The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states that academics with doctoral degrees earned a yearly average of $73, 892 in 2005. If the salary and academic prestige of a doctoral degree appeals to you, an academic master's degree might be a great way to prepare yourself to enter a PhD program.
If you're interested in pursuing a PhD, an academic master's degree offers distinct advantages over a professional master's degree. For instance, professional master's degrees don't typically involve a thesis, but academic master's degrees usually do require one. Your thesis will help you practice for your PhD dissertation, and it will also prepare you for a life as a professional academic.
If you're interested in a career that requires
lots of research, such as a position in biotechnology, an academic master's degree could be the way to go. In your academic master's degree program,
you will be required to do much more original research than in a professional master's degree program. Even if you don't choose to pursue a PhD, your
academic master's degree can help you gain important fact-finding skills that will be valuable for your future career in research.
If you aim to enter a PhD program, or if you want a career in research, an academic master's degree is a great way to prepare yourself.