As San Jose State students enrolled in classes for Fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic, many have taken a keen interest in the graduate school program.
According to a bulletin posted by Valerie Chapman, a university studies lecturer and academic adviser, more sections of EDCO 180, a 2-unit individual studies introductory course to graduate and professional school, were added this Fall to accommodate student interest.
Michael Randle, San Jose State associate director of Academic Advising and Retention Services, said the primary cause of increased graduate school interest is the current economic recession during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Different things cause a recession overtime,” Randle said. “If people are in one, people go back to school. That’s what they do.”
He said the recessions that cause surges in graduate school interest happen for years, but none, including the coronavirus-induced recession, compare to the 2008 market crash where he saw the most graduate school applicants in his career.
In regards to additional EDCO 180 classes, Randle said that COVID-19 makes people more open to online classes.
“I chose to learn more about graduate programs before enrolling in one,” business analytics senior Cameron Kemske said. “I wanted to understand what it is really like to be in a graduate program, more specifically a Master of Business Administration program.”
Kemske added that he mainly enrolled in the course because he had extra time in his schedule.
“If COVID-19 never happened, I would most likely never have enrolled in EDCO 180,” he said.
Technical writing senior Yvette Ackerman said she looks to graduate school to fill the job market void she expects to encounter after graduating.
“Taking EDCO was appealing because graduate school seems more possible than ever,” she said.”It’ll both prepare me and give me information.”
Some students currently enrolled in EDCO 180 said it is also refreshing to be alongside students that share an interest in attending graduate school.
Child and adolescent development senior Kassandra Rancourt said she is taking EDCO 180 to find the right program for her and find classmates that share graduate school-based anxieties.
“It's not always easy to talk about it with others who aren't planning on applying to graduate school or even your friends, but those taking this class might have the same worries and anxieties,” Rancourt said.
Some students are also looking into graduate school to make themselves more marketable.
Business administration senior Syed Muhammad Umer said he feels pressure from his professional field to get a graduate degree in order to stand out in a crowded business market.
“I need to learn to create a real statement of purpose that I can follow along in the future for the next 10 years,” he said.
