Most students begin to plan what they will do after graduation during their senior year. Some students will enter the workforce in their chosen profession, while others will continue their education in a graduate program. However, according to the Office of Institutional Research, most students do not complete both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Cal State Long Beach.
Although the number of graduate students is growing nationally, the number of CSULB graduate students has remained relatively the same over the last 15 years. Since the year 2000, the number of grad students at CSULB has been about 10 percent of the student population. As of the Fall 2006 semester, the percentage of grad students has increased to 12 percent. Within this percentage of grad students, the majority are women, making up 62 percent in 2006.
Dr. Vincent Novack, the assistant vice president of the Office of Institutional Research, said the reason graduate studies at CSULB hasn’t grown over the past few years is because it’s problematic. Graduate programs are expensive for the CSU system because they require smaller class sizes, more writing, one-on-one attention and senior staff working evenings or weekends.
“We need to focus on what grad students need while maintaining quality. We also need to offer classes at more convenient times for grad students because most of them are working full time,” Novack said.
Despite the lack of growth in the graduate programs at CSULB, many students do attend graduate schools at other universities. According to Novack, many students are continuing their education at “for profit” schools such as University of Phoenix because they tailor their programs to meet the needs of graduate students.
Marie Alford, the director of graduate admissions at CSULB, said there will be growth in the CSU system in future years.
“We would love for our students to stay on campus to complete their master’s. We even offer a couple Ph.D. programs as well,” Alford said. “Grad school is unique in terms of what the student will study. Recruitment for grad programs comes from the undergrad departments and is specific for each college.”
According to Cecile Lindsay, the associate vice president of graduate and undergraduate admissions, the requirements for graduate school are specific for each department. Besides meeting the university admission requirements, students must apply directly with the department for the program of their choice.
“Graduate departments look at past academic achievement in terms of the undergraduate record, GPA and course of study. Many departments require a certain score on the GRE, GMAT or other standardized tests for graduate studies,” Lindsay said.
Most graduate programs require letters of recommendation and a statement of the applicant’s educational goal. Some programs also require a personal interview, auditions or examples of their work.
“In sum, graduate programs are looking to see if there is a good match between the program and the prospective student’s abilities and goals,” Lindsay said.
The Educational Opportunity Program will be holding a Grad School Fair on Thursday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in front of the bookstore. Departments from CSULB and other schools from across the country will be present for students to find out more information.
