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Career Planning and Getting Started
Career Planning and Getting Started at UMUC
Job Search Services for Students
Faculty / Staff Department Services
Career Services
Room 2270 SFSC – Adelphi Campus
301-985-6785
careerservices@umuc.edu
Choosing a Major for Graduate Students
Choosing a graduate degree program is much different than choosing an undergraduate major. Below are common scenarios you can consider when choosing your graduate degree.
Student with Years of Experience
When deciding on a graduate degree you should be very stable in your career direction and choose a major that will complement your undergraduate degree and your past work experience. When you obtain the graduate degree it will make you more marketable. Quite often you have the past work experience but you need the credentials of a graduate degree to advance your career. If you are not stable in your career direction, then you need to immediately talk with a career counselor before choosing a graduate degree program.
New College Graduate
When deciding on a graduate degree, you must evaluate your current situation and what will best complement your undergraduate degree and your career path. In some cases a graduate degree is not always necessary to be successful in your career. In many cases, employers are more concerned with your years of experience than your degrees (this is common in the engineering and computer fields). If this is the case with your chosen career path, then it is always recommended to get career-related experience immediately after completing your undergraduate degree than immediately going on for your graduate degree. After acquiring some years of experience, you can better evaluate the type of degree that is necessary to advance your career. In some cases, too much education without any career-related experience can limit your marketability.
In other cases, a graduate degree is required for you to achieve your career goals (this is common in the psychology field). In this case, it is recommended that you go directly to graduate school after obtaining your undergraduate degree.
If you are unsure of the trends of your career field and whether you will need a graduate degree, please feel free to fill out the form to Talk to a Career Counselor.