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Under: Career
Graduate School: Should I Go?
  • Admin
    LV
    Have you been to graduate school? If so, was it worth it? If you decided not to go, why not? What are the pros and cons?
  • Karismatikgirl
    I go part time in the evenings. I wanted to go right after undergraduate, but was hesitant to take out such big loans to pay for it. I instead found a job that paid well and offered tuition reimbursement after working for 2 years. I've been a part-time grad student now for 5 years (and graduate in the spring!) and while it's taken longer than the 1 year full time option, I've been able to work the whole time which provided income, I've gained valuable job experience, and instead of costing me about $52,000 for the program, it's only cost about $1,400 (books, taxes) because the rest was reimbursed by my job. The career advancement, work experience, and money I saved was a great choice. If anyone can find a job that has tuition reimbursement as a benefit, I highly recommend it
  • MeganAP
    I just finished a one-year professional master's program in industrial relations (human resources and labour relations). It was well worth it for me because my bachelor degree in psychology on its own would not really help me much job-wise. Now I have a big leg-up in finding a job in human resources, and in the promotional opportunities I will have in the future. I guess it depends on why you want to go. For me it was to boost my career. Another option I considered was a post-graduate college diploma, which allows you to get a diploma (for example in human resources) in just a year if you have a bachelor degree, which gives you practical job experience.
  • MarieJ
    It depends a lot on the field, and also why you are going. I went to grad school straight from undergrad, and did it full time. It worked out well for me, but I exited with a ton of student loans (that I have now paid off, thank goodness). Some fields just value Master's degrees more, like engineering, nursing, and social work. It can still be worthwhile if you are strategic about getting the most out of it and leveraging it to get a much, much better job than you would have had otherwise.

    Really, though, the ideal is to have your employer pay for it!
  • Crocky
    I got my Masters in Accounting right after I finished my undergraduate program and I never regretted it. It helped me with cementing certain concepts into my noggin, and I can now sit for my CPA exam, which will make me more marketable, should I choose to go into more of a management/director/CFO direction in my career.
  • Prettyballa35
    I went a couple of years after undergrad and since I still didn't know what I wanted to do I studied Humanities. Now 5 years later I'm in the healthcare administration field & although my degree has nothing to do with healhcare, simply having it allowed me to step into a high level position without experience.

    So while it definitely depends on the field and specific job, I don't think it something anyone would regret.
  • SarahDF
    I finished my Masters of Arts in Teaching last August (I have a BA in History, which does not provide a teaching certificate). Unfortunatly, due to the job market and cuts in funding I was unable to find a teaching job this school year, as were many of my fellow graduates. I am not disapointed that I chose to go to grad school as it was a long time goal. Right now I am subbing as well as working another part time job while I continue to look for a full time teaching position.
    An investment in grad school in this economy is probably a better bet for those who already have a job in the field of their degree, will continue to work while in school, and are looking to increase their chances of promotion in the same field by obtaining a graduate degree.
  • probowler123
    I'm sorry hear that SarahDF, I hope you find permanent employment soon. I graduated in 2008 with a B.A. and worked hard to keep a steady paycheck during the recession. When the "debt crisis" occurred last summer, I decided to throw in the towel and go to graduate school. After all, I had a great scholarship offered to me. However, if the scholarship wasn't there I don't know if I would have paid for graduate school.
  • DollarDicipline
    I went to graduate school in London to get my masters degree in Economic History. I knew that it might not be the MBA that most employers look for, but I loved the program and am very passionate about academia and economics. I made sure that I could pay for everything without taking out any debt. It was one of the best things I've ever done. I was able to take a 1 year break (masters programs in England are often 1 year) from the rat race at work. Since it was only 1 year long, it was easier to finance. When I came back to the US, it wansn't as easy to get back into the job market as I had hoped, but I was able to find consulting projects until I was finally hired on full time. Graduate school is very good for personal development but may be hard on the wallet. If you are able to find a program that is affordable or has a high return on investment (i.e. MBA at Harvard Business School), go for it!

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