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Why study a graduate program
There is a fair chance that you are not the only person to be thinking about studying a graduate program amongst your friends, colleagues or peers at the moment. In countries all over the world the renewed interest in graduate programs has seen record numbers of local and international students enrolling in diplomas, masters and PhD research degrees. In the USA alone, the US Council of Graduate Schools report a 12% increase in both applications and offers of admission in 2006 compared with the same period in 2005.
But why are graduate programs so popular at the moment? Zhu Bin, a third-year student at the Communication University in Beijing, China is typical of the current crop of students interested in studying at a higher level. “I plan to study a masters degree abroad after my graduation so that I can develop better skills to help me in the search for a job.” The forthcoming edition of the QS Postgraduate Applicant Survey 2007 presents some interesting reasons amongst those interested in pursuing a graduate program in the future, many of which confirm Zhu Bin’s major reason for wanting to study at this level.
It is now clear that the primary reason for students to pursue international education opportunities is to develop a career. In the QS Postgraduate Applicant Survey 2007, students were allowed to indicate a range of reasons for the motivation for their future period of graduate study. The two leading reasons for wishing to study were “to improve career prospects,” with 67% of respondents and “to learn new skills,” with 51% of respondents. Given the level of research and preparation that is involved in making international graduate applications, in addition to the cost of tuition fees and living expenses these results come as no surprise. Those most interested in studying abroad at a top university see that a significant return on their investment is as important as any other factor in their decision making process.
The results of the QS Survey further underline the emphasis now placed on graduate-level study as a means of professional development and career advancement. The third most cited reason for embarking on a masters or PhD program was indicated as “to build a professional network,” with 37% of respondents regarding this as significant. Furthermore, reasons such as “to boost salary,” with 23% of respondents, “to enable career change,” with 26% of respondents and “to start a business,” with 20% of respondents all appeared very strongly in the final results.
But not all prospective students are entirely focused on how a graduate program can help them to enhance their career prospects and earning potential. The QS Postgraduate Applicant Survey 2007 also gives us a sharp reminder that studying at this higher level is as much about interest in an academic subject and the broader value of education in its own right. 25% of respondents to the Survey indicated that their primary reason for applying for a graduate program was “for education” rather than any motivation directly related to career enhancement.
Whatever your personal reasons for considering a graduate program are, you can be sure that the investment you are about to make in enrolling at a top university will never be solely confined to those that you can measure in a financial sense. The opportunity to study abroad at the graduate level in particular will expose you to different ways of thinking and an entirely new culture – reasons compelling enough to motivate you to complete the application form and send off your details.
