Career Development Center

Deciding To Go

Over 50% of Occidental College graduates pursue an advanced degree.

Faculty and the Career Development Center and other professional advisors work together to support you to determine the viability, value, and necessity for continued education. Ultimately, securing an advanced degree is an independent decision you will have to make depending on your academic, scholarly, and/or professional goals.

Graduate School Advisors
  • Any and all faculty in any discipline can advise you regarding graduate school
  • If you are planning to pursue a concentration that is a faculty's expertise area, plan on taking time to discuss your goals and schools of interest with him/her
Professional Graduate School Advisors

There are several objectives to consider when trying to decide whether or not graduate or professional school is right for you. Generally, these objectives include knowing about yourself, your options, how you make decisions, and identifying/addressing any barriers to your career decision-making.

Consider these factors and influences as you make your graduate and/or professional school decisions:

Personal Considerations and Motivation
  • What drives you to pursue an advanced degree?
  • Are you inspired by intellectual curiosity?
  • Do you wish to remain in an academic environment?
  • Are you simply postponing job hunting?
  • Are you trying to satisfy others' expectations of you?
  • Are there familial or cultural expectations driving your decision?
  • How will going to graduate school affect your family or relationships?
  • Are you influenced by notions of prestige or competency?
  • Is it an institutional or academic expectation that you will attend?
Professional Considerations
  • Is it a pre-requisite for your chosen career path?
  • Will you need work experience prior to entering?
  • Will working prior help finance your education?
  • Will this channel you into an occupation pipeline from which it will be difficult to remove yourself?
  • Are you confident enough in your choice to make a commitment to this profession that involves considerable time, energy and money?
  • Are you convinced your employability is dependent on securing an advanced degree?
  • What is the market demand for professionally degreed individuals in your occupation of interest?