Choosing the Right Graduate Degree for Your Future
If you’re ready to take the next step in your career — whether it’s moving up in your current organization or switching to a completely different industry — earning a graduate degree should be a priority.
Another good time to think about graduate school is while still earning your bachelor’s degree; if you know the career you want and you need a master’s degree to get there, why not apply early and start sooner? Combined degree programs let you take graduate courses while still an undergraduate.
There’s a lot to consider when researching graduate degrees and which schools to apply to. Starting with the basic differences among the degrees can help you choose the best one for your future and your timeline.
Types of Graduate Degrees and How they Differ
Dean of the College of Hospitality Management and Associate Provost of Academic Affairs Jennifer Galipeau ’88, ’92 M.S., Ed.D., explains the fundamentals about graduate degree programs, what sets them apart and which degree could be the right one for you.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA is a general business degree that usually has a leadership focus and concentrates on traditional business domains such as management, marketing, finance, strategy and development and is for someone who's looking to advance into management or pivot to a business-focused degree.
Master of Science (M.S.)
An M.S. degree is usually specialized in a technical expertise in a particular field and may, in some situations, have a thesis requirement. When trying to decide between an MBA in Finance and an M.S. in Finance, for example, all your coursework for the M.S. is going to be focused in the finance area. You won’t be taking a marketing course or a human resource course. You might take a strategy course, but it would be centered around key components of finance rather than broader business operations.
An M.S. program is for someone who's looking to deepen their technical knowledge and who may want to go into research or an academic role. It might also be a good choice for someone who, for example, is in training and development for a corporation, and it is part of their job to develop curriculum and create strategies to educate individuals in a particular industry.
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Arts programs tend to be broader with a theoretical focus, often on the theory of humanities, social science and areas along those lines. At JWU we have a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program that focuses on theory of education and is geared toward people who want to focus on writing, leadership in the arts, education and so forth.
If you want to become a teacher but don't have the licensure to be one, the M.A.T. is the program you want to pursue. You wouldn’t earn the certificate through our M.A.T. program, but it provides the components that enable you to sit for the licensure exam to become certified to teach by the State of Rhode Island.
Master of Education Degree (M.Ed.)
If you are a teacher already licensed, the M.Ed. or the M.S. programs would be a good fit for you. A Master of Education will provide a broader set of fields than an M.A.T. but it will not give you the credential you need to be a licensed teacher. Beyond courses you might find in a master's in teaching program, an M.Ed. offers courses on additional aspects of education; some examples include administration, culturally responsive teaching and curriculum development. Practicing educators who embark on an M.Ed. program could gain new skills, explore specializations and possibly take on advanced roles in and out of the classroom.
Explore the Benefits of JWU Graduate Degrees
Now that you know more about the different types of graduate degrees, you hopefully have a better sense of which one to pursue to best meet your goals. The next step is to research and decide which specific schools and programs to apply to.
Dean Galipeau, a JWU alum herself, answers some questions and shares her insight about the benefits of our graduate degrees and what sets them apart from other schools’ programs.
Q. What are some of the differences between JWU’s graduate degrees and those at other schools?
M.S.
Our M.S. programs typically do not have a thesis requirement. For example, the M.S. in Global Tourism and Economic Development requires some research for students but not the formal process of a thesis.
Our M.S in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) is technical and fits within a specialized area but includes a capstone project rather than a thesis. The research our students do for this program is part of demonstrating their expertise for the field.
M.A.T.
For our M.A.T. program, one aspect that's distinctive is having the business and culinary tracks as M.A.T. concentrations. So, what's the value added? If you are someone who's aspirational, there is such a strong foundation for our M.A.T. program in terms of our College of Food Innovation & Technology. Also, our M.A.T. students are going out and student teaching, which is like an internship, but it is also part of what prepares them to submit their credentials to become licensed teachers in the state.
Q. JWU offers combined programs that let you start graduate courses while still an undergraduate. What are the biggest benefits of these programs?
It boils down to a combination of saving costs and time, and taking purposeful courses. The pathways for our combined undergraduate and graduate programs are planned to allow students to leverage the strength of their undergraduate program and move into a graduate program with both being highly aligned.
An example of a combined degree through our College of Health & Wellness is earning your B.S. of Health Science degree and your Occupational Therapy Doctorate (O.T.D.) degree. This combined program enables qualified students to earn both of those degrees in as little as six years.
JWU also offers combined degree programs with other universities that we have articulation agreements with. As an example, our students may apply to our 3+3 B.S./J.D. Law Program to earn their bachelor’s degree here and go on to earn a Juris Doctor degree at Roger Williams School of Law.
What are the benefits of combined degree programs with other universities?
They are accelerated degree programs that allow students to start their graduate work earlier with a streamlined admissions process. Because they started with their undergraduate degree at JWU, that facilitates them through the application process to join the graduate programs at the schools we have agreements with. There can also be tuition savings through these programs. Another benefit is that students will enjoy a network of students and alumni from JWU as well as the other schools.
Q. JWU’s College of Professional Studies’ offers all online programs, including graduate degrees. What type of student would find these online programs to be a good choice?
For someone who wants the flexibility to complete their coursework during times that work best for them, our College of Professional Studies makes sense. The classes are asynchronous, so someone who is a self-driven, an independent worker and has the flexibility to take their course load at their own pace would be a good candidate. Mainly you need to be a self-directed learner who can set up your schedule to include the four or five hours that it might take to work through the assignments.
We talked to a few graduate students about their experiences in JWU's programs. Here’s what they told us.
Greg Hogan, ’25 M.A.T., High School Business Teacher
Q. What made you choose JWU’s M.A.T.?
JWU is in a unique position. It’s the only school in Rhode Island that offers a business concentration with special education. So, when I was transitioning into teaching high school and knew I wanted to teach business, this seemed like a perfect fit. The curriculum matched what I was looking for, and I really liked the cohort model — the idea of being with the same students throughout the entire process.
Q. Are there specific experiences that have been valuable to you so far?
We've had the ability to generate curriculum and look at how we would view our teaching practice, not only from our own perspective but from the students’ perspectives. That synchronicity has been positive.
Q. How has this program helped you grow professionally or personally, and do you feel it’s preparing you for your future goals?
The program has prepared us for what to expect in education in terms of ‘practice what we are expecting to preach.' Many of our classes are modeled by what we are expected to do in the classroom. These two things together have been a wonderful experience.
Jalyn Alves ’25 M.Ed., Kindergarten Teacher
Q. What's been your favorite part of JWU’s M.Ed. program so far?
The culturally responsive course and the project-based learning helped me realize, especially for kindergarten, the importance of hands-on activities and turning my curriculum into a project-based learning opportunity.
Q. Were there faculty who supported you throughout the application process?
When I was applying, I emailed the director of education on a Friday, and by Monday I was attending my first class. We fast-tracked my application, interviewed on the phone and I was ready to go.
Q. Do you have any specific career goals you hope to work toward with the knowledge and experience you’re gaining through the M.Ed. program?
My goal was to better myself as a teacher. I teach kindergarten and sometimes the graduate courses I have do not relate to young children. But everything I am learning is helping me to be a better teacher. And I've brought the culturally responsive teaching and the project-based learning into the entire school.
Graduate Program Scholarship for JWU Alumni
If you are an JWU alum and thinking about graduate school, a key benefit of earning your graduate degree here is the Wildcat Alumni Scholarship. If you’re accepted into one of several eligible graduate programs, you will automatically be considered for this 25% tuition scholarship.