{"id":31059,"date":"2022-05-23T22:28:05","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T22:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2022\/05\/23\/many-graduate-programs-are-scams-according-to-higher-education-policy-analyst\/"},"modified":"2022-05-23T22:28:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T22:28:05","slug":"many-graduate-programs-are-scams-according-to-higher-education-policy-analyst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2022\/05\/23\/many-graduate-programs-are-scams-according-to-higher-education-policy-analyst\/","title":{"rendered":"Many graduate programs are “scams,” according to higher education policy analyst"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some 3 million Americans will enroll in graduate programs this year, just to work toward degrees that are often not worth the time or money, according to an education policy analyst. <\/p>\n

Many undergraduate students get their baccalaureate degrees and go straight to graduate school in hopes of earning a new degree or skills that will make them more attractive to potential employers.<\/p>\n

“That’s why people make sense. They’re going to get a good job and make more money,” said James Murphy, a senior policy analyst with advocacy group Education Reform Now.<\/p>\n

But recent research shows that 40% of master’s programs in the US have no positive performance. <\/p>\n

“If you take the cost of attending and the time you spend not working, what you get out of this master’s degree doesn’t even pay for itself,” Murphy told CBS News. <\/p>\n

In some cases, they even have a negative return on investment, meaning graduates spend more on graduate school than they can reasonably expect to earn later. <\/p>\n

“You end up making less money by getting that title. So it’s pretty bad,” Murphy added. This is in addition to the fact that 60% of undergraduate applicants take out loans to pay for graduate programs and end up burdened with student loan debt. <\/p>\n

Murphy said the federal government recklessly grants loans to students who end up carrying more debt than they can afford. Meanwhile, universities are getting richer with tuition fees. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the universities that are seeing giant piles of money out there and grabbing them,\u201d Murphy said. <\/p>\n

In the last decade alone, approximately 9,000 new master’s programs have emerged. But the new different types of careers have not.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, universities see the money there and get it,\u201d Murphy said. <\/p>\n

He urged students to consider whether or not a master’s degree makes sense before enrolling in a program. First, ask yourself why you want to get a master’s degree. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf your answer is to make more money, get a better job, and that\u2019s your only answer, it\u2019s probably not a great idea,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you can point out specific data about the program that interests you and the marketable skills or credentials that you develop that can lead to a well-paying job, it might be worth the investment. For example, in many public schools, teachers with master’s degrees in education earn more than those without. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you get that return, it makes sense,\u201d Murphy said. <\/p>\n

He also suggested that you visit places like the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, which compares the cost and value of U.S. higher education institutions. <\/p>\n

Be wary of programs that only promise you a great network and better communication skills, Murphy said. <\/p>\n

“Find out what you can do in a year or two that you can’t do now.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n