Collegiate Times

But when looking at the benefits and cost effectiveness of attending graduate school in this economy, it comes down to the individual and what is best for them, said Karen DePauw, vice president and dean for graduate education.

“I talk to students about timing and when one goes to graduate school, and that it varies upon the individual,” DePauw said. “It kind of depends on the field that they are in and where they want to go in their life. For some people it is good to go right into a master’s program. For others, getting work experience is better.”

Virginia Tech’s Post-Graduation Report for the class of 2008 reported 26.1 percent of graduates continued their education after receiving a bachelor’s degree, up from the 16.4 percent of the class of 1999 who planned to continue education in a graduate program.

The August 2009 publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ unemployment rate showed a similar increase at 9.7 percent of the U.S. unemployed compared to 6.2 percent a year ago in August 2008.

Timing is very important in the current job market as companies keep slashing jobs and slimming down to operate in the weak economy,” said Donna Ratcliffe, director of Career Services at Virginia Tech. “This in turn creates a higher level of competition where those with higher degrees stand out.”

“It’s similar to the whole real estate terms ‘buyer’s market’ and ‘seller’s market,” Ratcliffe said. “This is an employer’s market where there is going to
be a great number of qualified candidates for the few positions companies have available.”

It is still important, however, for students to continue pursuing a job even if they decide to enroll in a graduate school.

“If students have a desire to gain a graduate degree, they should pursue all possible options,” Ratcliffe said. “Students should apply for
a graduate program and pursue the job market, running a parallel
pursuit of both.”

Graduate students also have the opportunity to gain experience through assisting in research and becoming teacher’s assistants, which universities will generally reward with tuition assistance, said
second-year graduate student Lewis Hutchins.

“When I graduated undergraduate school, the job market was hot,” Hutchins said. “Companies were throwing jobs my way with signing bonuses, but I decided I wanted to go back to school and experience it while I could.”

Hutchins has worked both as a research assistant and teacher’s assistant throughout his time as a graduate student, helping to finance the cost of his schooling.

For those looking to attend a graduate school, it is much like when students were in high school
preparing for college. It is never too early to start preparing and looking ahead, DePauw said.

“Academic preparation, GPA and standardized test scores
are all very important,” DePauw said. “I think it’s becoming more important today that
undergraduates get research experience in their field, and even to reach out beyond one’s
discipline.”

Nothing has changed in the way that students must go about getting jobs or attending graduate school. It is just that students must become more intense and dedicated in
their pursuit of a career because of the economy and lack of jobs, Ratcliffe said.

The best things students can do is explore on their own and talk to people so that they can be informed on their choices and determine what is best for them, because in the end it is different for each individual,
DePauw said. “However, I think that an investment in education is one of the best investments that we can make.”