Graduate School Candidates Find Online Education Meets Career And Degree Demands


Sunday, May 1, 2011

There are certain occupations where having just a bachelors degree is nowhere near enough. You can probably rattle off a good handful of them - such a lawyer, doctor, or college professor. Then again, there are a lot of people who have their four year degree and think they can sit back and succeed with it. At the same time, in many professions, they know they are holding themselves back.

After all, the cold numbers say a lot. The Department of Labor did a study back in 2000, and what they discovered about post-graduate education was truly eye-opening. A person with a bachelors degree will earn an average annual salary of nearly $52,000 over their lifetime. On the other hand, a person with a masters will increase their average salary by nearly 20%, at slightly over $62,000. If that isn't enough, those with a PhD will boost their average annual wages to nearly $90,000. Overall, taking those extra two to three years to get a doctorate will increase one's average wage by nearly 70%.

It's not that post-graduate studies are a walk in the park. In principle they aren't supposed to be. It wouldn't be called advanced education if it wasn't. The simple truth is post-grad work is as much about independent research as it is straight up rote learning. Some people fear the discomfort that comes with this kind of education.

For those who are unsure about this, many on campus and online colleges have come up with an elegant solution to the problem. They offer sample courses to prospective students, many of them for free. While these courses may not be fully accredited, they are a good way to get one's feet wet.

Another issue students face is holding down a full-time job while also trying to keep up with their studies. Actually, many companies will go out of their way to assist their employees in advancing. Some will help their employee work a schedule around their studies. Others will even help pay for the education, either through various savings plans or directly throwing in their share, if not all, of the tuition.

Many times the post-grad student can help him or herself too by taking their classes online. One of online education's main claims to fame is its scheduling flexibility. The student can take his or her classes when it's convenient to them. Thus they can still hold down their standard 9-to-5 job, take care of the family and house and, in general, do what must be done.

As for the financial aspects of getting a post-grad degree, there are many other sources of financial aid outside a student's place of employment and such federal programs like the federal Lifetime Learning program or the S-STEM scholarship. Students can consult with professional societies, state programs and even social clubs as potential sources of assistance.

There are a lot of reasons for enrolling in a post-graduate online education program. Many adults will be able to take advantage of back to school grants and scholarships to help finance their advancement. If the hard numbers aren't convincing enough, it was reported those with graduate degrees report much higher levels of job satisfaction. That in itself says a lot.





There are certain occupations where having just a bachelors degree is nowhere near enough. You can probably rattle off a good handful of them - such a lawyer, doctor, or college professor. Then again, there are a lot of people who have their four year degree and think they can sit back and succeed with it. At the same time, in many professions, they know they are holding themselves back.

After all, the cold numbers say a lot. The Department of Labor did a study back in 2000, and what they discovered about post-graduate education was truly eye-opening. A person with a bachelors degree will earn an average annual salary of nearly $52,000 over their lifetime. On the other hand, a person with a masters will increase their average salary by nearly 20%, at slightly over $62,000. If that isn't enough, those with a PhD will boost their average annual wages to nearly $90,000. Overall, taking those extra two to three years to get a doctorate will increase one's average wage by nearly 70%.

It's not that post-graduate studies are a walk in the park. In principle they aren't supposed to be. It wouldn't be called advanced education if it wasn't. The simple truth is post-grad work is as much about independent research as it is straight up rote learning. Some people fear the discomfort that comes with this kind of education.

For those who are unsure about this, many on campus and online colleges have come up with an elegant solution to the problem. They offer sample courses to prospective students, many of them for free. While these courses may not be fully accredited, they are a good way to get one's feet wet.

Another issue students face is holding down a full-time job while also trying to keep up with their studies. Actually, many companies will go out of their way to assist their employees in advancing. Some will help their employee work a schedule around their studies. Others will even help pay for the education, either through various savings plans or directly throwing in their share, if not all, of the tuition.

Many times the post-grad student can help him or herself too by taking their classes online. One of online education's main claims to fame is its scheduling flexibility. The student can take his or her classes when it's convenient to them. Thus they can still hold down their standard 9-to-5 job, take care of the family and house and, in general, do what must be done.

As for the financial aspects of getting a post-grad degree, there are many other sources of financial aid outside a student's place of employment and such federal programs like the federal Lifetime Learning program or the S-STEM scholarship. Students can consult with professional societies, state programs and even social clubs as potential sources of assistance.

There are a lot of reasons for enrolling in a post-graduate online education program. Many adults will be able to take advantage of back to school grants and scholarships to help finance their advancement. If the hard numbers aren't convincing enough, it was reported those with graduate degrees report much higher levels of job satisfaction. That in itself says a lot.

There are certain occupations where having just a bachelors degree is nowhere near enough. You can probably rattle off a good handful of them - such a lawyer, doctor, or college professor. Then again, there are a lot of people who have their four year degree and think they can sit back and succeed with it. At the same time, in many professions, they know they are holding themselves back.

After all, the cold numbers say a lot. The Department of Labor did a study back in 2000, and what they discovered about post-graduate education was truly eye-opening. A person with a bachelors degree will earn an average annual salary of nearly $52,000 over their lifetime. On the other hand, a person with a masters will increase their average salary by nearly 20%, at slightly over $62,000. If that isn't enough, those with a PhD will boost their average annual wages to nearly $90,000. Overall, taking those extra two to three years to get a doctorate will increase one's average wage by nearly 70%.

It's not that post-graduate studies are a walk in the park. In principle they aren't supposed to be. It wouldn't be called advanced education if it wasn't. The simple truth is post-grad work is as much about independent research as it is straight up rote learning. Some people fear the discomfort that comes with this kind of education.

For those who are unsure about this, many on campus and online colleges have come up with an elegant solution to the problem. They offer sample courses to prospective students, many of them for free. While these courses may not be fully accredited, they are a good way to get one's feet wet.

Another issue students face is holding down a full-time job while also trying to keep up with their studies. Actually, many companies will go out of their way to assist their employees in advancing. Some will help their employee work a schedule around their studies. Others will even help pay for the education, either through various savings plans or directly throwing in their share, if not all, of the tuition.

Many times the post-grad student can help him or herself too by taking their classes online. One of online education's main claims to fame is its scheduling flexibility. The student can take his or her classes when it's convenient to them. Thus they can still hold down their standard 9-to-5 job, take care of the family and house and, in general, do what must be done.

As for the financial aspects of getting a post-grad degree, there are many other sources of financial aid outside a student's place of employment and such federal programs like the federal Lifetime Learning program or the S-STEM scholarship. Students can consult with professional societies, state programs and even social clubs as potential sources of assistance.

There are a lot of reasons for enrolling in a post-graduate online education program. Many adults will be able to take advantage of back to school grants and scholarships to help finance their advancement. If the hard numbers aren't convincing enough, it was reported those with graduate degrees report much higher levels of job satisfaction. That in itself says a lot.