As classes end, many students opt for further schooling

Whether you started out here as a timid freshman or an overwhelmed transfer student, Temple has been your academic home. You have gone to those 8:40 a.m. classes, unless you were one of the lucky few who managed to schedule around them. You spent many hours in the J&H cafeteria or the Student Center, and are now a resident expert at the Paley Library.

You know which professors to take and which classes are a must for the complete college experience. You are a familiar face around your respective academic department, now that you have spent many hours earning enough credits to leave with a degree.

Now that you received your degree, you must face another big question. What will you do next? Some will choose to enter the work force, while others might enlist with the armed forces. Some might just live at home with their parents and ponder the meaning of life. However, there is another option: more schooling.

Each year, many seniors choose to pursue their Master’s degree. In fact, Temple offers 132 Master’s degree areas and 61 doctoral degree areas. About 5,800 students are enrolled in a matriculated Master’s degree program at Temple.

In today’s society, getting a post-undergraduate degree has gained increased prominence and is becoming required in many fields. Programs have been designed to allow the undergrad to major in any field he/she desires, followed by a specialized study, such as medicine or law, during the graduate school years.

Every year, U.S. News & World Report releases its list of top ranked schools. Some of the top 2002 graduate schools include: Stanford University (business), Yale (law), Harvard (medicine-research, education-research), University of Washington (medicine-primary care), and MIT (engineering).

As the time comes for you to receive your diploma and bid farewell to Temple’s undergraduate program, remember to consider more education. After all, don’t you want to postpone the real world for just a little bit longer?

For more information on furthering your education, check out these Web sites: