College is a confusing, experimental and stressful time. Most students can’t wait to get here, and most here can’t wait to get out.
After the freshman excitement has subsided, students are left with midterm after midterm and can’t wait until it’s over. They know what they want to do with their lives, and they’re ready to face the real world after graduation.
But the story doesn’t end there. There is a rare species in the rainforest type option that is available. Graduate school.
Most students have heard professors and representatives on campus pleading them to continue their studies and apply to graduate school. However, some students question whether it is beneficial in the long run.
First, get to the point. The salary difference is the main advantage of a master’s degree that keeps most students interested in pursuing another few years of stress.
According to U.S. News and World Report, “While the average worker with a bachelor’s degree makes a comfortable $42,000 a year, master’s degree holders make about 25 percent more. And those with professional degrees earn, on average, more than twice the income of those who stopped at a B.A.”
Although some majors are difficult enough to complete in four or five years, going further for a Master of Business Administration can have serious benefits.
A study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers from 2005 found that a master’s in physics can increase starting salary by $17,800. Electrical and communications engineering ranked second with a difference of $13,008.
If this isn’t incentive enough, think about the economy. Some may be worried about its state and abstain from higher education.
However, the story is quite the opposite. Many people are flocking to get a master’s degree, particularly in business.
“Business schools traditionally benefit when the economy suffers. The 2001 dot-com bust created similar bouts of career panic. Dan McCleary, director of admissions for master’s programs at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about a significant increase in applications,” the U.S. News and World Report stated.
At Texas A&M, as of the 2007-2008 school year, nearly 8,000 students are pursuing a master’s degree from a university with more than 44,000 undergraduate students.
The Texas A&M Office of Institutional Studies and Planning compiles all the information about currently enrolled students pursuing these degrees. Typically, majors that can benefit from continuing education include: engineering, business, education, agriculture and architecture. These majors account for more than 80 percent of those enrolled in master’s programs.
Also, once a graduate with bachelor’s degree goes to work, it’s not too late for them to go back to school and get a master’s.
Many employers take pride in and readily offer employees the opportunity and financing to continue education with a master’s degree.
Because of the changing job market, employers do not want to hire inexperienced workers even though they have the degree they’re looking for. Instead, companies usually look inward first and seek to better the education of already experienced employees.
For more informationTexas A&M offers help to graduate students who need financial aid through jobs, assistantships, research funding and more. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies, or go to http://ogs.tamu.edu.