Montclair State University - Alumni Magazine - Winter 2005

The taboo of students earning a graduate degree from the same institution they earned an undergraduate degree is becoming a mindset of the past as career change and other factors are playing larger roles in the graduate school decision-making process.

At Montclair State, about 20 percent of the 3,950 graduate students earned their undergraduate degrees here. "Students come back to Montclair State because they've had an exceptional experience on the undergraduate level," said Gennae Hinson, recruitment coordinator for The Graduate School. "I hear stories from students about how the support they received here had a huge impact on their decision to return for their graduate studies. They speak about their connection with the faculty, how they were challenged in the classroom, and the hands-on experiences they gained. All those things leave a favorable and positive impression."

Hinson said more students across the nation are pursuing graduate degrees compared to a decade ago. And with the Department of Labor equating advanced degrees with higher earning potential, students see graduate school as a must in a competitive job market.

Montclair State, which offers 84 graduate programs, has seen a steady increase over the past six years in the number of graduate school applicants, and this year's numbers mark an all-time high. And that 20 percent of graduate students earned undergraduate degrees at Montclair State is a statistic in which the University takes pride.

"The faculty is a huge part of why students connect with the graduate program," Hinson said. "Prospective students want to know what research opportunities are available to them, what kind of instruction they will receive, and what kind of involvement they will have on campus. Our students are very much hands-on and our classes have instruction that is an experiential type of learning; they're not just sitting in lecture halls, they're actively doing some of the things they're learning."

Students often cite the support they received at Montclair State as a major factor in their decision. "Our office is not just here to process applications. We're on the front line in terms of working with students and walking them through the entire process," said Hinson. "They may consider other institutions, but I don't know if they'll find one that has the same connectedness to the students that we have. We get involved and foster an environment that is helpful to them to pursue and finish their degree program."

Another reason students return, Hinson said, is the value. "I tell students that they are getting an Ivy League education at a fraction of the cost."

Gail Yosh '95 '02 M.B.A. researched many schools before deciding that Montclair State was the best choice. "It was close, offered a well-rounded program and was gaining accolades each year, growing by leaps and bounds and getting more competitive," said Yosh, who is the president of her own business communications company. "It was a natural choice for me to return."

A majority of MSU's graduate student population ranges in age from 24 to 34 years old, and there is usually three years between the time when students earn an undergraduate degree and when they begin their graduate studies. "Some students get their undergraduate degree and want to get right out into the field," Hinson said. "Then at some point they decide they want to advance their education to be more marketable in the workplace and move up in terms of professional opportunities."

The University also is seeing a new trend in the growing number of students returning to pursue graduate degrees in areas different from their undergraduate studies. "Lately we've seen a number of students who are doing this," said Hinson. "These are usually older students who, once they have been out in the field and have a better understanding of what it is they want to do, make the determination that they want to go in a new direction."

Tara Zurlo, an academic adviser in Montclair State's Center for Academic Advising and Adult Learning, earned dual bachelor's degrees in English and German in 1997. But it was her undergraduate experience working in the Office of Residence Life that led her to change direction.

"I discovered that each position I held incorporated some of the teaching and mentoring I had envisioned myself doing as a career," said Zurlo. She pursued a variety of schools that combined graduate assistantship opportunities with master's degree programs, and ultimately chose Montclair State, earning a master's degree in counseling in 1999. "The opportunity here was more challenging and potentially more rewarding than any others offered to me," she said.

"I credit the Graduate Assistantship Program as a key influence in my career. The program afforded me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while studying the theories, concepts and techniques of higher education that I now use in my job every day."

Most Montclair State graduate students pursue degrees in fields related to their undergraduate degrees, Hinson said. For example, a student who earns a degree in teaching but wants to go into another area yet remain in education, might choose to receive more specialized training, such as a master of arts in reading or communication sciences and disorders with a concentration in speech pathology.

After earning a B.A. in communication sciences and disorders in 1976, Carol Amato returned to MSU 20 years later for an M.A. in the same area. "I felt the program and the instructors were excellent," said Amato, a speech-language pathologist in the Paterson school district, who is back again pursuing a second M.A. in educational administration. "After researching programs at different universities, I chose MSU because of my past experiences and the support I received from the professors in the department."

Also setting Montclair State apart are preeminent programs specially designed to meet the needs of the community. In 2004, three students were awarded MSU's first doctoral degrees. The Ed.D. in pedagogy is designed for those who aspire to be models of teaching excellence, leaders among their colleagues and spokespersons for education in the state. Other flagship offerings include the doctor of environmental management, which seeks to foster an emerging inter-disciplinary approach to the study of the environment and humankind's impact on natural resources; and the M.A. in child advocacy, the only program in the nation specifically designed to prepare professionals in the child welfare system to be intentional advocates for children.

Hinson says even though students at the undergraduate level major in a specific area, they're "just touching upon the tip of the iceberg" in terms of the depth of what they can learn in that particular area. "The graduate level is much more specialized, so we address issues of expectations of the classroom environment and the curriculum, especially if students are going into an area that is foreign to them, like those who are changing careers. We'll try to prepare them and connect them with faculty who can really give them a sense of what it will be like."

As enrollment numbers continue to grow, the Graduate School continues its recruitment efforts before undergraduates leave Montclair State with their degrees. "Even if they don't come back immediately, we've planted a seed so they know they're welcome to come back and they know that there are a lot of different opportunities for them here on the graduate level," said Hinson. "When our alumni are ready, here we are. We'll connect with them, meet them where they are and see them through."