Graduate Studies - Who has the time?, Grad School Article

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of graduate students are not fresh out of school. The National Center for Education Statistics reports the average graduate student is 33 years old. Over one half of those students are married and about a third have children. In reality, only 36 percent of all Master's students and 61 percent of doctoral students go to school full time. Due to statistics much like these, the number of part-time graduate programs institutions are offering have been on a steady rise.

When trying to decide whether part-time studies are right for you, consider the reasons below.

Part-time studies offer a manageable course load.
You are able to better match your courseload to your personal schedule, allowing you to go through the program at your own pace. At many institutions, students no longer have to enroll in a traditional part-time MBA program, which separated them from full-time students. Many part-time students will pair up with weekend executive education programs, or register for two-week intensive classes to make use of vacation time. Even the Saturday classes that most universities and colleges are now offering are a helpful solution that make getting a part-time degree a lot more accessible. For those pursuing Ph.D. programs, taking courses full-time is the more common approach. While it is possible to complete advanced work on a part-time basis, spreading this work out over years requires extraordinary patience and commitment.

You can juggle family responsibilities while completing your degree.
You will have to be willing to spend much of your free time hunched over books and cut down on socializing with friends, but with some creative scheduling, part-time studies allows most students to take care of other responsibilities to children, spouses and employers. Psychologists agree that the amount of support you get from your family and spouse is a crucial factor in determining the success a student will have in a part-time program. There needs to be another party that you can trade off responsibility to. If enrolling in part-time studies, make sure libraries, labs, and other facilities on campus have extended hours as well.

You can continue to work while pursuing your education.
If you like your job, the value of being able to draw from the classroom or textbook and apply it to real life can be a very effective way to move up. What is learned in the classroom the evening before, can be put to practice the next morning. Those looking to advance within their company or field can maintain their network of professional contacts while upgrading their credentials. For others who have been out of school for quite some time and may be apprehensive to return to the academic life and student poverty, a part-time program can allow you to maintain your income and spread costs out over time. This is especially important when burdened with mortgage payments, car payments, children's education costs, etc. Although it may be difficult to get financial aid for part-time studies, many employers offer tuition benefits for graduate study on a part-time basis allowing employees to be reimbursed for expenses. Not wanting to lose good employees, more and more companies are willing to negotiate work schedules and time off. Whether your company will help pay for your classes is often, an indicator of how supportive they will be.