Austin Peay State University dean Chad Brooks explains why you need a Graduate Degree

Clarksville, TN – “Completing a graduate degree, more times than not, has a significant impact on the earning potential of any graduate, and Austin Peay State University happens to offer more than 60 different graduate options,” Dr. Chad Brooks, dean of the APSU College of Graduate Studies, said.

He was referring a recent CNBC article that reported how master’s degrees give individuals “the biggest salary boost – up to 87% more money.”

According to the article, graduate school enrollment is booming across the country because advanced degrees offer more money and stability. It found that “workers with advanced degrees have been significantly less impacted by the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. Pew Research Center found that since the pandemic began, highly educated workers are significantly less likely to have lost health insurance or to have struggled to pay bills.”

Enrollment is Austin Peay State University’s College of Graduate Studies has steadily increased in the last few years, and Brooks recently sat down to answer a few questions about earning an advanced degree.

Q: What is the big difference between an undergraduate and a graduate degree?

Brooks: “Well graduate degrees are focused just on a single discipline. Because of that dynamic, they’re often more engaging and students learn higher skill sets. And getting enrolled in a graduate program is nothing to be intimidated by. Austin Peay is the anchor university for upper middle Tennessee, and we can assist with the admission process.”

Q: How long does it take to earn a graduate degree?

Brooks: “Graduate programs are typically two years long, but we have programs that are as short as one year for a master’s degree and as short as two semesters for a graduate certificate. And these certificates are great ways to quickly increase your earning potential and provide more satisfaction in your job.”

Q: What’s the most popular graduate degree?

Brooks: “It’s not so much about what’s popular as people finding their fit. Austin Peay has just about something for every working professional to help them grow in their career, leading to more job satisfaction, greater mobility and stability, and higher paychecks.”

Q: What advice do you have for someone thinking about grad school?

Brooks: “Think where you want to be in about two, three or even 10 years and think how a graduate degree will get you closer. Also, think back a couple years and ask yourself, ‘what if I had started my graduate program sooner, where would I be now?’ Now, it doesn’t do you any good to regret the past, but it does inform you about your future, so start now!”

For information about APSU’s graduate programs, visit www.apsu.edu/grad-studies.