Graduate School and Beyond
Graduate School and Beyond
Earning and Using Your Advanced Degree
Mark H. Rossman, EdD
Professor Emeritus
Capella University
First published 2010 by Paradigm Publishers
Published 2016 by Routledge
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rossman, Mark H., 1940
Graduate school and beyond : earning and using your advanced degree / Mark H. Rossman.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-59451-807-2 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-59451-808-9 (paperback : alk. paper)
1. Universities and collegesUnited StatesGraduate work. I. Title.
LB2371.4.R67 2010
378.155dc22
2009050129
Designed and Typeset by Straight Creek Bookmakers.
ISBN 13: 978-1-59451-807-2 (hbk)
ISBN 13: 978-1-59451-808-9 (pbk)
To Jessica, Blake, Nicholas, Marlee, and Miamy grandchildren
A book of this type could not have been written had it not been for the experience I gained serving on more than 450 graduate committees at both on-campus and online universities since 1971. To my 80-plus masters graduates and 97-plus doctoral graduates: I have learned a great deal from each of you. Thanks to you all.
To my daughters, Kim and Nicole: You both have earned a PhD while being a wife and mother to our five grandchildren. Im very proud of you.
I also want to particularly acknowledge the unwavering support of my wife, Dr. Maxine Rossman. She is a constant source of love, advice, and inspiration for everything I do. Id be lost without her.
T he central theme of this book is that to succeed, graduate students need to be aware of the process of completing a graduate degree, control as many aspects of the process as possible, and be careful, skillful, and tactful negotiators. Simply stated, this book is designed to help students complete a graduate degree, regardless of how the degree is offeredonline or on-campus.
I have worked exclusively with graduate students at the masters and doctoral level for more than forty years at both on-campus and online universities. Ive served as a chair or major advisor for more than eighty masters degree graduates and more than one hundred doctoral graduates. In short, I know the graduate school process! In this book, I provide realistic answers to the questions and concerns most often raised by learners in graduate school. I describe the process of completing a graduate degree, identify relevant questions and concerns, and provide practical solutions and suggestions.
, in which practical ideas are offered regarding what to do after completion of the degree. Included in this chapter are suggestions for binding, copyrighting, and publishing the final work, making up for lost time, developing a supplemental annotated transcript and portfolio resume, and making the degree work for you. The references include general style guides; guides for writing a proposal, thesis, dissertation, or research paper; researching and writing in the disciplines, and several useful Web sites for graduate students.
When I completed my masters degree, I was sure I would never go back to school. Who would have believed it? Here I am working on my PhD.
My biggest fear was that I could not do the work. My advice to others is to take one step at a time. Dont look up and dont look back. Just look to see what you have to do today. Know when to ask for help, and realize that this is part of the process.
Pat
W elcome to the world of graduate education. Reading this book is a good indication of your desire to earn a graduate degree. However, doing so wont be easy. You are in a world of the unknownone that probably is just a little bit frightening. You are not alone. The Digest of Education Statistics, 2002 reports that graduate enrollment in degree programs held steady at about 1.3 million in the late 1970s and early 1980s but rose about 34 percent between 1985 and 2000 (p. 201). Since then, graduate enrollment has continued to grow. In 2007 the Council of Graduate Schools indicated that 1,698,445 individuals were enrolled in graduate schools in the United States. Of that number, 902,977 (53 percent) were enrolled on a full-time basis and 924,229 (54 percent) of the total enrollment were women.
The numbers of graduate degrees awarded has also increased. In 1998 the council reported that slightly more than 446,000 individuals earned a masters degree and about 46,000 earned a doctorate. In 20052006 more than 594,000 individuals earned a masters degree and slightly more than 56,000 earned a doctorate. These numbers are expected to grow as well. Projections of Educational Statistics to 2017, a publication of the National Center for Education Statistics, predicts that between 20052006 and 20172018, the number of masters degrees awarded will increase 28 percent overall and the number of doctoral degrees will increase by 27 percent. Much of the increase will come from online degree granting institutions.
If you are completing your degree in an online, distance education, or e-learning setting you are in good company, because many of your colleagues are likewise enrolled in these rapidly growing programs. Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2008the sixth annual report of the Sloan Foundation on the state of online education in the United Statesindicates that online education continues to be very much a part of mainstream higher education: 3.9 million students, or 20 percent of all higher education students, were taking at least one online course in fall 2007. This is a 12 percent increase over the number on online enrollments reported in 2006. A survey by the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that in 20062007 enrollments in college-level, credit-granting online, hybrid/blended online, or other distance education courses at the graduate level were more than 2,349,000.
Over the years, I have spoken with many individuals who were thinking about entering graduate school. Some were quite ready whereas others have lingering doubts and questions about themselves. I dont know how many times I have heard: Can I afford a graduate degree? How will working on the degree impact my family and job? Am I too old to be seeking a graduate degree?
Lets begin by looking briefly at finances. This very important topic is also discussed later in this chapter (see Financial Support) and in more depth in .
Graduate school is not cheap. In 2009 average tuition, depending on location, program, and school, was around $31,000 per year. Online programs tend to be less expensive. Graduate students finance their degrees in a variety of ways including grants; scholarships; fellowships; work-study arrangements; teaching assistantships; home equity loans; employer tuition reimbursement; and borrowing from savings, parents, and commercial institutions.
