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What should I do, and where? How to choose a graduate program
James Donald canvases opinion from around the world on why postgraduate education is so important and how students can decide which institution and course is for them
“At a fundamental level, a postgraduate degree in law enables students to gain additional knowledge beyond the first law degree,” says Elizabeth Dalferes, Assistant Director of Admission & Graduate Program Administration at the Tulane Law School in the US. “Beyond this fundamental benefit, a graduate degree provides opportunities to explore special areas of interest and expand professional networks. Students are more self-sufficient at the graduate level than at the undergraduate level, and they have a baseline understanding when they embark on a graduate degree. Students who pursue a postgraduate degree can engage in research, participate in advanced coursework, and collaborate with faculty in ways that might not have been available to them on the undergraduate level. These opportunities help students build their resumés and prepare for their careers as they move into the professional arena.”
Clear and professional motives
A graduate degree also appeals to seasoned professionals, she says, as it provides them with the opportunity to build on previous knowledge and develop expertise in a particular area or scholarly or practical interest. The new skills and advanced training provided by the degree help students to advance in their professional goals or even make the transition into a new career choice.
“Beyond the opportunity for intellectual stimulation and personal enrichment, most students are drawn to a graduate program for professional reasons,”
“Beyond the opportunity for intellectual stimulation and personal enrichment, most students are drawn to a graduate program for professional reasons,” says Kristin S Williams, Executive Director of Graduate Student Enrollment Management at the George Washington University. “For some students, a graduate degree is the entry-level qualification for the profession; for others, it provides greater job mobility and compensation. Many pursue a graduate program to keep up with new advances, strengthening both their work performance and job security.”
A graduate degree can also be a stepping stone to a new career, she continues. “A profession that seemed a good fit in undergraduate school may not prove to be the best match in real life, or one’s personal interests, life goals, and/or financial needs may have changed. In either case, graduate study can facilitate a transition to new opportunities and greater job fulfilment.”
She thinks that whatever the motivation, a graduate degree generally provides increased employability and therefore earning potential: “Actual statistics vary by region, country, and academic discipline, but can be remarkable. For example, in the United States, people with a Masters degree earn an average of 20 per cent more than those with only a Bachelors degree, and Doctoral degree holders earn almost 68 per cent more. Further, because graduates become researchers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and leaders within their professions and communities, graduate programs also provide long-term benefits to society as well.”
For Williams an applicant’s motive – or motives – for pursuing a graduate program not only affects the decision about where and when to enroll, but can also impact success in applying for admission and in graduating. “Applicants who are thoughtful, informed, and confident about why they want to go to graduate school usually submit stronger, more focused applications for admission, and successfully complete the degree. Students with clearly-defined goals tend to remain committed, persist in their studies, and successfully complete the degree,” she concludes.
Focus on what is important to you
Choosing a course and institution for your postgraduate degree can seem like a daunting task – but it needn’t be. There are some simple rules to follow which will help you work out where to go. And it will all be worth it when you make the right choice. Veronica Boulton, Faculty Business Director at Bond University in Australia, says that: “postgraduate study not only increases our knowledge and skills base, but is undertaken for many different reasons by many different people to either, diversify their undergraduate qualifications, change their career direction, enhance employability or purely for intellectual endeavour.”
