Higher degrees wanted in real world
Those who thought getting a bachelor’s degree would automatically get them a job after graduation are increasingly finding out otherwise.
Getting a graduate degree has become more important over the past several years, said Thomas Kent, dean of the Graduate School.
“Graduate school provides specialized and professional training in different disciplinary areas, and the knowledge base required to support each of these areas doubles about every 10 years or so,” he said.
The number of graduate students at Utah State University has steadily increased over the past few years, Kent said. In the 1999-2000 school year, there were 2,112 graduate students. In the 2000-01 year, there were 2,343, and since then, the numbers have gone up to 2,419 students.
Jonathon Holliss, who is studying mechanical engineering, is one graduate student who chose to do a concurrent degree, which means he’s getting his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time.
“I think getting a graduate degree gives you a better advantage in the workplace,” Holliss said. “There are more people getting an education now.”
Kent agreed with Holliss. A graduate degree provides the necessary skills to perform and stay abreast in a professional field, he said.
Diana Thimmes, admissions officer for graduate students, said she believes getting a graduate degree makes the student more marketable in the world.
Prospective USU graduate students have to keep a 3.0 grade point average for at least the last 60 semester credits, have three recommendation letters, turn in their entire transcript (from every high school and university ever attended), and pass an admission test – usually the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) – to get into their respective programs, according to the USU graduate school Web page.
Thimmes said the graduate program receives between 3,100 and 3,200 applications each year and usually admits between 48 and 50 percent of them.
“They are screened very carefully,” she said.
Thimmes added that not only does the student have to be admitted by the graduate school, but by his department of interest.
“There has to be space available in the program,” she said. “And, we don’t take just anybody.”
The student must have a recommendation from his department for his application to even be considered, Thimmes said.
Deadlines for graduate school applications at USU are a few months before the semester being applied for. For this coming summer semester, the deadline is March 15, 2003. For next fall, June 15, 2003 is the deadline.
Compared to the University of Utah’s, USU’s deadline and fees policies are lenient. The University of Utah’s Fall 2003 deadline is May 1, 2003 and they have a $45 (national students) fee, as opposed to USU’s $40 fee.
Both the University of Utah and BYU also require a 3.0 GPA for admission, along with an academic test score. The GRE is the most common test taken, although some students take the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) or the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).
The graduate school Web site warns that students need to contact their specific departments for other important information about admission requirements before it’s too late.
Tuition is slightly more expensive for graduate students. To be considered a full-time graduate student, nine semester credits must be taken. For full-time resident students, tuition is $1,296 per semester, compared to $1,094 for undergraduate students.
According to page 68 of USU’s General Catalog, the School of Graduate Studies holds membership in the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States and the Western Association of Graduate Schools. The school was organized in 1945, but USU has been awarding master of science degrees since 1914. Doctoral degrees have been given since 1950. USU offers 89 master’s programs and 33 doctoral programs.
-emilieholmes@cc.usu.edu