Postgraduate master’s degrees: how to choose the right one – a guide from *Il Sole 24 Ore*

Five career milestones – starting out, changing direction, developing, updating your skills and making a fresh start – each of which requires a different approach and strategy. Because there is no single ‘best’ master’s degree: the right one is the one that best aligns with your starting point, your career goals and the stage of your career.

However, even before choosing a subject, it is important to check the quality of the course. The Guide sets out the factors to consider before enrolment: recognition of the qualification, course content, faculty, teaching methods, genuine links with businesses, work placements, networking, career services and graduate employment outcomes.

One article is devoted to the eight indicators to look out for to determine whether a master’s degree is worth the investment. Another outlines the questions to ask the career service before enrolling: when does the career support begin? How personalised is it? Does the service merely publish job vacancies, or does it actually put students in touch with companies? And does it continue after graduation?

Data on placement should also be read carefully. Very high percentages are only meaningful if it is clear how they have been calculated, based on how many graduates, how long after the end of the course, and what type of employment is being considered.

The decision is inevitably influenced by the budget as well. The enrolment fee is, in fact, only part of the cost.

For those who have to move to another city, rent, food, transport and study materials must be added to the costs. For those undertaking a full-time course, the opportunity cost must also be taken into account – that is, the income foregone by delaying entry into the workforce or temporarily suspending work.

In some cases, when you add up tuition fees, accommodation, living costs and loss of earnings, the total investment can reach or exceed 40,000 euros. That is why the Guide also includes scholarships, grants, loans, financial assistance and tax relief.

Once the objectives, quality and investment have been verified, it remains to be seen where the programme is heading. And this is where another feature of the 2026/27 programme emerges: master’s programmes are becoming less and less confined to a single discipline and increasingly serving as forums for the exchange of expertise across disciplines.

The first area covers artificial intelligence, data and cybersecurity, which have now become integral to the work of managers, compliance professionals, marketing specialists and human resources staff.

Industrial transformation brings together advanced manufacturing, energy, supply chains, mobility and urban regeneration, driving up demand for professionals capable of combining technical skills, data, sustainability and organisational expertise.

In the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, digital health, research, regulation and the market all intersect. In the realm of geopolitics, finance and compliance, risk assessment, supply chains, financial planning and new regulations are becoming central. And in the sectors of media, culture, design, fashion, marketing and HR, generative artificial intelligence is already transforming content, creativity, user experience and relationships with audiences.

The common thread is hybridisation: specialist skills remain fundamental, but they gain value when they can interact with other areas of knowledge.