How many years does it take to study for a master's degree in America? What career development does the master have?

How many years does it take to study for a master's degree in America? Usually American graduate students study for two years. If you are considering studying for a master's degree, it is very important to choose the right reason to study. For some people, this is an opportunity to develop the skills needed to move up the career ladder to a management position or completely change their career path. This is especially important for some professions that only consider certain qualifications. Muhammad Haseeb, Lucie Wang and Tracy Hui decided to get a master's degree in Schulick Business School in Toronto. After realizing the power and influence of modern technology in business success, Muhammad gave up his promising career as a management consultant and returned to the field of education to study for the Master of Artificial Intelligence Management (MMAI).

"When the cost is so low and the return is unusually high, the demand for the ability to use this technology will naturally surge, so that organizations can overcome competition or gain strategic advantages," Mohammed said. Although Lucie also took a master's course in supply chain management (MSCM) in Schulich, it was to further improve her "business knowledge to build a stronger business background, because my undergraduate degree was international relations, and then I mainly worked in the customer relationship management department." "Supply chain is my daily work, and I have always been interested in understanding the end-to-end cycle of products," she said. Tracy, who specializes in marketing, soon found herself engaged in strategic marketing and consumer research in a leading Canadian retailer, which gave her the opportunity to work as a marketing consultant in a real estate development company.

"I liked it immediately, but I wanted to know other aspects of the real estate development process," she said. "At the same time, I discovered the Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure (MREI) project, which caught my attention because it is a one-year project, integrating the development, investment and financing of real estate and infrastructure. It also combines classroom learning with a diverse network of industry professionals and cooperative semesters so that students can apply what they have learned in the classroom. " We and? Muhammad, Lucy and Tracy talked with each other to learn more about how they think their master's degree can provide them with the skills and experience they need to realize their dream career.

? What do you think is the most valuable skill you acquired during your master's degree? How did you develop these? Muhammad: We have learned about most mainstream artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, their use cases, limitations and behind-the-scenes mathematics, including calculus, linear algebra and statistics. We also learned Python, R and other programming languages to realize these algorithms. Since the quality of these algorithms depends on the input data, we also learned how to design SQL and NoSQL databases to optimize data storage. Visualization and analysis tools, such as Tableau, are also taught to better understand the data we process.

Lucy: Supply chain knowledge-these courses expose you to different aspects of the supply chain, such as procurement, operation, technology in the supply chain, analytical skills, marketing, international trade and strategic management. I can use this knowledge to solve problems in consulting projects, case studies and demonstrations, including supply chain terminology and lean and agile problem-solving thinking. I also developed my network skills. Schulich quotient mscm is all about the network and people with different backgrounds. I am very happy with all my professors and classmates. I made some good friends along the way, and I was able to meet people I wouldn't have had a chance to meet if I hadn't come to Shulike. The internet is difficult, especially if you want to do it correctly. The platform of the school gives me the opportunity to exercise my social skills and get in touch with people more easily.

Tracy: My main skills at MREI are interpersonal skills, analytical skills and time management skills. As many of my professors/industry professionals have said, real estate is ultimately the cause of the people. Working with colleagues from different backgrounds, I can participate in group projects and consider problems from different angles. It also includes many case studies and group projects to apply the knowledge we have gained. Whether it is our real estate finance and investment course, development course or building development and trading course, case analysis allows me to cultivate my analytical thinking ability by dealing with different types of problems.

? How important do you think the practical learning experience of master's degree is? Muhammad: Practical learning is very important for several reasons. No matter what the reputation of the course and the experience of the lecturer, some aspects of the work can't be captured at all in the classroom environment and will inevitably be "missed". When we were still in school, practical experience gave us an opportunity to test our study. If we find any gaps, we still have many opportunities to solve them. Work also needs experience, but to gain experience, you need a job. Practical learning is also an excellent way to solve the vicious trap that most students fall into when they graduate.

Lucy: I think practical learning experience is very important. When I am looking for a master's degree course, my first criterion is that the course must be practical. I want professors with academic and business backgrounds. I am looking for a course that includes consulting projects with industry participants.

Tracy: Practical learning experience is an important part of Schulich MREI plan. This includes participating in case competitions, participating in industry activities sponsored by student associations, and having coffee and chatting with industry people. These are very valuable for understanding current events in the field of real estate and infrastructure. In March, three classmates and I participated in the winning team of Developers' Den Case Competition (Schulich International Real Estate Case Competition sponsored by Brookfield Real Estate and Infrastructure Center and Schulich Real Estate Alumni Association). This is a rare opportunity for us to apply what we have learned in class to a real development project, show it to a large audience and get feedback from top industry leaders.

? How much do you think the master's degree will affect your future career prospects? Muhammad: A lot! Especially after this epidemic. Previously, as a management consultant, I worked in a large financial institution to help automate back-end functions. From experience, I know that intelligent automation always has a strong business case. However, what happened because of coronavirus pneumonia-19 is that there are also cases of automated marketing. Once organizations begin to rebuild, most of them will really focus on intelligent automation and use artificial intelligence in the process. This MMAI project helps me to anticipate and prepare for these opportunities and challenges. I think this will stay with me for a long time and continue to influence the choices I make.

Lucy: The MSCM project has given me the tools and resources to succeed in the supply chain. I know that no matter which career path I choose, I can seek advice from my professors and the Internet. In the future, whenever I need to make a decision or improve the process, I will have the basic knowledge of supply chain management.