Graduate School Blog

Ask 10 people what they think of grad school, and you’ll probably get 10 different opinions. There’s a lot of grad school myths out there, but there’s also a lot of grad school truths. Here’s 5 of each for you to think through as you consider your grad school options. Truth #1: You may feel like...

Meet Daniel Manuel, who attended the UL Lafayette Graduate School and earned his M.A. in History with an American History focus in 2014. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. in History at Rutgers University. Initially, Daniel was unsure of whether he wanted to pursue a graduate degree in history, so he...

Don't listen to the people who say graduate school isn't important in today's job market. Why would graduate school enrollment have increased so much if it wasn't important?

When it comes to salaries, the golden rule is to never talk about them— but we think differently. Find out which graduate degree can help you get the most out of your career and get the largest salary around! Highest Paying Industries Engineering Business Sciences Arts Median Salary: $136,500 Median...

Meet Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, who started teaching at UL Lafayette in 2000 and became Dean of the UL Lafayette Graduate School in 2014 after serving as Interim Dean for a year. She is UL Lafayette’s biggest advocate for graduate students and graduate studies, and she’s working tirelessly to move...

It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves: should I get a graduate degree? When you’re thinking about going back to get your master’s degree or doctoral degree, it’s important to know why you want to earn your higher degree, along with knowing what you’d like to do after graduation. There are a...

Late 20s to early 30s. Minimal outside commitments. Has the ability to consume unnatural amounts of caffeine. Lives in the lab and doesn’t remember the last time they had a full night of sleep. That’s the portrait of a typical graduate student—the stereotype. But if you ask us, there’s no such thing...

24 hours, 7 days, 52 weeks, 12 months. We all have the same amount of time. In grad school, when time is precious, are you managing your time correctly, rather than your time managing you? Here’s a few time management tips to improve your grad school experience. Be a to-do list pro When you’re...

Are master’s degrees still relevant? Yes. In fact, they’re considered more than just relevant now—they’re practically essential. A master’s degree makes you more competitive in the job market. It helps differentiate you from other job candidates, because master’s programs help you specialize in the...

Joanna Davis-McElligatt is an associate professor of ethnic studies in the UL Lafayette English graduate programs and is known for her sense of humor in the classroom and dedicated mentorship of grad students. She teaches a range of topics in literature theory in our English grad programs, and she’s...