GradSchools.com Announces Top 20 Graduate School Programs for First Quarter 2003
GradSchools.com reveals which programs are gaining and losing popularity
CHESTER, PA, May 20, 2003 -
Social Work is "in." Computer Science is "out." Clinical Psychology and Counseling and Mental Health Therapy remain popular. And a year after major corporate scandals, Business Administration has climbed back up to the top of the list.
Graduate school trends are constantly changing, reflecting both social and economic interests of tomorrow's leaders, and there has been a shift recently in the program interests of grad school-bound students, reports GradSchools.com (http://www.GradSchools.com), the Internet's leading source of graduate school information. The degree of popularity of the fields of study was measured by how often they were searched by prospective students from January through March 2003 on GradSchools.com.
At a time when jobs in the commercial sector are harder to find and the percentage of elderly in America is rising, Social Work has seen the most significant growth in interest, climbing from #7 on the GradSchools.com Top Twenty list in the last quarter of 2002 to #3 in the current standings. The field's popularity may also be due to the fact that in addition to their main jobs, individuals with degrees in Social Work can earn extra income as counselors and therapists.
"When I first began my bachelor's degree work, I was interested in psychology, but I was lucky to get a really good advisor who suggested Social Work," says Jo Marie Aguilar, of Poteet, Texas, a licensed social worker who is thinking of pursuing a master's degree in her field. "I researched it further and realized that there are many different settings in which a social worker could work."
The program that has seen the most dramatic drop in popularity is Computer Science, which fell from #2 to #13. The slide is likely due to the dot-com fallout and the weak economy, which forced many technology companies to lay off workers. Gone are the days when a master's degree in Computer Science was considered the ticket to a high-paying job. There was a gross loss of 560,000 technology jobs in 2001 and 2002, according to the American Electronics Association. Salaries have also dropped as the number of jobs has decreased.
"My first major in college was Computer Science, but I asked myself, ‘What do I really want to do with my life?' and I realized it was helping other people," says Sophia Gaffney, who attends Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. "I'm interested in Social Work because I love the feeling I get whenever I help someone."
"I am interested in a graduate degree in Social Work because I enjoy working with children," says Michelle Kopp, a student at Eastern Oregon University. "I am majoring in sociology and social welfare and would like to further my education in the hopes of learning more and being able to get a better job, in something I like to do."
In contrast, Business Administration has gained significant ground. After a long run of popularity in the late '90s, the M.B.A. took a hit, falling all the way to 7th place on the GradSchools.com Top Twenty in the third quarter of 2002, after corporate scandals like Enron and WorldCom shook the business world. Now, Business Administration has climbed back up to #1 on the list. An M.B.A. is still considered one of the most "practical" graduate degrees, and prospective students may be hoping that the economy will rebound by the time they finish their graduate education. For many academic institutions, the M.B.A. has long been a bellweather program.
Programs that have generally retained their popularity are Clinical Psychology (#1 to #2) and Counseling and Mental Health Therapy (#8 to #7). The interest in these fields has been particularly strong, as stressed Americans react to world affairs and economic conditions. Sports Administration remained constant, moving from #14 to #12. In contrast, Creative Writing has slid from #15 to #20.
Since its inception, GradSchools.com has tracked trends in student interest by subject and field of study.
"It's clear that student interests are always changing. These trends are indicative of what is in store for the country, as graduates will pursue careers in these fields. This is valuable information for both academic institutions and for the industries that these programs supply with graduates," says Mark Shay, president of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc., producer of GradSchools.com.
He adds, "The upsurge in interest in Social Work is heartening, because it's well-documented that the elderly population in the U.S. is growing and there will be a great need for social workers in the near future. In view of the trouble in the tech sector, the fact that interest in Computer Science has dropped is hardly a surprise. Meanwhile, it is encouraging news to the many M.B.A. programs throughout the U.S. that interest in Business Administration has rebounded."
To research graduate programs throughout the United States, visit www.GradSchools.com. For more information about traffic to GradSchools.com, visit our traffic facts and for an interview with Mark Shay of GradSchools.com, please contact Matt Ulmer at 484-766-9200 or email mulmer@edudirectories.com.
About GradSchools.com
GradSchools.com (http://www.GradSchools.com) is the Internet's leading online source of graduate school information. A clearinghouse for graduate education information, it is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive online directory of graduate programs. It provides in-depth and current information on over 58,000 graduate programs in the U.S. at no charge to prospective students. GradSchools.com is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (http://www.edudirectories.com).