Graduation
is coming. The classes are ending and the job market is suffocating. What
is the next step? To some students, school is like that chore your parents
used to pay you a weekly allowance for, just so you would clean up your
room. To other students, gaining knowledge through education is an
infinite and enjoyable process. Perhaps the next step for students with
this perspective is Graduate School. All great innovations begin with
knowledge, and Graduate School can help to expand this knowledge and
encourage creative thinking in the fashion industry. Rachel LoMonaco and
Aimee Lavalley are both graduate students of the University of Rhode
Island’s textile program. Each of these two women has come up with her
own specific interest in the textile field which they are examining
thoroughly over the course of two years.
At URI, you will be considered eligible to become a graduate student if you have earned an overall GPA of 3.0, adequate test scores on the GRE, and have acquired extensive preparation in your specific field of study. The Master’s degree consists of 30 credits and a thesis, or you can opt to take 33 credits with no required thesis. You can also choose to pursue a PhD in your field of interest. Although URI does not offer a PhD program, schools such as Cornell, FSU, and Oregon State University do offer PhD programs pertaining to the textile industry. This degree usually requires a total of 60 credits, which can include Master’s credits. In addition to the credit requirement, all PhD students must complete a dissertation in their field of study. Because of the extensive requirements to obtain a PhD degree, the education industry does not have enough PhD applicants in our field.
Continuing your education is a great idea if you are interested in doing museum work, textile conservation, research and development, or if you would like to teach. In order to teach at the University level, you must have a PhD in your field of study. Continuing education can be paid through financial aid as well. Most universities offer scholarships with no contingencies. There are also fellowships, which are financial awards that are only available if you consistently meet academic requirements throughout the course of the school year. Another form of financial aid can be obtained through assistantships. This way, you are only required to pay a portion of the tuition in exchange for 20 hours of work per week with a small stipend.
You should consider continuing your education if you have a passion for learning and creating innovations to expand knowledge. You should be self motivated and have an ability to multitask. You will be expected to address a problem in your field of interest and to propose a solution through methodology. Lastly, you will need to determine results and draw conclusions by creating a summary of your research so others may learn as well. Choosing a topic to research can be inspired by a personal interest, professors and their courses related to the field, or even through a current issue in society. If you’re not sure where to turn after undergrad years, continuing education would be your special opportunity to find a passion. Sometimes our interests are not what they seem until we have experiences. Grad school might possibly be the experience to help you recognize and carry out your unexpected dreams. Need proof? Have a conversation with Dr. Welters and see how successful you can be with higher education.