Kayla Sims
Staff Writer
As graduating seniors are nearing the end of the undergraduate careers, many are asking the question, What’s next? Some may decide to enter the workforce immediately, while others are exploring the option of Postbaccalaureate degree programs.
Postbaccalaureate degree programs include master’s and doctoral programs, as well as professional doctoral programs such as law, medicine, and dentistry.
Jackson State University hosted its bi-annual Graduate & Professional School’s Day in order to give students who are pursuing a higher education an opportunity to gain knowledge about different programs offered across the nation in their desired field.
From law programs to pharmacy schools, students had the opportunity to seek educational advice from some of the top schools in Mississippi and the surrounding areas.
Over 30 graduate schools participated in the event, which took place on Sept. 19 in the Student Center Ballrooms A&B. The participants recruited undergraduate students and also assisted potential students with the application process.
Renee Melton, a senior criminal justice major from Canton, Miss., said events such Grad-Pro Day are beneficial for students hoping to achieve advanced degrees who are in need of help.
“Post-graduation stress is real, I am already starting to feel it before I graduate. Events like this eases the burden off of my shoulders just a little because I did not know where to start looking for a graduate program. I think this event should be mandatory for all graduating seniors,” said Melton
Jackson State University’s Career Services Center hosted the event and also conducts seminars dedicated to professional development and assisting students with life after graduation.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the fall of 2019, 3 million students across the United states opted to attend postbaccalaureate degree programs. Brenteria Travis, manager of graduate admissions at The University of Mississippi, explained some of the challenges she noticed that students face when applying to graduate programs.
“I have noticed that students often get discouraged when applying for a graduate program, and my goal is to help students figure out what they want to do and how they can achieve it because I have been in that exact situation before,” said Travis.
Some students attending this event wanted a more graduate school options when browsing to discover a school that coincided with their major.
Jarika Hanson, a senior psychology major from Jackson, Miss., was one of these students.
“I love that Jackson State hosts events like these because as students, we oftentimes are lost and events like this help shine the light on what matters the most. The only thing I did not like was the lack of options in schools for my major,” explained Hanson.
Students had the chance to talk with professionals about future career goals, graduate assistantships, and tuition assistance.
Schools hailing from New York, represented their graduate program and invited students to application waivers, tuition waivers and campus tours.
Derreck Moore, a senior computer engineering major from Baton Rouge, La., talked about how this event helped impacted him.
“At first, I wasn’t going to graduate school because after undergraduate I would be making enough money to support myself, but after I began talking to some of the schools, I realized that there was always more money to be made. I know exactly what graduate program I want to enroll in now and I can thank my college home Jackson State for that,” said Moore.
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