BYU–Hawaii professors highly recommend students to research graduate schools before furthering their education. There may be fields that require graduate degrees and have a high percentage of graduate students getting jobs, such as jobs in healthcare and social work, according to U.S. News and World Report.
“All prophets tell us to receive as much education as we can,” said Jennifer Chen, a professor in Accounting who got her master’s in accounting and Ph.D. in business administration with an accounting emphasis.
“Going to graduate school is not the only way to obtain more education. However, it is the traditional path that many people take.”
Some of the pros of going to graduate school are increased earning capability and professional credibility, according to Petersons.com, an informational website devoted to helping students learn about college and university options.
Sanoma Goodwill, a professor in English who received her Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition, said, “Those of us who were in the same program I was in, we used to say, ‘Intelligence is not the most important characteristic. Determination, endurance, perseverance, that’s what it takes to be a successful graduate student.’”
Going to graduate school will increase income and further career prospects, according to Petersons.com. A student could work on advanced projects with advanced tools while getting recognition for the work they complete.
Students can also teach and do research at the universities they attend. Getting a higher degree may also help escape being behind a desk all day and being able to do business outside of work, according to Petersons.com.
“I got to work around the world with different government agencies with the U.S. Department of Defense,” said James D. Lee, the dean of the College of Business, Computing and Government. Lee got his master’s in accounting and Ph.D. in management information systems.
“There was a project at the United Nations I worked on. I was able to do a lot of research that, without the advanced degree, I wouldn’t have been able to do.”
J. Brian Watkins, an assistant professor in Accounting, with a master’s in accounting and a J.D., said, “I talk about the negatives of law school, but I made a lot of money, and it enabled me to have a large family and to have my wife at home.
“You work hard, but you get paid well. But eventually you realize there are a lot more things more important than money. Even though the money was nice, I couldn’t do this forever.”
Graduate schools are also competitive and have fewer spots than undergraduate programs. Entering into a higher institution can put stress on a student’s social life with friends and family, due to situations involving housing, time, and money.
Goodwill decided to get her graduate degree and had the support of her family. “When a person goes to graduate school–and if there’s family involved–that has to be a family decision,” Goodwill said. “It requires the help and support and encouragement of everybody in that family.”
U.S. News reported potential students who do not know what to do with their degrees should not pursue graduate studies. Instead, it is better to find out personal interests by volunteering at potential jobs, researching, or doing internships.
“It will really punish you if you haven’t done your research,” said Watkins. “I see students as undergraduates that have already been out to accounting firms and worked in firms like them, and want to train them. They wouldn't have got those jobs if they hadn’t done the research and the work ahead of time. You can’t just graduate and find a job.
“Make sure [students] understand where graduate school is in their plan,” continued Watkins. “If they are just going to school saying they’ll figure it out when they’re in school, that’s a mistake. But if you know what you want to do and you know how you’re going to incorporate school into that plan, great.”
Graduate school is expensive, and if a student enters without a plan, they will be paying student loans for a long time, says Petersons.com.
Graduate programs require higher emotional maturity, wrote Petersons.com. It becomes very important to work hard and do everything necessary.
Lee said getting a graduate degree “helped me inspire in my children a desire to be well educated and recognize the importance of being learners for their entire lives. Their mother has also done that. She supported me for a long time. I was in school for a long time and when I finished she was finally able to go back to school and earn her degree.”