The final program of interest researched was the Speech ...



Analyzing the Cost-benefit of Acquiring a Graduate Degree of Various FieldsPrepared for: Jessica McCarthy, Course InstructorPrepared By: Jacob Sealby, English 402 StudentAllie Drufel, English 402 StudentJared Hereford, English 402 StudentDaniel Diaz, English 402 StudentJuly 12, 2016Date: July 12, 2016Prepared for: Jessica McCarthy, Course InstructorPrepared By: Jacob Sealby, English 402 Student, Allie Drufel, English 402 Student, Jared Hereford, English 402 Student, Daniel Diaz, English 402 StudentSubject: Recommendation Report for the Cost-Benefit Study involving Graduate DegreesAttached is the report of the study conducted, “Analyzing the Cost-benefit of Acquiring a Graduate Degree of Various Fields”. We completed our tasks described in the proposal and were able to conduct much research into the cost-benefit of many graduate programs. We were able to familiarize ourselves with creating webpages, introduce a summary and the purpose of the project, and create an individual page for the graduate programs each individual group member researched. The project concludes by each member making a recommendation on their individual program researched.To carry out the tasks outlined in this project, the group performed both secondary and primary research. Most of the research was done online, as many statistics regarding careers and the cost of schools are posted on their respective program’s website. In addition, some primary research was conducted by interviewing individuals about their satisfaction who were currently working as professionals in the field that correlates with the program being researched. As this report was done in a short time span, we encourage all kinds of feedback, whether it is related to our research methods or accessibility of the information we seek to provide on the web pages. Thank you for reading the report and we hope you are enlightened by the information it provides. Table of ContentsExecutive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3Research Methods……………………………………………………………………………………………………3Task 1. Generate a blank web page in order to secure the platform for sharing information…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4Task 2. Write a short biography involving career aspirations and pursuits and use these to select a graduate program to research…………………………………………………………………… 4Task 3. Conduct research into selected graduate program and the cost-benefit to pursuing the program…………………………………………………………………………………………………..5Task 4. Upload all research onto the web page and form an opinion on whether or not pursuing the program is beneficial while including sources for more information………. 5Results…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7What is the cost-benefit to attending the graduate programs researched and is the payoff worth attending? .................................................................................................. 7Recommendation……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8Recommendation by the individual researchers on whether or not to attend their researched graduate programs…………………………………………………………………………………….8References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10Appendix: Link to Web Page…………………………………………………………………………………….12Executive SummaryAs stated before, the content of the research is to be posted on individual webpages. To begin, each individual researcher will pick a desired graduate program to study. These programs relate to the researcher’s future career aspirations or desired eventual career. The content of the webpages will contain various information and statistics that the individual researcher felt were important to the report. Once the information was compiled onto the webpages, each individual was to determine if they themselves would take part in the graduate program they researched. These are personal opinions, but the statements were made after accounting for the research done. This report contains the methods used to research the information regarding the various graduate programs, and how this information was gathered. The report will also contain information regarding the results of the cost-benefit research each individual conducted. The report will then conclude by determining the actual cost-benefit of attending each program, and the recommendation given by each individual researcher. IntroductionThe decision of furthering one’s education as a soon to be or recently graduated college student is an extremely important decision requiring much research. The life of a student is stressful and time consuming, especially when nearing graduation with many decisions to make that impact their near future. The purpose of this report is to aid these students in one aspect of those decisions, graduate school. Graduate programs can be seen as a big risk, as some require a high investment in terms of money and time which may or may not pay off in the future. This report seeks to do cost-benefit research into a few graduate programs in order to determine whether or not they are worth investing in.The issue of whether to attend graduate school or not is an issue that has been around for quite some time. High tuition costs, the miscellaneous expenses that come with attending these programs, and the uncertain job opportunities post-graduation make this investment seem high risk. For some, these high risk investments can deter them from following their dream career or cause them to cut short on their aspirations. In order to alleviate some of the pressure involved in making the choice to attend a graduate program, this report seeks to provide the results of the cost-benefit research that the four students conducted. This report will contain the results of the research conducted by the students involved in the project. There will be four individual graduate programs researched, each program being researched for their cost-benefit in terms of time and money investment. Each individual’s research will be provided along with links to their individual web page which contains the results they found from their research as well as more in depth statistics. Finally, each researcher will give their opinion on their respective graduate program on whether or not the program is worthy to invest the time and money into.Research MethodsThe first task to be completed for the repurposed project involved creating web pages which would allow the group to share the researched information. To create the web pages, we used the free site , which provides simple and free to use templates. This site allowed us to manage the different web pages that were to be created, and provided us with templates that made the construction of each page much easier. This first task involved each individual group member creating a unique web page and one main home page containing a general summary and introduction of the project. This was the first task to be completed, as it gave the group a space to upload and share the information that would be researched. The second task to be completed involved each team member to write a short introduction about themselves involving their career aspirations and field of interest on their individual web page. Using this short introduction as a base, the individual group members were then able to find a graduate program of interest to begin the research of the cost-benefit of their chosen program. This task ended with each group member having their own unique web page which contained a short introduction as well as the graduate program that they were planning on researching. The third task to be completed involved each group member researching their desired graduate program. This research involved the cost to attend the program, the post-graduation employment rates and pay, as well as comparing the increased benefits of obtaining a graduate degree as opposed to just a bachelor degree. For this task, each individual was to conduct their own research into the various aspects of their chosen program. The research was mainly conducted by using credible online sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, . Each individual researcher was then to analyze the cost-benefit of attending their chosen program.Student Allie Druffel selected the Oregon State University program in the Department of Plant Pathology located in Corvallis, Oregon. Research was conducted online by examining the department site to gather information related to the graduate program to determine if the program itself was a good fit in this particular case. The program website will also be used to determine the costs of attending the program in order to compare these costs against the earning potential of one who is working in a field related to the graduate degree received from this program. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will also be used to investigate the earning potential for an individual who has graduated from this program in order to gain a better understanding of the salaries one might earn with this respective graduate degree. Student Jacob Sealby selected the physician assistant program at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. Information for this program was gathered from the department website, , where it contained information regarding graduation rates, cost of attending, and job security after graduation. Information was also gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, , which contained reliable information regarding nationwide average salaries, the rate of growth of the profession, and industries of employment. This information is to be all compiled so that it may be added to the web page seamlessly, as well as used to make a decision involving the cost-benefit to attending the graduate program.Student Daniel Diaz selected the electrical engineering masters program at Washington State University to study. Information regarding the cost for attendance, length of the program, and employment after graduation was all collected from the department website. In addition, was used to estimate the expected earning rate of an individual with a graduate degree in electrical engineering, in order to compare this rate with one who only holds a bachelor degree. By compiling this information, comparisons and a conclusion can be made regarding the cost-benefit of attending the graduate program at Washington State University. Student Jared Hedford researched the Washington State University Speech and Hearing program located in Spokane, Washington. Research conducted was visiting the school website to see what the program offered. The website provided in depth information and insight into what the program offered as well as what the cost for attending is expected to be. The program website also offers information regarding opportunities for scholarships as well as other opportunities to cushion the costs for attending the program. These opportunities will be crucial in determining the cost-benefit to attending the program.The fourth and final task involved each researcher uploading their information to their individual web pages and forming an opinion on their chosen program. The opinion of each researcher on their chosen program was made based on the research each individual conducted about the graduate programs. The cost-benefit analysis was done with each individual researcher’s own personal situation taken into account, so the conclusion made on each program should be taken as a case to case basis. A final web page was then made and each researcher was to annotate one to three sources which provide general graduate degree information or more specific sources that provide further analysis into graduate programs. ResultsStudent Allie Drufel researched the Oregon State University program in the Department of Plant Pathology. For Oregon State University, working as a graduate student conducting research on the Hermiston Agricultural Research Extension Center, funding is provided through a National Need Fellowship (NNF) Funding Opportunity. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture offers grants to fund researchers to train students for masters and/or doctoral degrees. Fellowships and Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) are allowances given to the graduate student technician to support traineeship programs. Regarding salary, According to , Syngenta Research Scientist’s salaries can vary from $56,784-$85,000, averaging a salary of $73,264. We can now compare the salary of a Research Scientist, which as we’ve learned requires the minimum of a master’s degree, versus the Syngenta Research Associates position, the subordinate position to a Research Scientist. The salary of an associate position averages around $53,259. Also, a position usually taken by most graduates with their bachelor’s degree is one similar to a Developmental Sales Representative position in Syngenta (Agronomist/Sales Representative) as it is across other companies. The average salary for that position is approximately $50,834.Student Jacob Sealby discovered that the initial investment for attending the Glendale physician assistant program is quite high, sitting at over $100,000 for out of state students. This sum combined with miscellaneous fees as well as living fees makes the program a hefty investment. Research into the salary for a physician assistant provided by the BLS showed that the average yearly salary for a physician assistant sat just under $100,000. The Glendale program website also showed that 95% of graduates were employed within 20 weeks of graduation. In addition, the BLS projected that the profession of physician assistant was projected to increase by %30 in the year 2017.Regarding the electrical engineering program offered at Washington State University, it was discovered that the pay rate of a graduate degree holder and bachelor degree holder did not differ significantly. According to PayScale, the average Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineer makes $29.30. The average Master of Science Electrical Engineer makes $30.17 an hour. According to Washington State University, the cost for attending the graduate program ends up at around $25,500 for two years of study. The “Quick Facts” sheet states the program consists of 30 or more hours where students are required to take a minimum of 12 credits. In-State graduate students at the Pullman campus paid an estimated $12,728 for the 2015-16 school year. Out-of-State graduate students paid $26,160. Undergraduates at the Pullman campus paid an estimated $22,840 a year. Out-of-State undergraduate students paid an estimated $36,424. In total a student pursuing a Master of Science degree could end up paying a one to two years of tuition for an extra dollar an hour.The final program of interest researched was the Speech and Hearing program located at the Spokane campus for Washington State University. According to the program website, speech and language pathologist employment is expected to grow by as much as 19% through 2022. The cost of attending the two year program was found to be $29,457, with the opportunity for scholarships to be earned. These scholarships were found to not be directly handed out by the program, which could influence the chances of being granted one. Based on the SLP health care survey of 2015, the starting salary for a speech and learning pathologist was found to sit around $75,000. In addition, the survey also found that the profession was set to increase by %19 by the year 2022.The final repurposed project contains six web pages in total, one introduction page, four pages containing information about four graduate programs, and a final page containing more information. Once the web pages are constructed, the usefulness can be determined. Overall, making a web page containing information about graduate programs will be extremely useful for the intended audience. With all college students having access to the internet and many resources becoming more electronic, a web page is an extremely accessible resource for students seeking more information regarding graduate school. After researching four individual graduate degree programs and analyzing the cost-benefit of these four individual programs it appears that graduate programs are all relatively expensive to attend. The research also shows that once a graduate degree is completed, individuals can expect to earn much more than those who do not have graduate level degrees in similar fields. ConclusionOverall, the content that was collected over the process of completing this repurposed project is extremely useful to the intended audience. The research that was done by the group members showed that the four graduate programs all require a high cost investment for attending the program. The research also found that individuals who had graduate level degrees also earned more than their colleagues who only had bachelor degrees in similar fields. Based on the research done, it is concluded that graduate degrees are worth the initial high cost investment if the individual plans to use their graduate degree to obtain a life-long career in the respective field. In more specific cases, a graduate degree in a field such as electrical engineering may only be worth it to those that are interested in management positions. When reexamining the results, it can be concluded that those with graduate level degrees will earn more than those who only hold a bachelor degree in the same field. However, many graduate degree programs are multiple year programs and the cost for attending can be seen as too expensive for some. In some cases, such as a physician assistant, the career can’t even be done without holding a master’s degree, making attending the graduate program essential. When examining the cost-benefit to attending a graduate program, one can expect to earn a higher salary while committing a year and sometimes two to the program. When examining a graduate program, it is important to realize that there are many more factors at stake than just statistics such as earning potential and initial investment. Many personal factors play a role into making a decision such as this that the research did not take into consideration. RecommendationsBased on the information acquired through the research done, it is recommended that if students are interested in one of the four programs that were researched, they should use the web pages in combination with their own research to determine the cost-benefit of attending a graduate program. The web page can also be used as a starting point for students interested in attending graduate programs. The web pages contain key information such as the cost of attending the programs as well as what one can expect to earn after graduate school. This information is crucial to many in determining whether or not the investment of graduate school is worth attending and the repurposed project seeks to answer that question for the four graduate programs that were researched. When looking at the research done involving the physician assistant program, it is recommended to attend the program if one is interested. The salary as well as the simple requirement to have a graduate degree in order to even be employed makes the recommendation to attend a logical choice. In regards to the Oregon State Pathology program, the research into the cost-benefit shows that it is worth it to attend the program. The salary difference was quite large and the cost of attending the program can be alleviated through research and assistantships, making the benefit outweigh the cost to attending the program. In regards to the electrical engineering graduate program at Washington State University, it is recommended only to those that are seeking a management level position. The salary difference between a bachelor and graduate degree was only a couple dollars per hour and including the investment to attend a graduate program makes this path only recommended to those seeking management positions. The final recommendation involves the Washington State University Speech and Hearing program. Based on the opportunities for scholarships to aid with the cost of attending, as well as the large difference in salaries when obtaining a graduate degree, it is recommended that those interested in this path do attend the graduate program. In future reassessments of the product, the information would have to be updated yearly in order to stay relevant to the present time. The product is successful at providing the key information that many individuals take into consideration when analyzing the cost-benefit of attending graduate school for the four programs that were researched. Where the product falls short is the amount of fields that were researched. It is unsuccessful in providing information on a wide range of programs and for future changes the product would have to include more than four programs to become more successful. All in all, this product is recommended for those interested in pursuing graduate programs in order to display our research and encourage individuals to research and become closer to accomplishing their mission of attending the ideal graduate program. ReferencesAli, R. A. (2016). National Needs Fellowship. USDA- National Institute of Food andAgriculture. Retrieved June 23, 2016, from (2016). Graduate Fellowships Available. OSU- Hermiston Agricultural Research Extension Center. Retrieved June 22, 2016, from (2016). Syngenta Salaries. Retrieved June 22, 2016 from (2016). Physician Assistant Studies Program. Retrieved July 12, 2016 from of Labor Statistics (2016). Occupational Employment Statistics, Physician Assistants.Retrieved July 12, 2016 from of Labor Statistics (2016). Occupational Outlook, Physician Assistants. Retrieved July12, 2016 from , K. (2013, March 12). Calculate the Return on a Master's Degree. Retrieved July 13, 2016, from . (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from Facts PDF Download?What am I worth? (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from (BSEE)/Salary?Bachelor’s DegreeWhat am I worth? (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from (MS),_Electrical_Engineering_(EE)/Salary?Master's DegreeCost of Attendance | Graduate School | Washington State University. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from Cost of AttendanceWashington State University. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from Cost of Attendance HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" AppendixLink to the web pages: ................
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