After walking across The Pyramid stage May 1, University ofMemphis students will have to decide if they will enter the workforce or continue their education by pursuing a second degree.
With the availability of financial aid and increasing demand forhigher degrees, attending graduate school is easier and morerewarding than ever, some say.
However, with the rebounding economy and employer demands,others say getting work experience can prove to be the decidingfactor when trying to land a great job.
"From an employer's viewpoint, they like for a student to getwork experience before going to grad school," said Karen Hayes,director of U of M Career and Employment Services. "It's hard foremployers to become interested because they have no workexperience."
Although a bachelor's degree is all some graduates need to get ajob, other fields require advanced degrees.
Thomas Cox, a doctoral student in higher education, said adoctorate degree is a necessity in his field.
"Everyone has a master's degree, and it's hard to compete," Coxsaid. "Especially with the economy, people are finding ways toincrease their employability."
Third-year graduate student Jeff Godsey, who is working on amaster's of arts and liberal science with an emphasis in dramatictheory, understands the importance of his prospective degree.
"Without a Ph.D. nobody is going to believe what you are,"Godsey said.
According to the Employment Policy Foundation, the averagelifetime earnings of a person with a high school diploma is about$1.3 million, that of a person with a master's degrees is $2.3million and $2.9 million for a person holding a doctoral orprofessional degree.
Lifetime earnings show the value of earning an advanced degree,but funding grad school is one reason some people say they don'tgo.
"It's almost a necessity for people to have some degree of(financial) assistance" to attend graduate school, said Cox.
Some say going to grad school after finding a job is the bestway to get the benefits of work experience and an advanceddegree.
"The best of both worlds would be to find a full-time job andhave an employer pay for your education while working," Hayessaid.
