What is a Graduate Degree: A Way to Put Your Best Professional Foot Forward
Sacred Heart’s graduate admissions executive director shares the benefits of earning your next degree
We spoke to Keith Hassell, Sacred Heart’s graduate admissions executive director, about graduate programs and their importance to professional development. He shares how getting a graduate degree can help you to open doors to the jobs you want and design the career you want to lead.
Whether you’re approaching graduation or are already out of college, you probably have a lot of questions about graduate programs, including whether the time is right for you to pursue your next degree and, if so, what degree and university program will best suit your personal needs, ambitions and life requirements.
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Apply now!In today’s ultracompetitive world, a graduate degree is the logical next step toward helping you secure meaningful work, advance in the position you already have or make a positive change in your professional quest.
As executive director of graduate admissions and recruitment at Sacred Heart University, I often meet with students or graduates thinking about next steps. Their concerns are understandable—graduate school is a big step, and they want to make sure they’re choosing the right program and school that meets their personal needs, is flexible and offers the best value for their budget.
What is a graduate degree?
I have always seen graduate studies as “professional training.” As an undergraduate, you get a diverse, well-rounded education, with exposure to a variety of elective courses, classes and fields of study. That is a critical foundation for building your future and for entering the workforce. But graduate school focuses on courses in your specific area of interest, helping you move into a far more vertical field of study. For instance, Sacred Heart offers more than 40 graduate programs in various fields.
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You might ask, “is graduate school worth it?” Many industries require graduate degrees for employees to attain a higher level of responsibility, leadership and salary. A graduate degree from one of Sacred Heart's master’s programs, for instance, can help catapult you to a more challenging and rewarding position. And the pursuit of your graduate degree allows you to put your best foot forward, with professional guidance, training and networking.
Workers with a graduate degree earn, on average, 16% more weekly than those without a graduate degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And jobs requiring a master’s degree at entry level will increase by 15% by 2029.
Why earn your graduate degree at Sacred Heart University?
Today, there’s a great need for specialists in health professions, education and business. These are professional study areas where Sacred Heart University excels. We offer graduate certificates, master’s degrees and doctoral degrees tailored to each individual candidate, with part-time and full-time options, online and in-person classes, day, evening and weekend classes and summer sessions.
At SHU, there are several colleges that offer many types of graduate degrees, such as the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, which is accredited by AACSB International, the premier global accrediting body for business schools. As a student, you will have access to world-class facilities including the IDEA Lab, AI Lab and Finance Lab. You will learn from professors with years of corporate experience; 95% of our full-time faculty also have doctoral degrees.
What is the SHU difference?
At SHU, in addition to our top-ranked degree courses, we offer a level of personal care and guidance that’s hard to find elsewhere. I see us as a personal resource—we’re here to help you grow and achieve the next level in your educational goals, remove anxiety and address any concerns you might have about this important journey.
In addition to attracting students from Connecticut and New England, we also have students from states as far away as Colorado, Texas and California. That’s not a quirk—it’s because we’ve earned a reputation as a top-flight school that works with practitioners in each field of study, adjusts curriculum to meet changing industry trends provides personal mentors for one-on-one support and offers work/study and capstone projects with regional companies eager to employ SHU graduates.
At SHU, I like to say Sacred Heart’s graduate admissions counselors know who you are and who you want to become—and work together to enhance your success. Getting your graduate degree at Sacred Heart University is more than a professional milestone—it’s an investment in yourself, your future and your ability to lead with confidence.
Ready to transform your future?
Learn more about Sacred Heart’s graduate programs by reaching out to SHU’s graduate admissions counselors or by calling 203-365-7619. If you are an international student interested in learning more about our graduate programs, you can reach out to our international graduate admissions team.
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