Olivia Auxier, MCM Candidate, Class of 2015
So, you’re considering graduate school! It’s a big investment of your money and time, so you want to know what you will get out of it. Since I am currently in graduate school, I want to speak about the reasons why I decided to pursue it, and why I think you should too. Here are 5 reasons why you should invest in a Master’s degree:
1. Graduate school is not like undergraduate school
This is the first thing I tell people who are hesitant to apply to graduate school. Maybe you didn’t love your undergraduate experience. It could have been the university you went to, the area of study, or the fact that you had to take random classes outside your major like physical education and astronomy. You remember the all-nighters, copious amounts of caffeine, and dark-circles under your eyes and you question why anyone would want to put themselves through that again. Getting a Master’s degree will be a very different experience. I’m not saying you will never write a paper (in fact, you will write more then you ever thought you could) or have to stay up late, but I AM saying that it will be a more personalized, rewarding experience then you ever could have imagined. You will get to study that one topic you are passionate about. You will hear from leaders in the industry you love. You will get to meet people that are just as enthusiastic about your area of study as you are.
2. Class sizes
When I was getting my Bachelor’s degree, the average class size was around 100 people. I never spoke in most of my classes because there was no way for the professor to get to everyone. I would sit in the middle of classroom with my coffee cup and try to keep myself interested in my professor’s tangent about how the moon effects the tides. It was rough. Now, my average class size is about ten people. TEN PEOPLE. Most of my classes are discussion-based. You would be surprised how fast a two-hour class goes by when you are discussing a topic you are passionate about with others. It also allows your professors to invest time and energy in you. I have multiple professors that have become personal mentors.
3. Skills & Knowledge
There are so many skills you gain while getting your Master’s degree that I could go on forever, but I will limit myself to three for your sake. First, you will grow your knowledge of new media and technology. At USC Annenberg, we have a brand new building with state-of-the-art technology. Not only do student get access to it all, but also most classes will require that you use it. When your employer asks you to work on a complex multi-media project, you can blow them away with your ability to create something awesome.
The second skill you will gain is great writing and editing skills. Do not discount this as a viable skill that employers are looking for! Typos and poor grammar are embarrassing for your employer and company. If you catch those before they are sent out, your boss will be eternally grateful.
Last, but not least, you will learn how to work with a team. Undergraduate classes often have group projects (which everyone dreads) but the work is rarely evenly distributed and there is always that one person who is MIA until presentation day. In graduate school, everyone is there to learn and invest in their education. You will work with brilliant, talented people in your group projects, and you will be impressed by what you can create when you put your heads together. Just look at what this group came up with.
4. Networking
Depending on the school you go to, getting a Master’s degree can be a great networking opportunity. At USC, you get access to job boards where huge companies post positions they want to hire Trojans for. There are countless meet-and-greet events with company executives and career fairs. If that’s not enough for you, the class guest-speakers will convince you. I had executives from Disney, Fox, Xbox and MGM speak in my classes, along with famous musicians, employees in rapidly-growing companies like Fullscreen and Maker Studios, and countless others. Above is a picture of Willow Bay, the Director of the Journalism program at USC Annenberg with Diane Sawyer. If you take advantage of those situations, you might land your dream job before you even graduate.
5. It’s an investment in your future
We have all seen the line in job postings: “Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.” But what happens when it no longer says Bachelor’s degree? What happens when they require a Master’s degree? Or when you are up against someone for a promotion and they have their Master’s degree? There are two types of people who go to graduate school, and the first group is those who have hit a wall in their career. They were already business professionals before they applied to the program, but reached a point where they could no longer move up without further education. So they work hard to balance full-time work, a home life, and getting a degree. Though difficult, it will be worth the effort when they finally get that corner office they always wanted. The second type of person that applies to graduate school is someone who is just starting out in their career. Many people are going to graduate school right after undergrad now because they want to get ahead of the game. Getting their Master’s degree early allows them to move up quickly and land the competitive positions. Regardless of which group you fit into, a Master’s degree is an investment in your future that you won’t regret.