Grad school: When to go, why to go, and whether you should

Whether you’re in the final stretch of your bachelor’s degree or feeling ready to take your career to the next level, you might be wondering how graduate school can support your goals.

It’s exciting to think about the possibilities that come with getting an advanced degree: you can dive deeper into your personal interests, explore a completely new career path or even get a raise at work.

If the excitement you’re feeling is paired with a fair bit of apprehension, you’re not alone. The decision to go to graduate school is a significant one. It means saying yes to new responsibilities that can affect your work, relationships, leisure time and finances.

So how do you know if graduate school is the right path for you? And when is the best time in your life to take the leap? Let’s weigh your options, so you can decide what’s best for you right now.

The number of graduates with a master’s degree in Canada more than doubled over the last 20 or so years, from 31,656 in 2002 to 72,471 in 2022. That’s a significant leap, but the total number of Canadians who get a master’s or doctoral degree is still only about 12% of the population. 

Joining those ranks can put you ahead of the competition in so many ways, but it doesn’t have to be about that. Maybe you’re driven by curiosity or personal growth more than anything else. Or perhaps your profession is shifting as a result of wider social or technological forces, and you want to be ready for what’s next.

Before you pour hours into graduate school applications, here are some things to consider.

Ask yourself, Why do I feel called to graduate studies? Where am I right now and where do I want to be? People pursue advanced degrees for lots of great reasons. What resonates with you?

• Career advancement. If you’re looking to climb the ladder in your profession, you may need to upgrade your formal education. While many roles value learning in the field, some job competitions may pit you against candidates with graduate degrees. Senior mentors in your profession can help you understand what you need to earn future promotions and whether a higher level of education can help.

• Earning potential. If the idea of making more money excites you, boosting your education is a logical next step. Canadians earn 38% more with a master’s degree and 48% more with a doctorate than the national average. Bachelor’s degree holders make $68,000 a year, on average. A master’s degree increases that to $84,400, while a doctoral degree gets you $100,000.

• Personal interests. Earning a graduate degree can enrich your life outside of work, just as much as it can help you grow professionally. You can funnel your volunteer experiences into a research project or deepen your expertise in a particular life role, such as parent, counsellor or mentor. One day, that personal interest may even evolve into a second career.
• Sheer curiosity. You don’t need to have a tangible end goal to pursue more education. That’s the beauty of following your curiosity and learning for learning’s sake.

If you’re like Trisha Bernabe, a student in the Master of Future Cities program in Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment, graduate school is top of mind for all these reasons and more. Ultimately, for Trisha, a mid-career professional in post-secondary administration, the choice was about the journey more than the destination.

“I was getting a bit frustrated not knowing if this current path was the right career path for me,” Trisha says. “Do I pursue a master’s because it’ll get me a better job or because I think there’s an opportunity to continue to learn forever? It’s a consequential decision that I made for personal fulfillment. I do have a dream job and this program is a way for me to get there, but the real gift is being able to participate in new ways of thinking and learning in the process.”

On top of considering your motivations and goals, it’s also worth thinking about the changes you’ll need to make if you pursue a graduate degree — something that varies greatly depending on whether the program is full time or part time, in-person or online. How much of your week will you need to set aside for lectures, coursework and research? What parts of your life do you need to adjust to make space for academia? And who can you lean on to help you navigate new demands and competing priorities?

There are many different graduate and professional degrees and diplomas, as well as varied formats of study. Think about where and how you learn best. Even with a coursework-based master’s program, learning can be more solitary and independent — and also more theoretical — than other professional diplomas or certificates.

As an undergraduate student, you’re likely starting and finishing your degree at a much younger age than your parents and grandparents did. Combine that with a competitive job market and an uncertain economic outlook, and you may not be feeling altogether eager to enter the workforce.

The good news? There are lots of great reasons to launch straight into graduate school from your bachelor’s degree.

It can be tough to adjust back to a formal learning environment once you’ve left campus and joined the working world. Pausing your studies risks putting off graduate school indefinitely. On the flipside, going right after your undergrad seizes on the momentum you’ve already built. If it’s always been a dream of yours to do a master’s degree, this could be the best time to do it, before you lose steam.

Yuki Yeung is a great example of someone who leveraged motivation from her undergrad to excel in graduate studies. Yeung’s experience in her undergraduate thesis inspired her to continue working with the same supervisor. Now a master’s student in the Faculty of Environment, she’s continuing to explore the research area she’s most passionate about — mitigating the impacts of climate change on human well-being.

Studies show that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to establish a habit. The more complex the activity, the longer it takes for a routine to stick.

Long hours of reading, listening to lectures and writing papers are a regular part of your life. And, while it may seem like second nature right now, you’ve honed those skills and behaviours over several years. Taking a break from your studies means stepping into new routines, environments and relationships — and that can make the transition back to school, while not impossible, definitely more work. Since it’s so much easier to sustain a familiar habit than to build a new one, you might consider carrying those good study habits straight into graduate school.

Most graduates fresh out of undergrad don’t have demanding professional, financial or personal commitments like keeping full-time jobs, raising kids, caring for older family members or paying mortgages. With fewer obligations, you have more time and energy to focus on learning — arguably, the most time and energy you’ll ever have in your life, unless you wait until after retirement to go back to school.

And on that note, there are just as many good reasons to hold off on applying to graduate programs. Let’s explore the benefits of returning to school as a mature graduate student.

If the time doesn’t feel right or if you’ve already chosen to delay your graduate journey, don’t stress. For many students, taking a pause actually helps them get more out of the experience.

Jess Kidd spent more than nine years as an environmental practitioner, including running her own independent consulting business, before she decided to pursue a PhD. After seeing the power of everyday citizens collecting data that can be used by various stakeholders — formally known as community-based monitoring (CBM) — Kidd undertook graduate research investigating the potential for CBM to support the environmental impact assessment process. As a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Environment, Kidd’s research aims to improve decision-making for freshwater resources in Canada.

While her journey is a prime example of how real-world context can directly enrich and inform your graduate experience, the benefits go both ways; classroom learning can help you perform better at work, too. On top of that, more life experience contributes to a mature, worldly perspective, improving your ability to make connections and find real-word applications for your studies.

The search for purpose and meaning can be a lifelong quest. Even after four or five years of an undergraduate degree, you may be feeling unsure about your interests and goals. There’s value in learning on the job, exploring your personal and professional interests, and getting clear on your vision before you choose a graduate program. That approach makes you more likely to land in a program you love, that aligns with your career path.

When Bernabe finally took the plunge and applied to graduate studies at Waterloo, she was ten years out of university. “I was very much mid-career at this point; I had a good thing going. I knew a practical direction for myself and where to take my career.”

She had applied to two different programs previously — critical disabilities and public health — at the end of her undergrad, but didn’t get in.

“In some ways, rejection is protection. Maybe that wasn’t the path for me to take. I was only pursuing a master’s at that point because I didn’t know what to do after university. It gave me some time to really refine what I want.”

She never gave up on her dream of going to grad school and, in the meantime, gained experience in areas like strategic foresight, sustainability, public policy and placemaking — even using her personal time to dive deeper into the topics. When she learned about the launch of the Master of Future Cities, a program that blends all of her personal and professional interests, she knew the time was right.

Graduate school isn’t just an investment of time; it’s also a significant financial investment. Waiting a few years (or more) to begin gives you time to pay off undergraduate debt and save up for future tuition and living costs, especially if you’ll be studying full time.

While financial support is available for some full-time graduate programs, most part-time and online degrees are self-funded. Establishing a stable career footing before you pursue a professional degree is a sustainable approach to covering the cost of graduate studies, allowing you to work full-time and earn a salary while you study.

If you’re feeling called to further your education, but not sure about your next move, it’s time to do some soul-searching about what’s motivating you and whether graduate school aligns with that vision.

Like many of us who are influenced by the people in our lives, Bernabe felt the sway of her parents’ pragmatic attitude toward education and career. As immigrants from the Philippines who grew up under martial law, her parents valued secure, practical jobs focused on contributing to society.

“I’m so grateful to my family for instilling those values, but I think I would’ve gotten so much more out of my undergrad experience if I was able to explore something I enjoyed,” Bernabe says.

“Graduate school has been so joyful for me in the way that I’ve reclaimed the experience of education. On one hand there’s motivation to be skilled so I can pursue a dream job. But also, it’s a privilege to be able to pursue something for joy. I think if future graduate students can consider that, it would help them immensely.”

Whatever your reasons for exploring graduate studies, whether right now or ten years from now, there’s no right path, just the one that’s right for you.