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to graduate school, make more money
By Kristen Force
On-line Forty-Niner
With jobs in short
supply, college graduates are flocking to graduate programs
both at Cal State Long Beach and across the nation.
According to published statistics from the Law School Admissions
Council, applications to law schools are up 22.6 percent nationwide,
with some schools reporting increases as high as 40 percent.
With 20 percent less jobs available than last year, fresh
graduates need a way to make them stand out from everyone
else looking for the same job, said Albert Chen, Executive
Director of Graduate Programs at Kaplan Test Prep.
"Anytime the market falls, people go back to business
school first, then law, then other graduate programs,"
Chen said. "This last began in fall of 2000 with the
dot-com bust and it is still continuing."
Chen's statistics come from the number of students signing
up for Kaplan's Test Prep classes, which help to prepare students
for admissions tests months in advance of applying to graduate
schools.
"We actually know the trends before the schools because
students come to us before they even apply to a program,"
Chen said. "Our classes indicate this tendency will continue
at least through the 2003 admissions cycle."
Most students go back to school to become more marketable
and to command higher pay, according to Bonnie Eissner, public
relations manager for Kaplan.
"As more people enter the job market, a higher degree
is insurance that you will not be replaced by someone less
qualified," Eissner said. "But many people also
go to graduate school to prolong job entrance."
Statistics have shown that a woman's salary can double with
a master's, while a man's can increase by 89 percent, according
to Chen.
Although CSULB does not have a law program, it has seen comparable
results in business and nursing.
"We seem to have a lot more interest in our program,"
said Kathy Rice, MBA operations manager. "Inquiries have
doubled in the past few years."
While interest has risen, the master's of business administration
program has not experienced a large increase in enrollment.
The school receives more than 300 applications each year and
typically accepts about 110 students. The program has no quota
to fill and can take as many students as are qualified.
Rice explains the inconsistent interest in the program with
the number of applicants as an issue of money.
"Students seem to be more cautious about applying because
of cost," Rice said. "The cost is important and
many students do not have the financial means to go back to
school, even if they want to and know it will help them in
the long run."
The College of Business offers MBA degrees in finance, human
resources management, information systems, management and
marketing. As a result of demand, degrees in accounting and
health care management will be available for students entering
next fall.
As the nursing shortage continues nationwide, a degree in
nursing is always a valuable asset.
CSULB currently offers two dual degrees in the graduate program:
Health care and nursing administration, and community nursing
and public health.
Nineteen students are enrolled in these two programs this
semester and some areas of the graduate level programs are
increasing, according to Lucy Huckabay, director of nursing
programs.
Enrollment is limited in all nursing programs because of a
lack of space in the classrooms and department budget cuts.
Kaplan studies show that vocational careers such as nursing,
education and engineering are always in demand, and with additional
education, people can receive a salary increase of 50 percent.
Many test preparation classes exist for students interested
in applying to a graduate school. These can give additional
confidence and knowledge to applicants competing for a small
number of spots in a highly competitive area.
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