Identifying the correct educational path is one of the largest professional decisions you will make. Given the current diversity of the types of higher education qualifications, from the traditional degree to the specialized micro-credential, it is easy to see why identifying the correct path may seem overwhelming.
Having worked with hundreds of professionals on career transitions and continuing education, I have seen how targeted educational decisions can propel careers, while poor decisions can waste time and money. In this guide, we have identified all of the core qualifications currently available; however, unlike other guides, we have also identified each qualification based on its strategic value in assisting you in achieving your career objectives.
The Building Blocks: Higher Education Qualifications for Entry Level
All of the qualifications listed below are for people interested in obtaining access to the realm of higher education and obtaining foundational knowledge and skills.
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Certificates and Diplomas (6 months – 2 years)
The Strategic Value: The primary value of a certificate and diploma is that they are very narrowly focused, vocational programs that are specifically created to impart a limited number of highly employable skills rapidly.
This makes them extremely effective in enabling individuals to make rapid career changes or add a highly specialized skill to their current professional profile.
Ideal For: Career changers, individuals who require a specific certification for career advancement, or professionals who wish to test their interest in a new area before making a long-term commitment to pursuing a full degree.
Pro Tip: Many of the quality certificates offered from reputable institutions provide “stackable” credits that may be used towards the completion of a full degree at a later date. Thus, certificates can represent a low-risk, high-return method of accessing higher education.
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Associate Degrees (2 years)
The Strategic Value It Brings: These degrees are well-known in the North American system of education. They provide students with a basic level of education in either an academic or professional field, at a lower cost than a baccalaureate degree.
An associate degree can serve as a stand-alone qualification for numerous technical and paraprofessional positions or as a stepping-stone for students wishing to pursue a baccalaureate degree.
Ideal For: Individuals who desire a cost-effective method of initiating their higher education experience or students who plan to pursue careers in fields that typically require an associate degree (i.e., many nursing, IT, and engineering technician roles).
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Bachelor’s Degrees (3-4 years)
The Strategic Value: The baccalaureate degree continues to remain the minimum qualification required for a wide variety of professional careers.
While providing a broad base of critical thinking skills, baccalaureate degrees also provide the necessary depth of specialization in a student’s chosen major.
Types of Bachelor’s Degrees:
BA (Bachelor of Arts): Academic and professional focus areas include humanities, social sciences, and creative fields (e.g., History, English, Sociology).
BSc (Bachelor of Science): Scientific, technical, and mathematical focus areas (e.g., Biology, Computer Science, Physics).
Specialized Bachelor’s Degrees: Such as BEng (Engineering) or BBA (Business Administration), which are focused on professional development.
Ideal For: High school graduates entering the workforce and career changers requiring a comprehensive foundational credential.
Pro Tip: Seek out programs with built-in cooperative or internships. The experience gained during such programs can be far more valuable to future employers than the degree classification itself.
Advanced Educational Pathways: Postgraduate Higher Education Qualifications
Postgraduate qualifications are for those who seek to gain additional specialization beyond their bachelor’s degree, switch fields, or enter executive/leadership roles.
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Graduate Certificates and Diplomas (6 months–1 year)
The Strategic Value: These are commonly referred to as “specialization upgrades” or “career pivot tools.” They enable individuals to acquire a focused body of knowledge/skill set related to their existing baccalaureate degree without the extensive time and expense associated with pursuing a full master’s degree.
Ideal For: Professionals desiring to enhance their knowledge/skills to prepare themselves for a promotion, transition to an adjacent field (e.g., an engineer acquiring a project management certificate), or update their knowledge/skills to reflect emerging trends in their current field.
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Master’s Degrees (1-2 years)
The Strategic Value: At this level of education, students acquire advanced, specialized knowledge in their chosen field. The master’s degree can significantly enhance earnings and provide opportunities for senior individual contributor or executive roles.
Types of Master’s Degrees:
MA/MSc: The standard academic master’s degree for advancing knowledge in a discipline.
The MBA (Master of Business Administration): It is a professional flagship degree meant for individuals in business leadership, including management. Ensuring that the MBA you want to study is accredited and compliant is crucial.
Specialized Master’s: Degrees like an MEd (Education) or MPH (Public Health) are designed for advancing within a particular profession.
Ideal For: Individuals who possess a baccalaureate degree and desire to establish themselves as subject matter experts, advance into a leadership role, or completely rebrand themselves in the workplace.
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Professional Doctorates (3-5 years)
The Strategic Value: Professional doctorates are applied research degrees focused on addressing complex real-world issues within a professional context, rather than pure theoretical research.
Examples: EdD (Doctor of Education) for senior educational leaders, DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) for executives and consultants, or DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy).
Ideal For: Senior professionals seeking to attain the apex of their practice-based field and motivated to create new solutions to industry-related challenges.
The Apex: Research Doctorates
Ph.D./D.Phil (3-7+ years)
The Strategic Value: The Ph.D. represents the highest academic credential and is centered around developing entirely new, original knowledge through an extensive research effort and dissertation. The Ph.D. is a developmental route for a career in academia, research, and teaching.
Reality Check: Pursuing a Ph.D. is a monumental undertaking driven by a strong desire to conduct research. The career path for a Ph.D. is typically very narrow, and the financial Return On Investment (ROI) can vary when compared to professional degrees.
Therefore, the pursuit of a Ph.D. should never be taken lightly nor for vague reasons.
Ideal For: Individuals with a passion for research and a defined objective to become a university professor or senior researcher in an R&D organization.
How to Make Your Decision: A Strategic Framework
Most importantly, your decision should be made based on your personal career goals, not only on prestige. Check what’s required in the types of jobs you want to pursue.
- Research job postings and speak with individuals in those positions.
- What type of learner are you? Do you perform better in structured academic settings, or do you learn better in practical/hands-on environments?
- How much is the entire educational journey going to cost? Consider both time and monetary costs (tuition) as well as lost wages due to education (opportunity cost).
- What is the Return On Investment (ROI)? Investigate the average salaries earned by graduates of similar programs at similar institutions.
Future Trends: Micro-credentials, Continuing Education, Corporate Training
The traditional view of “get one degree for a lifetime” has become obsolete. The contemporary working professional will likely continue to develop his/her skills over their entire career via:
Micro-credentials & Digital Badges: Brief, highly focused programs that certify a specific skill(s). As evidence of being up-to-date and possessing practical knowledge, micro-credentials/digital badges are rapidly being accepted by employers.
Corporate Training Programs: Major organizations such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon now offer their own career certificates that are well-respected within their respective industries.
Your educational path is not a single decision but a series of strategic decisions as your career evolves. The best qualification is one that most effectively connects the dots between where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow.
Invest in your ability to build your capabilities, demonstrate your credibility, and support your long-term vision for your professional life.
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