Master's degree studies open up new paths in working life

Why study for a Master's degree? There are almost as many answers to this question as there are Master's degree students. We have met a number of our students in student interviews and have compiled their thoughts on what they think is best about studying at Laurea in this article.

For some students, the most important thing is the career progression that a Master's degree enables towards more challenging roles that require an advanced degree.

For others, a Master's degree provides the opportunity to develop their skills to meet the changing challenges of working life or their own job. And many students are particularly motivated by learning new things and challenging themselves.

A close dialogue between working life and learning

A common feature of all Laurea's Master's degree programmes is the close link between working life and studying. To apply for studies, you must have a previous relevant degree and at least two years of work experience.

This means that the Master's degree programmes bring together a group of students who already have strong practical work experience in a variety of roles and industries. This adds a new dimension to studying and learning, as everyone can learn from their peers.

“In a very short time after the beginning of my studies, I’d been able to build networks and a portfolio because we’d carried out projects with actual commissioners of working life such as Kesko. In the first three months, I had completed two projects. It means two large Finnish brands and a total of eight student colleagues I got to know.”

 

Tarek Fahmy, Service Innovation and Design. Read Tarek’s story

On the other hand, a strong work-life orientation means that right from the first few metres of your studies, you can match what you learn with your own work experience or your own job. In the best case, you can use your studies for a project related to your own work or take your new learning back to your work community.

A continuation of previous skills or a completely new direction

Many of Laurea's Master's degree programmes are a natural continuation of a previously completed bachelor's degree. For example the Master’s degree programme in Development and Management of Cosmetics Expertise offers a good pathway to complement the knowledge of the beauty industry.

In many sectors, a higher university degree is required for career progression. Many students may already have a Master's degree programme in mind during their bachelor's degree studies.

 “It’s great to have the degree completed as it opens many new opportunities for me. During my studies, I’ve succeeded in building valuable professional networks, and I’ve learned a lot of new things.”

 

Gabriel Ryako, Global Health and Crisis Management. Read Gabriel’s story.

However, careers do not always follow a predictable path, and new challenges arise as working life and tasks change. In such cases, a Master's degree can also be a good way of acquiring new skills or the know-how needed to succeed in new tasks.

For example, the digitalisation of services across society has challenged the skills of many professionals - whether in the social and health sector or in the field of commerce and services. Many of Laurea's Master's programmes offer the opportunity to update skills in relation to this change.

Rolling stone gathers no moss

The spark for a Master's degree can also come from pure curiosity and a desire to improve. The idea of being "ready" after completing a certain degree is a foreign concept to many of us.

Whether it's a full degree, a smaller continuing education package or even a single, self-paced MOOC course, studying is a natural way for many people to keep themselves awake and in touch with the changing world.

“The world is constantly changing. For example, 10 years ago, there was little talk about service design, and today it is everyday life. And definitely studying also brings positive experiences, when one gets something new to think about and meets new people.“

 

Sanna Lassila, Leading Transformational Change. Read Sanna’s story.