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MP4: How does getting a master’s degree better your chances in the work field?

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Esohe Uhuangho

Dr. Weaver

English 1102 Section 400

27 April 2021

                                                             MP4 Research Paper:

While master’s degrees are not a necessity for job acquisition or most career paths, they provide sufficient conditions that place candidates looking for jobs at a higher competitive advantage or position over other candidates with lesser educational qualifications. Additionally, employers of labor often use these qualifications as a critical success criterion for candidates seeking employment. But is the cost of a master’s degree worth the payoff in terms of getting employed? In the class reading “I Was a Low-Income College Student. Classes Weren’t the Hard Part” by Anthony Abraham Jack, he says, “We like to think that landing a coveted college spot is a golden ticket for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We think less critically about what happens next.” This relates to my topic in the sense that after college being disadvantaged doesn’t just go away. Although students may make their way through college on loans, or scholarships, like the author, it’s still a struggle. If a disadvantaged student decided they wanted to go back to school to get better pay they would have to make sure that it would be worth it and if it, wasn’t they would just end up with debt and not enough income to pay it off.

There are a lot of reasons someone could go back to get their masters including more opportunities, advancement in your career, and even research but the widely known reason is for higher pay. According to The Fiscal Tiger, a master’s degree can cost $30,000 to $120,000 total. Pay raises after getting a master’s degree depending on your career field. In careers in engineering and business, a master’s degree can increase their salary up to $80,000. According to the Bureau Labor of Statistics in 2012-2013 people with business jobs saw a 36-89 percent increase in their salaries after earning a master’s degree. In careers like psychology, master’s degrees only have a pay raise if they have added experience in the field, and in STEM fields, master’s degrees are basically required to get a well-paying job in the field. The price of a master’s degree depends on what school you’re going to, the location, and what degree you’re pursuing. Public institutions are usually less costly compared to private institutions.

Cost alone could be a deciding factor for whether a person would want to go back to graduate school. Sometimes the pay raises from getting a master’s degree aren’t enough to cover the cost of going to school and a lot of people end up in debt. According to The Washington Post, the average graduate borrowed $57,600 for a graduate degree in 2012. Just like pay raises and prices of master’s school, Graduate degree debt depends on the type of degree you get. The average MBA debt is $66,300, Law school debt is $145,550, Medical school debt is $201,490, and Dental school debt is $292,169.

 

 

Works Cited:

Cromwelle, Joy. “Is a Masters Degree Worth It? [2021 Ultimate Guide].” MyDegreeGuide.com, 5 Mar. 2021, www.mydegreeguide.com/college-worth/masters-degree-worth-it/.

Marte, Jonnelle. “Is Graduate School Worth the Cost? Here’s How to Know.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 May 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2014/12/02/is-graduate-school-worth-the-cost-heres-how-to-know/.

StudentJob UK. “Is Pursuing a Master’s Degree Really Worth It?: StudentJ…” StudentJob UK, www.studentjob.co.uk/blog/1853-is-pursuing-a-master-s-degree-really-worth-it.

Mayer, Cole. “Getting A Master’s Degree: Is It Worth the Cost?: Fiscal Tiger.” Fiscal Tiger | Better Information. Better Finances. Better You., 28 Feb. 2019, www.fiscaltiger.com/is-it-worth-getting-masters-degree/.

 

Mounica Katragadda: Academic Self

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Mounica is an 18-year-old dual enrollment student and describes her academic self as visual, self-motivated, and engaging. She discovered the importance of her first academic self-word, visual, in elementary school. At her first school Crabapple Elementary, she realized she learned best with visual displays of information such as charts and graphs in front of her. Being able to see what she was learning while learning it, was something that helped her understand and retain information. She carried this learning style with her throughout her years in school.

In K-6th grade, Mounica was surrounded with familiar faces and friends until she moved to Piney Grove Middle School in 7th grade. She left behind her old friends and learned how to function in a new and unfamiliar environment. In her 5th-grade science class, she discovered her love for evolution. Although she did not quite understand it, she was eager to learn more, further sparking her interest in the sciences.

Mounica carried her love for science with her to high school and developed a passion for technology, specifically coding. She noticed a lot of girls at her school who were discouraged from taking computer science and coding classes at her school because they were male-dominated. Mounica became dedicated to making a safe space where they could enjoy the fascinating world of coding. She founded the Girls Who Code club at her school and became the president. She was the vice president of community service of the Red Cross organization and a member of FBLA and HOSA where she competed in regional and state events and honed her public speaking skills.

Mounica does not consider herself to be an extraordinary writer but she believes that with hard work and time she can be. That is why she decided to challenge herself by taking dual enrollment English this year through GSU. Mounica’s situation reminded me of the reading, “Some People Are Just Born Good Writers” by Jill Parrott. Where the author says, “Good writers are not born. They are learned.”

Growing up, Mounica’s biggest influence was her dad. When she moved to Denmark High School she was overwhelmed. It was a very competitive school, and all the students were taking AP’s and rigorous courses to bulk up their GPA. All though there was so much pressure to fall in with the crowd and take these classes Mounica remembered her fathers’ advice and it kept her grounded. Her father instilled in her at a young age that excelling academically was important, but she should also do things at her own pace and do things she enjoys. She spent her time in high school taking courses she enjoyed, including her favorite subject, biology.

Like many others, Mounica plans to go to college after high school. It is expected in her family and required for the career path she wants to pursue. Mounica plans to continue studying her interests by becoming a biochemistry major at her dream school, The University of Michigan. There she hopes to go the pre-med route or even go into medical law.

Through our interviews, I noticed how hardworking and self-motivated Mounica is. She is a student who puts lots of effort into learning about topics that interest her and even goes a step further to make something creative of them. I hope to stay connected with her in the future and wish her the best in continuing her academic journey.

Citations:

Parrott, Jill “Some People Are Just Born Good Writers”

Katragadda, Mounica Interview (2021)