As the 11th Annual Graduate and Professional School Fair approaches, students should be sure they are considering graduate school for the right reasons.
"Some students decide to go to graduate school because they're clueless about their career choice or what they want to do," said Karen Hayes, director of career and employment services.
Others want to attend because the job market is poor.
"These aren't necessarily reasons to go," she said.
Hayes recommends going to graduate school if you want to make a dramatic career change or gain additional expertise in a certain field.
Unemployment rates also drop for people who obtain a master's degree.
An employee is going to get paid more and they will have more bargaining power if they attend graduate school, she said.
Some employers are even willing to pay for a student's graduate school education if they agree to work for that company after they graduate.
Karen Weddle-West, assistant vice provost for graduate studies, agreed that going to graduate school has its benefits.
"The primary benefit in attending graduate school in this day and age is that you can actually double your lifetime salary," she said.
There are also professional and personal advantages of graduate school. The quality of life improves in a community when you have people with higher education degrees, she said.
The application process to graduate school is relatively simple. Students can complete applications for The University of Memphis Graduate School online.
"It's important that students research schools they want to attend in their sophomore or junior year," Clay Woemmel, assistant director for career and employment services, said.
Students should allow themselves plenty of time to prepare for the application test. Those who want to enroll immediately after graduation should submit graduate school applications as soon as December of their senior year, he said.
"Different schools have different deadlines. The more competitive the school and program, the earlier their deadlines are going to be," Woemmel said.
Students interested in going to grad school should know the deadlines and remember that grade point average is also a factor.
"It's [graduate school] a way to move up and into more leadership type of roles," he said.
Tina Jeong, a graduate assistant, is in her second year working for a doctorate in counseling psychology. She's going to school to hone in on clinical and research skills.
"You pretty much need a Ph.D. to be able to do anything with a psychology degree," she said.
According to Jeong, being in graduate school establishes a person's professional identity. It also gives a person a certain status in whatever field they go.
"At the doctoral level, courses are small, you do more critical thinking and complete a thesis which helps you learn in depth about your field," she said.
Jeong faced one challenge while applying for graduate school that prospective students might be able to identify with.
"You're competing with the top students in an area," she said.
