Why Should You Go To Graduate School?

Despite the fierce competition and high cost of graduate school, there are compelling reasons to get a graduate degree.

A career in academia. To teach at two-year colleges, you’ll need at least a master’s degree; to teach and research at four-year colleges, universities, and graduate programs, you’ll most likely need a doctorate.

Professional licensing. Social workers, psychologists, therapists, and others who directly treat or counsel clients will almost certainly need graduate education to meet national and state licensing requirements. In addition, many insurance carriers only authorize payment to practitioners who meet certain educational and licensing requirements.

Career change. Many people make the decision to return to graduate school after working for a while. A graduate degree provides the necessary training for a new field.

Switch from practitioner to administrator. After working in a field for a while, you may be interested in moving up to the management level. This may require some graduate education.

Career and/or salary advancement. The upper levels of your field may be closed to people with only a bachelor’s degree, no matter how talented you are.

Because you love it. There are plenty of people who choose graduate school because they love the field or because graduate school provides welcome intellectual stimulation.

Because the job market is lousy. Whenever the economy is slow, enrollment in graduate programs boom. People choose to ride out the job market in graduate school, hoping that the economy will be in an upswing about the time they complete their additional education.

Should You Work Before Going to Grad School
Deciding Between a Master's and a Ph.D. Program
Graduate School Timeline
The Importance of Relevant Experience in Grad School Application
Contacting Prospective Graduate Supervisors
Personal Statements
Financing a Graduate Education
Graduate School Checklist

Graduate School Factoids 

• Youngest average age when doctorate is granted:  chemists, 29.7 years old. 
• Oldest average age when doctorate is granted:  educators, 43 years old 
• Median time in graduate programs (doctorate recipients) as of 1993:  7.1 years. 
• A different way to identify top programs in your field is by reading the professional journals.  Look for professors who publish frequently and who are quoted, referenced, or otherwise involved with other people’s articles.  These professors, and their departments, are almost certainly tops in the field. 
• Not every course listed in the catalog is offered every year.  If you have your heart set on a particular class, call to check the likeliness of its being offered when you attend. 
• While GPA and GRE scores matter, so do a clear personal statement, positive letters of recommendation, and documented commitment to your field. 
• The admissions committee will give the most serious consideration to your GPA in your junior and senior years, on the theory that these are the years in which you have been concentrating on your major and have therefore done your best work. 
• Make an appointment to get reacquainted with your recommender.  Bring copies of your transcript, your resume, personal statement, and any other “leave-behinds” that may help your recommender write the letter better. 
• Call your recommenders a few weeks before the deadline to ask if they have any questions you can answer.  It’s a gentle way of reminding them that the deadline’s approaching. 
• At the final stage of the admissions proceedings, all applicants are strong contenders with top credentials.  Three things make the difference at this point:  Your uniqueness (including gender/ethnicity), prior contacts with the department and faculty (you are a known quantity), and the match between your interests and theirs.

Source:  “The Road to Graduate School,” Kaplan, Dianne Lake,