5 Reasons to Study a Professional Master’s in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas, home of live music, kayaking, and food trucks, may just have the world’s best city slogan: “Keep Austin Weird.”

It is also a hotbed of technology and innovation, thanks to the city’s growing investment culture. That makes it a magnet for ambitious business professionals, entrepreneurs, and startup investors.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes this sun-soaked city a place to thrive not only in business, but also in business education.

Austin is a hot spot for technology and innovation

In recent years, billions of dollars have been invested in Austin’s tech sector. While Austin is well known as the birthplace of major companies such as Whole Foods and Dell, it is no surprise that other tech giants like Apple and IBM have also put down roots here, making the city an ideal launchpad for startups and careers in business and advanced technology.

But what does that have to do with deciding whether to study for a professional master’s degree in the city?

In academia, professional master’s degrees in fields such as marketing, business analytics, finance, information technology and management, and accounting are widely regarded as valuable across industries. Austin, with its innovation-driven economy, is a natural fit for entrepreneurial energy and growing tech talent.

At the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, its wide range of one-year professional master’s programs is designed to help graduates prepare for the new challenges emerging in our rapidly globalizing world. One example is the Master of Science in Business Analytics program, which was ranked the fourth best in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020.

Austin was named the most livable place in the U.S. for the third year in a row

In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Austin the most livable place in the United States for the third consecutive year, based on affordability, job prospects, and quality of life.

According to a HuffPost report, it was also named the second-best city in the U.S. for millennials.

The city ranks first in the U.S. for job growth and graduate opportunities

Of course, we also need to talk about life after business school and what the job outlook looks like after earning a professional master’s degree.

With “the number of jobs in downtown Austin continuing to rise,” the city is especially exciting for anyone looking to climb the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) career ladder.

“HuffPost reported that Austin gives companies access to a young, energetic workforce that is ready to take on the challenges of today’s modern workplace.”

Emerging from the shadow of other major U.S. cities such as New York, Boston, and San Francisco, Austin has quickly transformed into an advanced technology hub. That helped it rank second nationwide for startup activity in 2018 and become the second-best city for university graduates, while Texas was ranked the best state in the U.S. for women entrepreneurs.

The live music capital of the world

You will not spend all your time on your master’s degree, so you might as well live somewhere with plenty to see and do in your spare time.

While in Austin, be sure to take full advantage of the chance to call yourself an honorary “Austinite.” Stroll down Sixth Street, the home of live music, where you can catch performances by some of the biggest names in the industry.

Austin City Limits (ACL) lives up to the promise that “everything is bigger in Texas” and is one of the city’s biggest music festivals. Produced by the same team behind Lollapalooza, ACL has hosted Sir Paul McCartney, Travis Scott, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Florence and the Machine, and Kendrick Lamar, among others. Hopefully, ACL will return to normal in 2021.

Hiking, kayaking, and swimming will become some of your favorite hobbies

Knowing that you will have the chance to go kayaking, canoeing, or hiking may not be the deciding factor when choosing to study for a professional master’s in Austin, but it will definitely add a lot of fun between classes, lectures, and exams.

“I love the fact that you can go downtown and five minutes later be in the middle of a park kayaking or go get something good to eat,” says Daniel, a Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) student.

Austin may not have the fast-paced lifestyle of some other U.S. cities, but there is still plenty to do outside your new home, and you can enjoy all kinds of mini-adventures here. Be sure to check out these popular spots, all currently open and waiting for your visit.

• Barton Springs Pool
• Congress Avenue Bridge
• South Congress
• Zilker Park
• Mayfield Park
• The Blanton Museum of Art
• Mount Bonnell