Opportunity Costs of Graduate Education: An Exploratory Study

Learner‐Centered SEM and Competency‐Based Education: Exploring the Learning Frontier of Graduate Enrollment Futures

“…Kohl (, 19) surmises that “people need continuous learning to stay occupationally relevant and the population interested in self‐enrichment learning activities has mushroomed.” A New York Times article reports that master's degrees are becoming the entry degrees for many occupations, and further suggests that the master's degree may soon become the new bachelor's degree for certain professions (Pappano ). Graduate education choice studies (e.g., Cefaratti et al ; Kallio ; Poock and Love ) conclude that prospective graduate students seek academic programs with optimal flexibility, thereby enabling students to effectively balance their academic and work lives. Thus, master's degree programs that allow for high degrees of flexibility vis‐à‐vis other choice factors, such as quality (faculty expertise, relevant and diverse academic offerings, and market reputation), costs (direct and opportunity), and benefits (monetary and non‐monetary) are plausibly well‐positioned for enrollment success.…”

A Competitive System: Graduate Student Recruitment in STEM and Why Money May Not Be the Answer

“…Literature on the graduate student decision process is limited in comparison with that on undergraduate choice, and the current climate of selectivity and accountability necessitates more information on this topic (Bersola et al, 2014). The decision to pursue a graduate degree requires much deliberation, as the decision entails sizable "opportunity cost" (Cefaratti et al, 2007). A student's investment includes not only what is required to enter and complete a program of study, but also any other employment opportunities foregone to earn the advanced degree.…”