4 Reasons to Consider Grad School

Why Grad School KT

 

We’ve reached a point where a bachelor’s degree is the standard. Advanced degrees are on the rise which has resulted in more masters and doctoral degrees than ever before. Like anything else in life, grad school isn’t the best choice for everyone, but it can be difficult to determine if it’s for you if you don’t have a clear career path.  I’m sure you know how challenging school is and that it’s expensive. Here are a few solid reasons why grad school might be right for you:

 

Career Change

Career change is a popular reason for pursuing advanced degrees these days. A lot of people looking to increase earning potential or simply follow their passions.  Sometimes career change means you need additional training. If you’re considering a career change, you’ll want to do some research online and talk to someone established in that career to determine whether or not grad school is necessary. Remember, grad school isn’t cheap, there’s no reason to get in bed with Sallie Mae if you don’t have to.

JHU Graduation

Job Opportunities

One of the biggest reasons why I went to grad school is because I wanted to make myself more marketable. My bachelor’s degree is in Packaging Science, and while there are plenty of jobs in this field, it’s a niche degree with jobs in places I don’t want to live. Generally speaking, most STEM industries don’t require advanced degrees to advance. But I felt a masters degree would widen the scope of my job options for where I wanted to live. Getting a graduate degree in a different but related and more general discipline became my goal. If you have your eye on better job opportunities in your field and are considering grad school, do your research online and in person. Look at the job descriptions of the jobs you want and figure out if the required skills are ones best learned on the job over time or with another degree.

 

Related: Pros & Cons of Working Through Grad School

Required for Career

Depending on your career aspirations a masters or doctorate may be necessary. Obviously, this means you kinda have to know your end game. If you want to teach, do major research, be a dean, or chair a department, you can pretty much count on needing an advanced degree at minimum. As I mentioned earlier, bachelor’s degrees are the new normal so one way employers are filtering talent now is increasing the educational requirements. I’m seeing so many more positions these days requiring PhDs. Again, part of the battle here is defining your goals. Once you figure out what you want to be, you can figure out what’s required to achieve it.

JHU SP17 Grad

 

Related: Full-Time Work & Grad Student | Finishing Grad School in 1.5 Years

 

Become a Subject Matter Expert

My masters is in materials science & engineering, so it provided deeper knowledge into how the materials I was using in packaging applications, their properties, and how they can be manipulated to achieve the function needed. Now I’m not saying an advanced degree automatically makes you a subject matter expert but it certainly puts you on a track to become one. In many cases, you’ll have a thesis or be doing research that’ll not only make you more knowledgeable but connect you with the best minds in the field. You are more marketable and valuable to an employer when you have expertise in an area. If I were to stay within R&D understanding how to manipulate material behavior without relying on external sources could save a company time and money. Lastly, the cool thing about being a subject matter expert is everyone wants your opinion and recommendations. You could consult full-time or on the side, publish in peer-reviewed journals, be invited to speak at conferences or be asked to weigh in on important related social issues.

KT Masters Celebrate

 

Did you go to graduate school? Why did you decide to go? Comment down below and share with someone considering an advanced degree!

Pintrest Grad school for you

 

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8 Comments

  1. I love expanding my education as much as I can! I want to eventually finish out school for web design so I can make 6k to 10k a pop. I know how to build WordPress sites for now, but I want to have more opportunities. Opportunities come when you expand your knowledge. I love this!

  2. I did not go to grad school and I’ve been playing with the idea of gaining more of an education. I just have to find the time + money, I love to learn new things when it comes to my career field. I just have to take that leap. Thanks for the tips.

    1. It could always be a certificate or isolated classes, it doesn’t have to be a degreed program. Like I said, figuring out your end goal is key. Maybe what you want to do won’t require a lot of time and money. Best of luck to you!

  3. Great info! While I am not interested in grad school, I see your reasons for it. You are completely right – you have to know your end goal. For someone like me, community college is actually needed to become an occupational therapy assistant (COTA) since you can’t get that in any higher education. But to be a doctor, teacher, or something else, grad school is of course the option needed. Thanks for sharing!

  4. It’s great to go to grade school if you have a specific goal in mind! I spend so much time in undergrad figuring out what I wanted to do that I really can’t go to grad school anytime soon. Although it could be something to consider way in the future.

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