Applications to State’s Graduate Schools on the Rise, Officials Say

By Scott Travis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Nov. 21–Florida’s shaky economy is prompting a surge in applications to the state’s graduate schools, state officials say, as workers seek to make themselves more marketable.

The state’s 11 public universities received 54,065 applications for graduate school for fall 2007, up from 47,674 in fall 2006. That 13.4 percent increase is the largest increase since 1990, according to the Board of Governors, the policy-making body for the state university system.

Enrollment in these programs increased 4.1 percent from 52,606 last year to 54,784 this year.

“People recognize they need a lot more education to stay competitive in a rapidly changing economy,” said Mark Rosenberg, chancellor of the state university system. “That’s a good thing for Florida, but the other part is that they’re losing their current employment because of an economic downturn. It’s a mixed blessing for Florida.”

State university officials say there is a correlation between graduate school applications and the job market. When unemployment rises, so do graduate school applications. The state’s unemployment rate in September was 4.3 percent, up from 3.5 percent a year ago.

Several universities say they also have actively recruited graduate students to boost their reputation as major research institutions. Master’s and doctorate students typically are more involved in research than undergraduates.

Ryan Moseley, 22, of Coconut Creek, is a first-year master’s student in international business at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He said many of his friends also are pursuing graduate degrees.

“Back in the day, one degree was enough,” said Moseley, who is also the student representative on the Board of Governors. “Now it seems like to make yourself attractive to a lot of companies, they want to see more education.”

The demand is more than the state can handle, data shows. The state’s acceptance rate is down, from 56 percent to 53 percent. Rosenberg said the Board of Governors plans to review the figures at a meeting Dec. 5 and 6 and see if there is any way the state can help meet the increased demand, Rosenberg said.

The biggest growth areas in the state are in biology, communications, computer science, engineering and security and protective services.

At Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, nursing has been the top area of growth, with enrollment up about 20 percent, from 325 in fall 2006 to 389 for fall 2007. FAU has expanded the program to help deal with the statewide nursing shortage, officials said.

“It’s a very selective program, and they always have more applications than seats available,” said Barry Rosson, FAU’s graduate school dean. “The issue with nursing is getting faculty members who have credentials to teach at that level.”

The university is a starting a new doctorate nursing educators program to deal with the demand for faculty, he said.

The University of Florida saw a nearly 21-percent jump in enrollment for its engineering school. It’s part of UF’s plan to become one of the top-10 public engineering schools in the country in the U.S. News & World Reports survey, Engineering Dean Pramod Khargonekar said. The survey looks at how many students earn doctorates.

“We noticed our Ph.D. output was not keeping up with our aspirations,” Khargonekar said.

So, the university started recruiting more doctoral candidates, and the strategy is working, he said. The engineering school has climbed from 22nd best among public universities in 2001 to 15th in 2007, he said.

Florida International University has seen significant growth in its education, engineering, health, law and history programs. Graduate enrollment climbed from 5,743 last year to 6,034 this year.

That’s been a conscious effort, as FIU has increased its advertising and recruiting trips in recent years, said George Walker, vice president for research and dean of FIU’s graduate school. The message has been that FIU is a major research institution, he said.

“When you have a school that’s developing as fast as Florida International University, it’s important to keep people informed of where we are,” Walker said. “If people think about what we were 10 years ago, their information is completely outdated.”

Scott Travis can be reached at stravis@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6637.

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