Is Graduate School Right for Me? It Depends.
posted by Areanna Nixon | September 13, 2017 | In Arts and Culture, NewsAt one point in time, hardly anyone was expected to complete high school, but now, attaining a bachelor’s degree is considered to be the base expectation. For this reason, some adults who’ve worked for decades decide to go back to school, and current students struggle with the decision to either continue or enter the workforce with what they have.
This leads many to wonder, at what point does a degree lose its value?
David Leonhardt, of the New York Times, stated: “There is nothing magical about 13 years of education. As the economy becomes more technologically complex, the amount of education that people need will rise. At some point, 15 years or 17 years of education will make more sense as a universal goal. That point, in fact, has already arrived.”
Trends in salary confirm that education level affects pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average weekly earnings of those completing 4-year degrees were $1,156, compared to $692 made by high school graduates, demonstrating a strong correlation to education level, as they rose concurrently.
Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce commented to the Washington Post: “The general conclusion about graduate degrees is that they do improve earnings. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some turkeys in the mix.”
As a Washington Post article pointed out, “it pays to go back to school– most of the time.”
On average, majors in communications do not see much of change in salary after attaining a master’s degree, but after attaining a Ph. D., salary doubles. Engineering majors through, see “a steady bump after each degree,” according to the Washington Post.
The fact of the matter here is, as technology and means of living progress, the need for education will increase in order to sustain these advances, which is why expectations have changed.
Consider, what at some point was a nonexistent field, Computer engineering, is now a multi-billion dollar sector with an abundance of opportunities for those holding professional and doctoral degrees.
Still, though, nothing is black and white. Much of this depends on the career field of choice.
Mick Mixon, media professional and announcer for the Carolina Panthers shared: “In this crazy industry, the experience is key. Even if you want to teach someday, you will still need the pedigree that only comes from the real world.”
While there are many important theories and ethics to consider, a person cannot necessarily be taught to be a journalist or teacher the same way in which you could be instructed as a dental hygienist or computer programmer. Some fields simply require getting out and acquiring professional experience.
What should be emphasized though, is the fact that the “value” of a degree is subjective.
Although cliche, truthfully, money is not everything. The misconception is that the worth of a degree is measured solely by the monetary payoff.
Dr. Donald T Lauria, UNC Gillings School of Public Health, said, “You think its purpose is to make money, but I don’t think that’s true. The goal of education is much broader than making money. Money is part of the reason for choosing higher education, but it’s more of a constraint than a goal. How can you best serve society is a much higher and nobler goal than making money.”
Dr. Lauria explained that there are certain concepts he would not have understood had he not completed his graduate study.
Dr. Pete Kolsky, an colleague of Dr. Lauria and associate director at The Water Institute added on: “Some of these were purely technical/mechanical things, but most were ways of looking at problems, or types of questions to ask myself and others in solving a problem.” He added, “The rewards are not precise ones.”
But rather than rushing into a master’s and doctoral program, we should stop to reflect on their distinct purposes.
“It’s worth distinguishing between master’s and doctoral programs. If the objective is to learn how to be the best practicing engineer you can be, and change the world for the better through efficient and sustainable ways of employing available resources, the Master’s education is the best bang for a buck there is a special spirit in most master’s programs because graduate engineers have chosen a field and made a commitment to learning more about it. Doctoral education is precious in its way, but it teaches “just” one thing…how to do research,” Dr. Kolsky said.
The truth of the matter is, while we stress ourselves out about pursuing higher education, the value of that degree will always vary between individuals.
We must actually take the time to consider our own personal, academic, and career goals.
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