Excellent Reasons:
- A graduate degree is a prerequisite for entering certain careers, such as law, medicine
and university teaching. Therefore to pursue such positions, advanced degrees are
necessary.
- The love of a particular subject and the desire to study it in-depth and/or specialize.
- You can get a better job in your field with a graduate degree.
Poor Reasons:
- You want to avoid looking for a job—you are afraid of finding or not finding employment.
- You don’t know what you want to do for a career and you think that graduate school
will help you decide. In reality, choosing to go to graduate school should be the
result of making a career direction choice.
- You believe the liberal arts degree has not prepared you for the world of work since
it is so broad.
- You cannot get a job with a B.A. because of overcrowding in your field. Many occupational
areas that are glutted for those with undergraduate degrees are also glutted for those
at the graduate level. Check it out – you may be no better off with a graduate degree
or you may be overqualified.
- It is expected now after college (i.e. your parents or professors expect it).
Graduate school is highly self-directed—it is difficult to make a go of it when you are unsure of the reasons why you are there.
Analyze your motives for considering advanced study.
- What kind of position am I interested in pursuing after graduation? Does it require
a graduate degree? Attending grad school should not be a way of postponing a decision—in
fact, it should be the logical result of making a decision.
- Are my interests compatible with the activities I will be involved in during advanced
training? Am I motivated to explore the detail of a specialty area?
- Am I familiar with the variety of positions held by individuals with advanced degrees
in my field?
- Do my achievements and academic background reflect the ability to successfully complete a graduate program?