UNC graduate school applications on the rise

For senior journalism major Deborah Neffa" getting a graduate degree has always been a personal goal.

But with the country in a recession" Neffa's move to grad school is coming at a time when finding a job is proving difficult for many seniors entering the market.

""I'm hoping that at least a big part of the panic will have subsided by the time I graduate" she said. Ideally" there will be more opportunities for jobs and more entry-level jobs available.""

Neffa isn't alone in her hope that graduate school will help her weather the economic storm.

Applications to UNC's graduate degree programs are up 8 percent compared to last year" and 14 percent compared to two years ago.

But while demand is increasing budget constraints are forcing the school to accept fewer applicants making it harder to get in and driving up the class' quality said Graduate School Dean Steven Matson.

As of March 18 UNC had offered admission to 2436 applicants a 10 percent decrease from last year" but some departments are still accepting applications.

""I can tell you that the number of applications have increased""  Matson said. I can also say that several departments have said — from their perspective — the overall quality of the pool of applicants has been higher this year than in years past.""

For many like Neffa" the decision to head back to school is fueled by a desire to improve academic credentials and marketability" said Provost Bernadette Gray-Little.

""It's sort of a finding or pattern that when the job market is poor" people who might otherwise have taken a job realize that this is the time to get that advanced degree they'd been thinking about" she said. They want to do something to put themselves ahead once the economic downturn has abated.""

Tim Carter" chairman of the music department" said he has seen both the number and quality of graduate applicants increase this year.

""These are probably the best students we've ever seen"" he said.

Carter pointed out that for seniors facing a difficult job market, graduate school provides good living conditions, which might drive them back to school.

You get a stipend" you can survive and you can prepare for future employment" he said.

Lisa Beisser, associate director of the Master of Business Administration admissions at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, said while overall applications are down about 5 percent, the number of U.S. applicants is comparable to last year.

This is mostly driven by international applications" who are worried about employment in the U.S. after graduation which is usually  how they pay back their business school loans" she said.

Matson said the Graduate School will do all it can within its financial constraints to continue to attract the best applicants.

The school recently received a $2 million grant that will provide five-year scholarships for 20 students, which Matson said will make a big difference in recruiting.

Neffa pointed out that for many of her friends who are graduating this year, the economic crisis emerged too late for them to apply to graduate school. She said she thinks applications will increase again next year.

I feel that maybe students are still a little more hopeful now about the economy than they will be next year.""



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.