College Zone - Printable Version - Student Zone - Advanced Degree

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There are many reasons for deciding to pursue an advanced degree – both professional and personal. Professionally, an advanced degree can further your career or help you to better master your field of expertise. Some jobs, such as a college professor, require that you have a master’s, doctoral or professional degree in order to be considered for the position. Other jobs highly recommend or require it for advancement. In many cases, an advanced degree will increase your marketability and earning potential.

There are also personal reasons for attaining advanced degrees. You may simply want to satisfy your intellectual curiosity. Or, you may want to focus on developing your skills. Challenging your knowledge and improving your skills are ways to stay motivated while in graduate or professional school.

Graduate and professional schools are highly specialized and challenging, so you’ll want to solidify your motivation for attending and know what you want to do with your degree before applying. You’ll have much more success if you choose an advanced curriculum that piques your interest and contributes to your long-term plans.

Another important factor to consider when deciding on an advanced degree is the feasibility of time and cost. Can you balance graduate or professional school with other priorities? Can you maintain the workload and finances to successfully complete the program? Understand what you want to get out of an advanced degree, and get ample information from counselors, professors, and professionals in your field to help you make your decision. Other resources include the career services office at your college (if you’re in college now), different colleges’ Web sites, and helpful books, such as Peterson’s guides to graduate programs.