Four Reasons Why You Don’t Need to Go to Grad School

January 5, 2011 by rosettathurman · 35 Comments

A lot of my peers are at the stage in their lives where they’re thinking about going back to school. After being out of undergrad for a few years, they’re considering grad school, law school, MBAs, MPAs, JDs, MPPs. You name it, they’re exploring it. Now look, I would never knock getting a graduate degree. Hell, I have one myself. And higher education can certainly be beneficial to both your overall personal growth as well as career advancement.

But you have to go back to school for the right reasons.

Why did I get a Master’s degree? I did it mainly so I could make more money and get some clout in my industry. But a lot of people go because they think they need more knowledge…which is the absolute worst reason ever.

Knowledge is free.

I mean, that’s what we have libraries for. Okay, sure, the newer, shinier books might cost you some money, but even if you bought 100 of them at $20 a book, it would still be cheaper than paying for grad school. The truth is, most of us really don’t need to go back to school. For many people, it’s just a pit stop on their career journey because they can’t figure out what they want to do with their lives. And grad school works best for those who know exactly what they want to do and why. Also, doctors and lawyers.

For everyone else, grad school is just an expensive way to learn the same stuff you get in a $20 book and doesn’t even guarantee you a good job when you graduate. Here’s a few more reasons why you (yes, YOU) probably don’t need to go to grad school.

You don’t need grad school to learn.

That’s what books are for. Read them. Take notes. Act on the ideas you find inside. If you don’t have money for books, read blogs. Or, here’s another idea: go out there and talk to people. Find mentors. Ask lots of questions. Interview people who are doing what you want to do. Ask them how they got there. Ask them what they had to learn. Then do something with the information you get. Use it, darling. USE IT.

You don’t need grad school to be good at your job.

That’s what workshops, seminars, conferences are for. They are really more up-to-date, specific and relevant to your industry than grad school will ever be. Most things you learn on the job, anyway. Everything you read in books is all in theory until you try it out yourself. You read something, you learn something, you try it out at work. Then you adjust accordingly based on the results you get. Oh, that program/policy/project didn’t work? Let’s try something else. You learn from experience. Books give you the knowledge, but action gives you the wisdom.

You don’t need grad school to teach you how to be a leader.

Psst. The inconvenient truth is that leadership skills can only be learned by actually leading. By starting something, finishing it, taking risks and learning from your mistakes and successes. You don’t lead by reading a book or writing a paper and getting a grade on it. You just don’t. Look, I’ll prove it to you. Think about any one of the leaders who most inspire you. Do you admire them for going to grad school or having a million letters behind their name or do you admire them for how their actions changed people’s lives?

You don’t need grad school to make you remarkable.

You don’t need grad school to validate your talents and passions. That’s what the real world is for. It’s the original testing ground for your hopes and dreams and your ideas for how to make them happen. If you’re struggling with how to advance in your career, grad school should NOT be your first or even last resort. It is not a panacea for mediocrity. Grad school will not make you better at what you do unless you decide to get better at what you do. And then DO IT.

I could go on and on here, but I think you get my point. You don’t need grad school to “become” anything more than you are right now. You’re already brilliant and passionate and deep down, you know exactly what it is you were put here on earth to do. Now, you just need the skills to pay the bills and the courage to change the world. And, my dear reader, you most definitely do NOT need grad school for that.

Filed Under: Career Advice, Higher Education, Leadership · Tagged With: Higher Education, Leadership

Lindsay

Something to keep in the back of your mind… As graduate degrees in nonprofit and organizational management become more common (which is certainly what’s happening now), they will eventually become standard in order to move into any managerial or leadership position, just as advanced degrees are in other industries.

While there’s no substitute for hands-on work experience, a masters degree is a great way to enhance your resume and, just like Rosetta said, “make more money and get some clout in my industry.”

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

Yep – I agree that the standard is definitely changing. But it’s still not a “must-have” as many people think. Its value varies from industry to industry. Plus, it’s a pretty expensive way to enhance a resume!
Rose

Nope. Experience tops a masters degree ANY day. These days employers aren’t even just hiring people with a bachelors degree. A degree used to show you’re motivated. Now they are too easy to get it, so motivation is shown to the employer through internships and impressive work experience to be honest.

JKR

What about going back to school just to get a job, any job? Personally, I’m looking for a new career.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

I think it’s highly problematic to go back to school thinking it will guarantee you a new job. Because it doesn’t. Specific job/skills training would be much more effective for that, in my opinion. You’ll learn new things (at a lower price) and at the same time, be able to network with the very folks you want to work with.

http://twitter.com/lindsayinMPLS Lindsay Bacher

Depending on the degree, it might make it harder to find a job. Not too many people hiring people with a MA in linguistics or something like that. The more specialized you get, the harder it is to market yourself to a broader audience.

http://www.facebook.com/ashley.shute Ashley Shute

I love all the comments that Rosetta had about going to Grad School. These are all questions and thoughts that I had before making the jump into my MSW program.

The reason I didn’t start sooner (aside from the obvious that it was the earliest I could start the program as I’m the first cohort at the school) is that I didn’t want to start while I was unemployed or to “just get a job”. For me, I saw it as postponing the inevitable. I would have gone to Grad School for the 2 years and then been right back where I started…jobless…but with a network. Sure, it might take as long but there’s still a gap. And I would still have to explain to someone at an HR department about my decision to go to Grad school instead of looking for a job.

Instead, I used a few of these ideas to make my jump into grad school. Being remarkable, being a leader, being all these things make you more marketable to Grad Schools and will get you into a better program. You can never underestimate experience in a graduate program.

http://twitter.com/patscience Patrick Scientific

I’m in the Information Technology world (and l’m also a DJ). I was pondering Grad school but it seems only relevant if I want to manage people but the degree does not help me with my IT knowledge. I’d get an MBA or MIS to advance my career and possibly my salary if I ever decided to go into management. It seems as if I wanted another degree on IT stuff I’d be more likely to get another BS in something. I have a degree in Electrical Engineering. IT is all about maybe a BS and experience but an MBA or MIS seem like they’d help somewhat. Just my 2 cents…
http://fundtimes.wordpress.com Tamar Cloyd

I have been thinking about this for a while myself! For sure, we are living in an age where knowledge is everywhere and obtaining a piece of paper is only one way to “advance” yourself. I think the degree is great for impressing people and getting yourself in the door. But it’s really about how effective YOU are in doing the work that matters…
Mia

I agree with this for the most part. It sounds a lot like what I tell the prospective students I speak to everyday. I do however , have a rebuttal for the following statement “You don’t need grad school to validate your talents and passions. That’s what the real world is for”.

I believe that school doesn’t validate you as an individual; instead it validates what you know. Also, grad school, unlike undergrad forces you to analyze the information versus an undergraduate program that introduces you to the information and requires you to regurgitate it for a test. In grad school you are presented with real world case studies that give you an opportunity to identify the problem, dissect it, come up with a resolution. The same critical thinking that would have been applied in grad school, can be applied on the job. This also gives an incumbent some leverage when they are competing for a job and may not have the real world experience; meaning they can pull from their graduate school experiences. In addition, school teaches you the terminology and formalities of how to do something. And last but not least, it gives an individual; specifically a BLACK person some ear time! Lol!

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

Great point about the critical thinking piece, Mia. I think people often find it difficult to articulate the value of going to grad school and just hope & pray that the degree will speak for itself. But being able to point out any new skills you learned during your studies – like critical thinking – makes it much more worthwhile to employers.

Holly Hight

I agree with most of your points. As someone who started grad school this past year, allow me to share a bit of my story. I work full-time and attend classes in the evening. I chose the program, because the students are people like me – working professionals. The program is also really affordable (at a state school), so I’m able to pay for it out of pocket. I love the people that I meet in my classroom and I enjoy hearing from other students about their challenges in their work. I could’ve built this network on my own, but it’s great to have the assistance of a program.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

People always seem to find a lot of value in the networks they build through grad school. My take is that it’s kind of an expensive way to build a professional network, but if you’re savvy about what kind of program you choose (as you were) the financial repercussions may not be as great. After grad school, I was able to find comparable networking experiences just by being a part of professional associations.

http://lamiki.com/ Laura Kimball

I totally get this point, Rosetta, and I applaud you for writing it as someone who holds a graduate degree yourself

I got a grad degree in an industry that doesn’t really require one (book publishing). My program was similar to what Holly is describing above — catered for full-time working adults, taught by professionals in the field, night classes so that you can work during the day. I went to grad school straight out of undergrad because I needed an extra year or two in college to figure things out. It was in the field I am passionate about (content, communications and the biz), and laid the foundation for what I do now (marketing communications in the nonprofit world).

As you pointed out, the choice of going to grad school or not greatly depends on your personal goals–that’s actually a good rule for anything you enter into in life. So I’m glad you made that distinction.

Michele Martin

Several years ago I considered going to grad school and spoke to several successful people whose work and careers I admired to get their advice. At the time, I had embarked on a pretty intensive self-directed learning journey where I was doing a huge amount of reading and writing about what I was learning and having a lot of conversations with smart people. Everyone I spoke to told me to spend my money on the books, not on grad school. They also told me to seek out as many learning experiences as I could. I took that advice and have had a successful career as a consultant for years.

Rosetta, I think you make some excellent points here and couldn’t agree more that you have to go to grad school for the right reasons. I definitely believe that it’s possible (and maybe even preferable) to develop your skills and talents through your own explorations, reading, conversations and practical experience. For those people who are concerned about the need for graduate degrees as the price of admission to certain jobs, in my experience if you’re doing the active work of branding and networking, creating a reputation for yourself as someone who gets great results, no one cares if you have a Master’s. They just care about what you can do.

Great post and, if nothing else, great food for thought for people considering a Master’s—always make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons!
Lauren

This is an excellent and accurate post. I’m in graduate school (finishing, hopefully soon, my PhD in literature). Prior to graduate school, I was a professional working at a fortune 50 company. I already had been settled in my career for several years. I left my job in my late twenties because I wanted to pursue a career in academia as a professor/scholar, since that’s where my passions always lay. I now live on one-fourth of what I made. But this decision was an active career and life-changing move on my part. I entered graduate school with a plan, knowing exactly what I wanted to study. Also, not going directly after college gave me several years to consider why it would be beneficial for me. Now, only time will tell whether this decision proved right…hopefully I can get a job in my field.

If you want to gain “knowledge” or just enjoy learning, you’re right, there’s no need to go to graduate school. Right now, PhD programs are overpopulated and over-saturated with students who don’t really have a plan. I see it everyday. I recently asked a new graduate student why she was in the program and what she was interested in studying and her response was a giant shrug followed by “literature.” What I am noticing in the younger generations is that they feel graduate school is some kind of harbor or safe haven where they can figure out what they want to do. Graduate school is an huge investment. It takes everything from you financially, emotionally and psychologically. This is not just some place to “be” until you figure things out. It’s just not worth it.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

Interesting comment about PhD programs. I wanted to teach full-time, but I quit my program last year when I realized that my chances of getting a FT tenured teaching position were slim to none. The investment also took a LOT out of me, like you said. I think it’s dangerous for people to enter grad programs thinking it will guarantee them a job – the reality is that you have do a lot more than just get the degree for companies/orgs to notice you.

http://twitter.com/samdavidson samdavidson

YES!!!! AMEN!!!! Rosetta – you nail it in this post! So many people go to grad school because they’re board. If you go to grad school, you need to have a purpose that’s clearly defined, a destination you want to reach that’s impossible to get to without an advanced degree. Case in point: lawyers and doctors.

Grad school otherwise guarantees nothing (except debt). Instead, people should spend 2-4 years figuring out what they’re passionate about and then figure out how to get where they need to do. As you point out, they’ll probably be able to get there without more schooling.

Well said. I agree with this post 100%.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

I love that you mentioned the importance of figuring out what you want to do FIRST. Once you find your passion, you may very well realize that you really don’t need grad school to reach your career goals.

http://www.meg-hoffman.com/ Meg Hoffman

I went into grad school thinking I knew what I wanted to do – but I realized it wasn’t the career path I was meant to follow. Fortunately, I was able to switch my MS and my concentration and still graduate on time. For me, grad school was when I finally figured out what my true passion is!

http://www.enteradulthood.com Diana Antholis

The most important line in this post is: “But you have to go back to school for the right reasons.”

There is much talk recently about how grad school is a waste of time and you can learn it all on your own. While I agree with some, I disagree on other points.

Yes, you can learn from books – but how do you know which books to buy? And what if you aren’t that type of learner? What if you need a structured class to help you along?

And what about the people you meet in grad school? They are all connections and they help you think differently.
When you read books, you are bound by the author’s thoughts – who is there to debate them with you or give you a different perspective? It would be fabulous if you could organize a “business book club” to discuss these thoughts, but how many really do that? (I know a company that does this – awesome.)

Even in this age of digital communication and individual learning, we still need people to help us, challenge us, and guide us. It’s not as easy as reading a book and absorbing all of the knowledge. Some can do that, some can not.

In terms of leadership – grad school exercises helped me understand my leadership skills and recognize what I had to improve upon. Huge self reflection aided by my peers.

As you said, there are some degrees you NEED to get knowledge. The social science ones just expose you to new things and help you learn a different way. One of my professors said something I will never forget, “Grad school doesn’t make you smarter, it makes you think differently. And that is why an advanced degree is recognized so highly.”

I went back to grad school (in organizational management) because 1) I wanted a career change and 2) I am REALLY passionate about it. After working in organizations that had really poor management and leadership, I knew this was something I needed to do. I paid a lot of money for my degree but it was TOTALLY worth it. I even got to meet some of the collaborators on those business books everyone is reading. And the people in my class were people I would NEVER come across – not even in industry networking. It was such a wide range of experiences that I truly learned something new every day from them.

I didn’t mean to go on a rant here in your comments section (sorry!) but with all the talk about how people shouldn’t go to grad school – I think they are missing the point that you mentioned above – Is it right for you? That is what is important. You need to figure out your goals before you go to grad school. And if it fits into your plan perfectly, it can be a wonderful experience.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

I think grad school has the most benefit when you know exactly what you want to get out of it. While graduate study does provide the space for debate, reflection and critical thinking, it’s certainly not the only way to go about getting it. There are also some really great executive education programs out there (Columbia has a great one I attended) that boil down grad school concepts into a shorter-term learning experience geared toward working professionals. It was the best of both worlds for me – I got advanced, relevant info and a great network without additional debt!

http://www.facebook.com/barbararuth Barbara Saunders

I agree, Rosetta. Also, I question the presumption that schooling is a default? Is it really accurate that MOST people can’t learn from books alone? What are the actual stats? I can honestly say that my years in graduate school were a waste of time and money that I count as the biggest regret of my life. That’s from a person who loves learning more than just about anything!
Phdbound63

I feel that a young black male who earns a graduate degree in Social Work will create limitless professional opportunities for himself, and the magnitude of his impact on the next generation of young black males initiates necessary change required for developing a positive black male image. Earning a graduate degree in Social Work helped me identify my life purpose while giving back to a community in crisis.

http://www.facebook.com/barbararuth Barbara Saunders

Today, I simply write authors directly and debate them on email. I have “studied” and tossed around ideas everywhere from the parking lot at Dead tours to groups of PhDs in the research departments at Microsoft. I have edited for best-selling authors. I have recruited attorneys for a company whose new technology has been publicly praised by a Supreme Court justice.

The social sciences, to me, are a prime example of the sort of degree that one does not NEED. I’m not saying that no one should go to grad school or that it was not worth it for you. However, the way you described it – as offering experiences that one can’t get elsewhere – just isn’t accurate. The belief that grad school is all those things is part of the problem causing people to spend money they don’t have to get experiences that ARE available to them elsewhere.

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http://twitter.com/annmariastat annmariastat

Interesting. I went to graduate school for two masters degrees and a Ph.D. and I loved (almost) every minute of it. Here are a few things that went my way.
* I went to very reputable schools (the University of Minnesota and the University of California). Why do you think the University of Phoenix and similar schools are fighting so hard against the proposed federal requirements that they show gainful employment of their graduates? Because they can’t. I went to schools that were not diploma mills, I had to work my @$$ off and no, I was not working full-time while I went to school because it was impossible. I did not own a car or a house until after I received my first masters. If you are willing to sacrifice, you _may_ get a better education.
* I received fellowships so I was paid to go to school. My total debt for graduate school was $0.
* I was in fields, first business and then statistics, where there was a shortage of people with graduate degrees at the time I graduated. Fortunately for me, I graduated before there was as much of a glut of Ph.D.’s so I did get a tenure track position right out of my doctoral program.
* I was not dead-set on that I _had_ to teach college. When there became such a surplus of Ph.D.’s and the university environment changed to a mostly devalued, part-time faculty, I took a corporate position.

Financially and in job security it paid off for me. I also learned a lot from a lot of brilliant people, both professors and classmates. Many of those people became mentors, clients or collaborators over the next 30 years. I studied subjects that fascinated me.

If I had only gone to graduate school so I could move a step up on the pay scale or have a good chance of getting a job in a field that doesn’t really interest me – well, I can’t even imagine doing that. So, “You have to go back to school for the right reasons AND go to the right school.”

guestt

Sorry to burst your bubble, but ANYTHING was possible for the recession. This article is talking about going to grad school NOW. If people with a bachelors degree and 10 years of experience can’t get a job, then it makes it just as hard for someone with a masters. Not worth it.

J.

Great post!! I would just like to add that in life I’ve found there are a million wrong answers, and one right answer. And to get to the right answer, you have to pay significantly more for it.
http://twitter.com/TracyMoavero Tracy Moavero

Was in minority in nonprofit professional circles in not having Masters in DC. Felt pressure to get one, but I don’t want one just to get one. I have an unusually diverse resume full of experience I never would have gotten via an academic route. As one of my few colleagues who also doesn’t have a graduate degree said, why do people get Masters in politics, etc., to learn lobby for nonprofits? You learn by getting your butt up to the Hill and doing it.
Anne D.

I have just been introduced to your site and I have to say that i tell my friends this all the time. I’ve accumulated a lot of debt but I’m very happy with my Master’s and I put it to work on a daily basis. I think a lot of people are still stuck in the mindset of “school is the golden ticket” when reality shows us differently these days.
http://www.facebook.com/barbararuth Barbara Saunders

I think it’s also important to add that you don’t need grad school to get a job, start a business, make a contribution, or make a living. Grad school is but one path, and not the best one for everyone.
http://www.meg-hoffman.com/ Meg Hoffman

For me, grad school helped me figure out what my life calling is. I wanted to do direct service, so I started at Northeastern in a MS in Human Services program (with a concentration in Nonprofit Management – and the hopes of opening my own nonprofit someday), with the plan to get my MSW afterwards.

A few months later, I got a job in direct service. I loved it at first, but quickly became burnt out and emotionally exhausted. I realized I wasn’t cut out for decades of work doing this. I switched my degree – to MS in Nonprofit Management and a concentration in Human Services – and haven’t looked back. Because I switched, I was able to take fundraising classes, and the excitement I got out of those classes (nerd alert!) showed me I was meant to be in fundraising. I graduated in April 2010, got a fundraising job in November 2010, and haven’t looked back.

While everyone’s situation is different, and every organization sees advanced degrees differently, I am extremely grateful for the all the hours I spent completing my Master’s. I think that if I hadn’t pursued it, I would still be a confused young professional, trying to figure out which career path was calling my name.

I understand the perspective that you can teach yourself a lot of what you’d learn from in grad school, but I also think that nothing can replace what you learn from your classmates via the experiences you all share during discussions and the networking you can do with them!

[Plug: If any of you are considering a Master's, I definitely recommend checking out Northeastern! My program is available completely online (it's part of the College of Professional Studies). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about it - happy to help!]
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XD45

but, if you’re african american like myself, and you have the time and resources to attend grad school, you have no excuse not to do it, because unlike most americans we gotta be on top of our game 100% and there isn’t any rush to make the money it will come, but grad school, getting international experience. That’s what you need to do if you re black in america. I agree with some of what Rosetta is saying, but the networking opportunities you get in grad school just doesn’t happen as often outside of it. Even with your colleagues in your program you realize they come from many many dif. professional backgrounds, it is great to have those contacts. This also depends on what field you are going into. If its poli sci, econ, int’l relations, public policy, etc then you need to go to grad school. Also if you say you cannot find a job in any of these fields its usually because people aren’t looking in the right places or networking with the right people. Especially in the fields I just listed. For me there is no point to work outside of the field I prepared for. The interest for me isn’t there, and I have the opportunity to pursue my interest. So overall I am taking this article with a huge grain of salt. The article comes off as open minded, but a BA and BS is starting to become more common, of course it is now about networking, but a lot of undergrads squander their years not doing those things. I do agree with Rosetta that if you are looking to simply make money then grad school isn’t for you. Expanding your knowledge, yes knowledge is free, but access to it sometimes isn’t so easy. Grad school does make that easier. knowledge such as who to talk to in order to break into x industry. You can get this outside of grad school, but its tough, but its doable. The only problem I have with someone who goes into a grad school program is if they do not know what they want to do with it, or they are not sure that it is the field and program for them. By the time someone makes a decision to go to grad school, it is quite a serious commitment you need to be certain that this is what you’re going to want to do, and you need to have some sort of roadmap as to how you are going to get to where you want to be.