Career Center to Hold Graduate and Professional Schools Fair
By Staff Writer Busola Awobode
bawobode@umassdtorch
For anyone interested in any form of graduate or professional schooling or just curious about what it entails, the 2021 Graduate and Professional Schools fair is the place to be. On Monday November 8 representatives from various graduate and professional schools, such as Roger Williams University School of Law, Suffolk University, Boston University School of Social Work, and some of the Umass Dartmouth graduate programs will be present. Students are encouraged to stop by Woodland commons from 2 to 4pm and discuss with these representatives about everything pertaining to post graduate degrees.
Contrary to popular belief, this fair is not just for upperclassmen. Students from all years are encouraged to stop by, as it can only be beneficial to start early on career plans. According to Heather Mello, a Career Development Specialist at the Career Center on Campus and an organizer of the fair, the more information one has early on about the careers they are interested in, the better they can tailor their experiences and undergraduate degree to best position themselves for those opportunities. Additionally, the extra time gives individuals room to come up with plans to achieve those career goals and strategically plan the experiences they require.
Students should also not feel that the fair is geared towards certain majors. Several “wide array schools” hosting programs from engineering to humanities and health professions will be in attendance. All disciplines have the potential to gain information that will help in the pursuit of their post-graduate careers. Important information such as length of specific programs, mode of teaching (online or in-person), outcomes of programs and admissions requirements are useful things one can pick up when they attend. Students can also build connections and networks that can only serve to benefit them in the pursuit of their careers.
Students who wish to attend should endeavor to register on Handshake for the fair beforehand. However, they can still walk in if they are unable to register; nevertheless, registration is preferred. Likewise, students should try to prepare for the fair with things like researching schools and programs one wishes to talk to which would help with focusing discussions and questions. This is because showing interest and passion will guarantee better engagement and will help representatives to give students better targeted information that aligns directly with their goals and passions.
The 2021 Graduate and Professional Schools fair is a great place to begin thinking about what goals one has and the types of programs that could potentially get them there. So, everyone and anyone who is interested in, considering or even curious about post-graduate school should make it a priority to stop by the fair.