Graduate School Office | Photo by Caitlin Shatsby | The Wright State Guardian
Many Wright State University (WSU) students are faced with the question of whether or not to go to graduate school each year.
Statistics
There are many factors to consider such as cost, job prospects and time management as the modern workforce requires more and more higher education.
According to Harvard Business Review, “In the U.S., the number of graduate students has tripled since the 1970s, and according to some estimates, 27% of employers now require master’s degrees for roles in which historically undergraduate degrees sufficed.”
WSU currently provides 136 graduate programs to over 2,200 graduate students.
Students and faculty provide a window into the graduate experience and if graduate school was truly the right decision for them.
Student life
Helen Harris is currently enrolled in WSU’s International and Comparative Politics master’s program to meet the growing demand for advanced degrees in her desired career of analyzing data and trends.
“A lot of the types of jobs I wanted were ones where they kind of wanted you to have a master’s degree under your belt to be able to even get into entry-level stuff,” Harris said.
The International and Comparative Politics master’s program currently requires a minimum of 32 credit hours compared to the 36 credit hours required for the International Studies bachelor’s degree.
Abigail Bonifas, a sophomore psychology undergraduate student, plans on furthering her education in graduate school with either a master’s or P.H.D even though she knows it will be difficult.
“I feel like a lot of people talk about how hard [graduate school] is,” Bonifas said.
Graduate faculty
One such faculty member is Bridgett Severt, who teaches microanatomy in the Masters of Anatomy Program in the Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology (NCBP) department.
Severt received her Master’s from WSU in 2013.
Severt encourages students on the fence with graduate school to try the program even in the face of the pandemic.
“Not only do students go on to become healthcare providers, but some go on to teach, do research, develop curriculum for medical schools, etc.,” Severt said.
WSU students can learn more about graduate school at: https://www.wright.edu/graduate-school
