Economy causes students to head back to school
Graduate program sees significant increase in enrollment since 2007
By Bethany Bashioum
LIFE EDITOR
In a weak economy, it’s a win-win situation for both the individuals who hold master’s degrees and for the institutions offering them.
In the workplace, a weak economy translates to fewer jobs and more applicants. So in search for a job, the people with more education are typically given priority. In the university, it also means that the more students enrolled, the more money there is coming in to fuel the driving upward costs in day-to-day expenditures.
Not only is Evangel extending it’s services to the community through it’s Graduate Studies program, more adults in the area are being given the edge that they need when they are looking for a job.
“When the economy is relatively weak, as it is presently, employers have their pick of a large number of qualified applicants,” Jeff Hittenberger, director of graduate studies for Evangel, said. “What sets an applicant apart? The quality of their preparation, their professionalism, their experience, their ability to contribute value, all of these attributes can be enhanced by a graduate degree, especially at a place like Evangel. That is why many people decide to pursue a graduate degree when the economy is down, and why graduate enrollment at Evangel has increased by 100 percent over the past two years.”
Although Evangel’s Masters options are slim compared to other universities in the area, the Graduate Studies program is growing significantly since it started in 1998. Currently, 185 students are enrolled.
The university offers eight Masters degrees in the areas of psychology, education and organizational leadership. However, plans are in the works to add a Masters in music in the near future, with other hopes of extending degrees across other fields of study.
Although the Graduate Studies office has recently announced the launch of their first hybrid degree program in Organizational Leadership which could expand the different demographics of students, most of Evangel graduate students are from the Springfield area or were undergraduates at Evangel, Jeff Burnett, director of admissions, said.
According to Hittenberger, the online option is popular as the trend of online degrees is rapidly expanding nationwide. “The newest offering is a Master of Organizational Leadership program, which is designed to serve students who do not live in the Springfield area,” Hittenberger said.
The cost of Evangel’s graduate courses are considerably cheaper than other area programs. Evangel’s cost per credit hour is $205-$260, compared to Missouri State’s rate of $428 an hour, and Drury, which is $275-$580 an hour.
In efforts to further grow the Graduate Studies program, program directors have created awareness by posting blogs and a video on the Evangel’s homepage, advertising on Facebook, the Wind radio station, Springfield Business Journal, Ozarks Christian News and through hosting open houses to the community, like the one that took place on Monday evening.
One of the goals of the Graduate Studies office is to also seek current students to consider Evangel for their graduate education.
“Employers are primarily looking for the qualities that will enhance the service and help fulfill the mission of their organization. Evangel graduates consistently display the qualities of servant leaders,” Hittenberger said. “Having two degrees from the same institution is not a drawback.”
In addition, Evangel’s graduate programs are accredited by a variety of organizations, including the Higher Learning Commission and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
To learn more about Evangel’s graduate program, visit their website at www.evangel.edu/GraduateStudies.