higher education

New Year, New Degree: The Road to Grad School

Lauren Gray 1 Comment

grad schoolWhen I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in May 2012, I couldn’t wait to be done with college. Passionate about starting my career and impatient to begin my new agency job, I was ready to leave behind tests, lectures and projects for the real world.

Exactly three years later, in May 2015, I’ll be in class again – this time, as a graduate student pursuing my master’s degree in integrated marketing communications.

Why grad school?

My decision to pursue a graduate degree was the direct result of a shift in my career path. After two years of working agency jobs – and an unexpected layoff after the loss of a client – I was unfulfilled, frustrated and ready for a change.

After much thought, I accepted a marketing position with a small liberal arts college where I focus on telling the stories of students, faculty and alumni who are doing amazing things. I assist in developing communications plans for community relations, development and alumni relations efforts. And I’m in an environment where education and the pursuit of lifelong learning are valued and respected.

Unlike the agency world, where experience is indispensable and graduate study isn’t a necessity, nearly all management and executive-level jobs in higher ed administration require an advanced degree. And, with more of their top communications officers reporting directly to college and university presidents than ever before, I’ve got my eye on the top spot and a plan to get there.

In addition, I hope to teach at the college level in the future – another position that nearly always requires at least a master’s degree.

For both of these reasons, grad school became a logical next step for me. But how do you know it’s right for you?

Is grad school the right move for me?

It’s a difficult decision to go back to school – one with personal, professional and financial implications. Before you sign up for a GRE prep class, here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Will earning a graduate degree further my career? Think about where you’d like to be in your career five, 10 or even 15 years down the road. Search job postings based on those goals and look at the qualifications. Is a master’s degree preferred or required? Talk to your professional mentors and explore LinkedIn profiles. Understanding exactly where you want to be in the future will help shape your plan for how to get there.
  • What program fits my objectives? Part-time and online programs are flexible options for working professionals. MBA programs focus on business, while M.S. and M.A. programs can have professional and academic tracks. Since my bachelor’s degree is in public relations, I was looking for a graduate program that would complement my skill set while allowing me to focus on taking classes in areas where I was less versed. After narrowing down the choices, I reached out to alumni via LinkedIn and learned firsthand their experiences and how they were using their degrees.
  •  How much will it cost? Though grad school isn’t free, there are many ways to cover costs and make sure you’re not saddled with large debt in the process. Make sure to submit the FAFSA, which will help generate loan eligibility. Explore scholarships and fellowships. In addition, talk to your boss about going back to school. Many employers will look favorably upon an employee seeking education and may provide tuition assistance or reimbursement.
  • Does the timing make sense? It’ll take me a little more than two years to finish my degree taking classes part time while I continue to work full time. That’s quite a commitment. Will you be able to devote the time necessary to be successful? Each person’s situation is different; take a look at personal and professional obligations and be realistic about what you can take on.

With public relations and marketing professionals working in a variety of industries, each with their own set of requirements and qualifications, grad school may not be the right move for everyone. My best advice? Do your research. Ask the right questions. Create a plan. It will soon become clear if (and when) graduate school will fit. And, if you end up back in class in 2015, I’ll save you a seat!

Sarah LackSarah Lack is an alumna of Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She works in the communications department at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio, and is the communications coordinator for Girls on the Run of Greater Summit, a nonprofit organization serving Northeast Ohio. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@sarah_lack).

Higher education PR: who controls the college website? by Elizabeth Rhoads

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

High school students begin their college search online. They explore Princeton Review, US News & World Report and search for some of the colleges they’re familiar with on Google. College students are directed to their college’s website to get more detailed information on a few assignments for the semester. Professors who have completed research in their field want to make sure that their information is on the website for everyone to see.

One of the most crucial parts of public relations in higher education is a website. Considering that the majority of high school students spend quite a bit of time online, a college’s website often serves as the first impression for prospective students. While it’s used as the primary recruiting tool, it also has to serve a couple of other audiences – current students and faculty members. So, websites in higher education are more complicated than they may appear.

Not only does a college website have to serve a few different audiences, but everyone wants to have control over their part of it. I recently read an article that questioned why college websites are so awful, given that faculty and staff in higher education are often perceived as being a very intelligent crowd. Part of the answer is that while there is a common theme and template, every department has their own information that they feel is absolutely essential to display on the website. It’s often impossible for one or two web designers to be able to keep up with all the constant updates and posting, in addition to somewhat serving as a filter to what gets put up online. As a result, many departments are given the ability to update the site, and therefore, the website is actually written by several different people, in several different tones.

The question becomes, who’s the most important audience to serve? The answer depends on the college.

Personally, I believe the most important thing is to have a consistent tone throughout the entire website that is appealing to prospective students. Although a second person, conversational style was rare years ago, it has become more common. Rather than trying to formally convey the college, or departments’, mission and vision, I believe simply stating the benefits of the college (or department) in a conversational style is the best way to communicate with prospective students through a website. As for the faculty – often times they don’t have much time to dedicate to posting content on the website, which gives someone else an opportunity to write for them. That’s where we come in – who could be better for the job than a PR professional?

Elizabeth RhoadsElizabeth Rhoads currently serves as the Web Content Coordinator for a small liberal arts college in Central Pennsylvania. She graduated from Susquehanna University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Communications. She is an alumna of the White House Internship Program.  Rhoads serves the PRSA New Professionals Section Executive Committee as Programming Chair.