The African Master’s Degree Obsession--Education Without Direction

Let me start with my own credentials—I hold two master’s degrees in Law, both earned in the UK.

The second one was funded by a £10,000 student loan, not because I couldn’t pay for it myself (I covered my first degree and first master’s out of pocket), but because a friend convinced me to leverage debt smartly and invest my cash instead. 

That decision paid off.

I didn’t need those two master’s degrees to practise law. I pursued them purely out of intellectual curiosity—and because I could afford to. But what baffles me is the growing trend among Africans, particularly those back home, who are obsessed with acquiring master’s degrees they neither need nor can afford.

The Unemployed Master’s Candidate Phenomenon

Almost weekly, I get messages from Facebook "friends" and distant relatives in Africa asking me to fund their master’s degrees. But when you dig deeper, here’s what you find:

1. They’ve never worked a single day after their first degree.
2. They have no clear career plan—just a vague belief that a master’s will magically open doors.
3. They can’t afford the degree themselves, yet they’re pressuring others to foot the bill.

If you haven’t secured a job with your bachelor’s degree, what exactly is the master’s for? More unemployment with extra letters behind your name?

The Western vs. African Education Mindset

In the UK/US, people typically:

1. Work first, then pursue a master’s if it aligns with their career.
2. Pay for it themselves (or take loans they intend to repay).
3. Target degrees that actually increase earning potential (MBAs, STEM, etc.).

In Africa? It’s become:

1. Degree stacking without experience.
2. Begging for funding instead of earning it.
3. Pursuing random master’s programs with zero ROI.

When a Master’s Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)

Makes sense: You’ve worked, identified a skills gap, and are pursuing a specialized degree (e.g., Finance → MBA).

Doesn’t make sense: You’re unemployed, studying "International Relations" with no diplomatic ambitions, and expecting strangers to pay for it.

Education is an investment, not a trophy. If you can’t monetize your first degree, adding another won’t fix that. Worse, if you’re begging for tuition, you’re not just unemployable—you’re financially illiterate.

So to all the "Master’s or nothing" crowd: Get a job first. Save money. Then upgrade—if it actually matters. Otherwise, you’re just decorating your CV while your bank account stays empty.

A master’s degree won’t compensate for a lack of hustle. And nobody owes you funding for your academic tourism.

Is there something I am missing here? 

Source: Chris-Vincent Agyapong