Graduate school information fair opportunity for students to further their education

Nicholls State University’s Career Services is scheduled to host a graduate school information fair on Oct. 9 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Donald G. Bollinger Student Union lobby.

Kristie Tauzin Goulas, director of Career Services, said she wanted an event informing students that although furthering their education is challenging, it is much more possible when they know all the needed information.

Students enrolled in graduate programs are scheduled to attend and will be available to talk to potential graduate students about what a graduate program is actually like. Some topics of discussion may be what the acceptance rate is, how the applying process works and any prerequisites required.

Nicholls graduate studies degree programs include Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Teaching, Master of Business Administration, with the choice of a Traditional MBA program or Executive MBA program, Master of Education and Master of Science.

Goulas said she wants to expose these graduate programs to freshmen and sophomores, and show all students that it is something they can work toward.

“Companies today want people with more of a specialized area of knowledge, and a lot of master’s programs or professional schools allow students to have that. I think that it’s just a trend that we’ve seen for a very long time now,” Goulas said.

One thing students might not realize is, despite career paths like nursing, a certain bachelor’s degree is not required for most graduate programs.

“It is still open to kind of blend a different undergraduate to a master’s that you may not have considered, but really want to,” Goulas said.

Based on a discussion panel held last year that was made up of administrators from other schools, Goulas said a lot of schools are no longer requiring the Graduate Record Examinations requirement and are putting more emphasis on personal statements and GPAs instead of standardized tests.

In the spring, there will be another general information session, but Goulas said for the fall, she wanted to do something that was really going to highlight the programs and get students to consider staying here at Nicholls to further their education.

Stephanie Barnett, master’s of education student from Bairnsdale, Australia, said the program at Nicholls is very beneficial, as it provides opportunities for students to go into the field and experience real-life events.

Elizabeth Newell, communication disorders senior from Aiken, S.C., said in order to be a speech-language pathologist, a master’s degree is required. However, she thinks it will be a cool opportunity to learn more and have a more in-depth understanding.

“I don’t think people generally are ready for real-world things, especially when it comes to working in the medical field until they get experience. I think a master’s program gives that to you, before you actually have to start dealing with patients and clients,” Newell said.

The National Center for Education Statistics website says that more master’s degrees are awarded in the field of business than any other. The second highest is education, and third is health care.