Obtaining a graduate degree can be a tremendous growth experience, and can significantly impact your career development in a number of positive ways.  Graduate school gives you the opportunity to specialize your studies in a particular area of interest to give you a much more thorough understanding of that field, as well as a credential that may improve your job opportunities in academia and the outside world. You may be interested in a research-oriented program, with the goal of becoming a researcher or professor in that field, or you may be looking for a program with a more professional focus, like Law or Medicine.  In any case, the Career Center can assist you with the process of determining if graduate school is a good option for you, researching appropriate programs, and preparing your applications.

Keep in mind - there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of as you consider pursuing graduate study:

1. After 10 years in graduate school, half of all doctoral students in the humanities, 45 percent in social sciences, and a third in the hard sciences do not have a Ph.D.
2. Waiting a long time to begin a career costs not just time but also future security; a retirement fund begun in your 20s pays far greater dividends than money invested in your 30s.
3. Graduate students often find it difficult to start or maintain the family life they'd like.

This list is not intended to scare you off!  Graduate school may be a perfect choice for your goals, and we can assist you with getting there; it just isn't a choice to be made lightly, or as a chance to hold off on making a decision for another few years.

For more specific information on research and applications, see the links on the left.