SC Graduate School Fair: What You Need to Know
By Emily Young MA ‘16
The USC Graduate School Fair is this Thursday, October 15th, along Trousdale from 11:00 AM - 02:00 PM. Attend the fair to learn more about graduate school, and receive information from over 75 schools including Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, UCLA, and USC.
RSVP Here: http://careers.usc.edu/students/info/graduateschoolsfair%20
As a current graduate student at USC, here is my list of things to consider when thinking about applying for graduate school.
1. Does your dream job require a graduate degree?
For some this path is very straightforward: medical school, physical therapy, and law all require graduate school. For some dream jobs, this path isn’t so clear marketing, media, PR, etc. Talk to people with your dream job. What was their path? Are there any particular classes they feel would be helpful? What are hiring positions looking for? What does your dream company value, educational title or professional work experience?
2. Cost
If a graduate degree won’t boost your job’s paycheck, it’s probably not worth it. Graduate school is expensive, plus loan rates are higher for graduate school. Besides the cost of tuition, things to consider are housing, and if you will be able to work part-time or full-time while completing your degree. Other questions to ask are types of financial aid are available, i.e. fellowships, assistantships, scholarships, and loans. Cost is a really important factor to consider, especially if your degree ends up taking longer than expected, so make sure you have a budget and safety net.
3. Location
We’re pretty fortunate here at USC. We have great weather, we’re surrounded by a city filled with things to do, and we have the beach and mountains to escape to. Unfortunately, USC may not be the best school for a particular study, or you may be looking to break into an industry not prominent in LA. Find out about the surrounding area of the school and what places are around campus that you can intern or work for.
If you are set at staying at SC (Fight On!) here’s a list of all the graduate degrees USC offers http://catalogue.usc.edu/graduate-2-2/grad-degrees-list/
4. The Program
Network with as many students in the graduate program as you can. They are the people who will give you true insight on the program. What is unique about the program? How are the teachers and course loads? What is student life like? Was there anything tricky about the application process? What job offers are they getting? Not only are these people good to know before you join the program, but they will be helpful throughout the program as well.
5. Progressive Programs and Online Programs
With the more and more students turning to graduate school as a way to get a leg up in the competitive job market, schools are implementing progressive degrees and online programs. Progressive degrees allow you to work on a master’s degree while you are an undergrad and USC offers a lot of great progressive degrees (I’m a progressive Annenberg Communication Management student). * One thing I would caution you on, understand that while it is advertised as one year program, the course load is two years and you are expected to complete a year as an undergrad and a year as a full-time master’s student.
Online programs offer a lot of flexibility, however if you are looking to network and leverage connections of a school, this route probably isn’t the best. Talk to schools to see if there is an opportunity to transfer into the online program once you start your degree if a great job opportunity presents itself.
If you have any questions about graduate school, being a progressive student, the Annenberg Communication Management master’s program, or beyond click the “Ask Us Anything” tab in the menu and address your question to me!
~Emily
