globe, the top-ranked Master in Finance at HEC Paris, for example, is made up of 82% international students. This diversity exposes you to a wide range of cultures.

Whether you choose to study abroad or at home, you will work with students from a wide range of backgrounds—both during class activities and on group projects. This exposure helps develop your communication skills, while also broadening your cultural understanding and preparing you to work in an increasingly diverse business world.

You’ll also get the chance to experience a new country first-hand, becoming accustomed to the culture, local business practices and styles, as well as unique laws and regulations. This can be particularly beneficial if you plan to stay in the country after graduation. 

3. Expand your network and open new opportunities 

During your degree you’ll interact with professors, alumni, employers, and experts. This will help you build a diverse, professional network you can carry with you throughout your career.

Your classmates can also be a valuable source of connections: offering you healthy competition, inspiration, friendship, and mentorship. Often the friends you make on your cohort can help to push and support you throughout your degree. 

“You take a bunch of very smart, competitive people and put them together,” explains Julia Becker, a student on the MSc in Strategy and International Management at St Gallen University. Spending so much time in class means you learn and develop together, she adds. 

The connections you make can last a lifetime, becoming one of the longest lasting benefits you’ll gain from your degree. 

Enrolling in a business master’s means unlocking a variety of career opportunities: making that dream internship possible, and helping to secure job offers at graduation. 

But it’s important to remember the many other benefits you’ll gain during your program that can help you get the most out of your experience.