5 tips for approaching your employer for master’s study sponsorship

Want to ask your employer to fund your studies? Discover our top tips for making a successful request. 

Gaining a master’s while you’re employed at an organisation can not only boost your success in your current role and greatly expand your career opportunities into the future, but it can also provide a host of benefits to your employer.  

Here are 5 tips for how to approach your employer for master’s study sponsorship: 

1. Get started early 

To secure study sponsorship from your employer for your master’s course in time for the course admissions deadline, you’ll need to get started early. 

If you work for a large organisation, it’s likely there’ll be multiple stakeholders involved in the decision-making process, so study sponsorship decisions can take longer.  

That’s why it’s important to approach your employer as soon as you’ve decided you’re ready to study a master’s course. 

If you’re planning to start a new job, you can even think ahead by trying to negotiate a master’s study sponsorship as part of your employment package.  

2. Prepare a proposal 

If you want your employer to sponsor your master’s course, they’ll inevitably want to see a return on their investment.  

Essentially, you’ll need to ‘sell’ them the benefits they’ll gain by investing their money into your studies.  

Planning and preparing a proposal for pitching these benefits to your employer before starting the study sponsorship conversation with them will help to better position you for success. 

When you’re creating your proposal, they key consideration should be aligning with your organisation’s goals.  

Outline the goals your organisation is trying to achieve. Then, for each goal, explain how you gaining a master’s can help your organisation achieve those goals – be clear on these selling points in your proposal. 

Taking the time and effort to prepare a well thought-out proposal will demonstrate to your employer that you’re committed to both your professional development and your organisation’s success. 

3. Make a compelling case

Now that you’ve prepared your proposal, it’s time to pitch it to your employer. 

The most compelling points to highlight in your discussion with your employer will be the immediate and tangible benefits they stand to gain from sponsoring your master’s course.  

These benefits include: 

• Enhanced effectiveness – as you progress through your master’s course, you’ll be able to immediately apply your acquired skills and knowledge to your work, enhancing your effectiveness and success in your current role. 

• Advanced expertise in crucial areas – by studying for a master’s, you’ll be acquiring advanced skills in crucial business areas such as leadership, decision-making and change management. This will in turn help to boost the success of your organisation. 
   
• Access to global networks – when you study an online master’s course specifically, your organisation will be able to leverage the insights and perspectives of your global network of professionals and industry-leading organisations.  

4. Be confident and persuasive and address your employer’s concerns

It’s crucial to your success to be as confident and persuasive as possible during your discussion with your employer about your master’s study sponsorship. 

That doesn’t mean being demanding or arrogant in your approach. It just means remaining assertive and persuasive while clearly demonstrating to your employer the benefits that completing your master’s course will bring to your organisation.  

Be sure to also confidently and thoughtfully address any concerns your employer may raise during your discussion, rather than being dismissive or evasive. It’s vital that your employer’s concerns are heard and satisfactorily addressed to ensure your success. 

5. Remain open to negotiation 

If you’ve taken all these steps and you still haven’t been successful in securing sponsorship for your master’s studies from your employer, remain open to negotiation. 

If they aren’t able to offer you full financial sponsorship for your master’s course, they may be open to other study support options, such as partial financial sponsorship or paid study leave.  

If your employer says no to your initial request for master’s study sponsorship, don’t be afraid to ask if they would consider other options to help support your studies and reach a compromise that suits both of you. 

Again, be sure to highlight the benefits your organisation stands to gain in offering you these study support options. If your organisation values you and your skills as an employee, they will likely be glad to reach a compromise with you and offer you options and opportunities to further develop your skills and retain you as an employee. 

Queen Mary Online's part-time master's courses enable you to study flexibly online on your own terms – anytime, anywhere. There are a range of funding options available: