If you’re deciding to go back to school, one of the largest obstacles may be figuring out how you’re going to finance graduate education. There are countless resources out there to assist you in finding thousands of dollars in scholarships, grants, and loans. You just have to know where to look.

Find Scholarships and Grants

Scholarships are an ideal way to help finance graduate education because they do not require any form of repayment. Thousands of them are available every year, offered by universities, companies, nonprofits, social or professional groups, individuals, and more. Based on funding in the area, specific major programs often offer scholarships. Many scholarships are available for those in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and healthcare.

State or federal aid given to the university provide grants. Like scholarships, grants do not require repayment, but are usually need-based rather than merit-based. Research grants are available for a variety of fields, from technology to social science. They provide a stipend in exchange for your participation in new or existing research.

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Realizing New Opportunities

Liz gained the skills to work on various types of data across industries. She found that she could expand her horizons. Specifically, opportunities to work in environmental science, public safety, renewable energy, or fire and emergency services opened up with her knowledge and credentials. After taking the Geospatial Intelligence Seminar taught by a professor who worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, Liz realized a new category of jobs was available to her. At her current company, she applies her geospatial data analysis and cartography skills. Liz works in different capacities within projects for clients in these industries.

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Here’s a recap of what’s in the news in and around the UMBC campus.

This news recap is brought to you by UMBC’s Division of Professional Studies, offering a broad array of professionally-focused master’s degree and certificate programs that address industry needs while anticipating future opportunities.

New Cybersecurity Start-Up Launches

A new start-up cybersecurity company, Cyves, was launched recently by UMBC’s George Karabatis, associate professor of information systems, and Ahmed AlEroud M.S. ‘12, information systems, Ph.D. ‘14, information systems. TEDCO, an organization created by the Maryland State Legislature to support tech entrepreneurship, and InnovativeTech Ventures, led by Gerard Eldering, generated the funding through a grant and investments.

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Online learning opens the door to education for many people. But, it’s not for everyone. To decide if online learning is a viable option for you, let’s look at a few key things about it.

The Facts of Online Learning

Online learning offers students high-quality instruction even if they can’t attend courses face-to-face due to their busy work, family, or travel schedules. Courses taught in this manner offer flexibility in that students don’t have to travel to attend class. Additionally, most online courses take place without fixed class hours. Free of those limitations, students have the means to overcome geographic distance and can balance busy work and family schedules with their coursework.

Another feature of online learning is that it helps promote engagement. Online classes involve a lot of reading, writing, and practical application. This offers students a great opportunity to work collaboratively with other peers, as well as network. Students learn from each other and often share their current work experiences in the virtual classroom. Additionally, students have time to process their thoughts and ideas before they share them with their instructor or classmates.

Online learning environments truly cultivate an interactive environment.  Many social barriers are eliminated online. For instance, many students who remain quiet in a physical class often become active participants in an online course.

The Online Learning Myth

A lot of people might think that online learning is easier than face-to-face.

Let’s Debunk the Myth

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Obtaining a graduate degree requires time, determination, and commitment. It also requires you make some choices because a multitude of options exist. Let’s flesh them out.

Earning advanced degrees such as master’s, doctoral, certificates, and non-credit training, can help you move forward in your career in different ways. No doubt, deciding which route to take can be overwhelming.

Is a Graduate Degree For You?

Let’s talk about a master’s degree. What is it, and what can it do for you? Well, whether you want to pursue a specialization in your field, advance beyond your current job, or discover a new area of study, a master’s degree could help you take that critical step towards success.

Graduate Degree Types

For starters, master’s degrees can be either research- or course-based. In research-based programs, students work independently on a research project of their choosing, with guidance from department faculty. Course-based graduate degree programs require more structured time in seminars and lectures, but also usually have a research component. Let’s further breakdown the categories of graduate programs by type of study. These categories include programs such as Master of Science (MSc, MS), Master of Arts (MA), Master’s of Professional Studies (MPS) and Executive Master’s. The MPS programs are geared for working professionals and address current industry needs. Also, they are typically applied, and offer flexible classes.

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