M.A. in Art Opens Up Opportunities

Getting your M.A. in Art can take your artistic expression to the next level.  Even for individuals that plan to work as independent artists, a master’s degree can open up opportunities and offer new experiences.  For those that choose to work in art related fields, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment of artists and related workers is expected to grow 12 percent over the next several years. 

The M.A. in Art program at Governors State provides students the chance to take classes from a group of talented, professional artists who understand the profession and mentor students to help them attain their goals.  By building professional relationships with your teachers, who are already established artists, you will not only learn a lot from them but it can potentially open doors for future opportunities. 

Our master’s in art emphasizes intellectual curiosity, self-discipline, and technical proficiency and students can choose whether to concentrate in studio arts or art history.   In addition our art facilities give students the chance to explore a variety of techniques and diverse materials with course work that includes painting, printmaking, photography, digital imaging, sculpture and ceramics.

Furthermore, we have the GSU Visual Arts Gallery right here on campus.  The gallery is committed to creating an intellectually stimulating, and visually compelling experience for the entire region and offers exhibitions of established and emerging artists as well as the opportunity for our own students to display work. 

Please see the Division of Communication, Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) website for more of the details and requirements for our M.A. in Art degree program.  As a graduate you will be prepared to become a practicing artist or to find a career in the art world as a critic, curator or professional educator.

We encourage you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Each college has stellar programs and world-class professors; all of which are focused on delivering academic excellence in a small-class setting.  Learn more about the rich history, cultural amenities and beautiful campus that contributes to making us one of top colleges in Illinois.   

Good Reasons to Get Your Master’s in Biology

An undergraduate degree in Biology may not be enough professional training for many students’ career goals.  If you wish to get a job in the field of biology that has more responsibilities and offers higher salaries, you will most likely need to pursue your master’s degree. 

A master’s degree opens up a much wider range of career options than an undergraduate biology degree.  Graduates have careers that include research, government services or as naturalists at county, state and national parks. Others find employment in the private sector as waste management or environmental consultants, at planning agencies or as teachers. 

M.S. in Biology programs vary from university to university.  At Governors State, we offer a graduate major in Environmental Biology that prepares students to work as professional biologists with a strong environmental emphasis. The application of quantitative methods and the design of field and laboratory studies are a large part of our dynamic program. 

Before you apply to a graduate school, you need to check out the requirements. At GSU we require applicants to have completed a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.75 or higher and maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher for any graduate work attempted.  In addition there are several prerequisites that students must have successfully completed with a “C” or better.

Beyond the science prerequisites, we also expect our graduate students to be proficient in a Windows environment with file management, word processing, spreadsheet, graphing, and Internet skills.  For the full GSU requirements and program details, please see our website or talk with a department advisor. 

At GSU each college has stellar programs and world-class professors; all of which are focused on delivering academic excellence in a small-class setting.  For students interested in pursuing a career as a professional biologist with an emphasis on the environment, we offer our master’s in environmental science.      

College Credits for Work Experience? Learn the Facts

You may be closer to getting your bachelor’s degree than you thought.  There are several circumstances where an individual may qualify to receive college credit toward an undergraduate degree based on their life or work experiences.

So how does it work?  Universities realize that many adult students bring a multitude of talents and abilities to their college studies so it only seems fair that they receive recognition for some of that experience.  At Governors State we could not agree more.   In fact our Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program, designed for traditional and non-traditional students, awards college credit toward an undergraduate degree for qualified individuals.

Of course there is a process that students must follow but we will give you a few examples of how it works.  Any individual who has been in the military in the last decade will most likely have earned ACE (American Council on Education) military credits that can be applied toward an undergraduate degree.  Even boot camp or basic training may be worth several elective college credits.  

Another way that adults can be awarded college credits is by taking a competency exam such as the CLEP (College Level Examination Program©). The CLEP program offers 33 single-subject college exams and five general exams.  The single–subject exams cover the same material that would typically be found in a comparable college course.  

For some people it may be more appropriate to write an essay on the experiences that provided the learning opportunities, and then add examples of artwork, certificates, licenses, business plans, articles, software, and videos that back it up. For these individuals, they submit a Prior Learning Portfolio for College Credit that is used to demonstrate college level learning from life experiences.     

Please contact a GSU advisor to learn more information about our Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program that is designed with adult students in mind.  Our courses are conveniently offered in a variety of formats including online and media-based. 

Sources:

http://www.geteducated.com/cutting-online-university-cost/145-online-life-experience-degree

We encourage you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Also be sure to take a look at the courses offered through the GSU Naperville Education Center.  For adult learners wanting to pursue a bachelor’s of arts degree, we offer one of the most adaptable "build your own" adult education programs.

Thinking about Going Back to College?

If you are a working adult that is thinking about going back to school to get your undergraduate degree, we have a program that may be perfect for you.  At Governors State University we recognize that adults have many demands on their lives and need a certain amount of flexibility to successfully complete their education. This is why we offer our Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program that is specifically designed to help traditional and non-traditional students move forward in their careers by earning a bachelor’s degree.

Our Interdisciplinary Studies program can be done full or part-time and students have a choice of 21 minors.  From there, you can build a program that allows you to customize your course work to meet specific vocational and career goals.  Classes are done in a variety of formats including online and media-based. 

If you are wondering if a bachelor’s degree will be helpful to your career, you may be surprised by how much of an impact it can make.  According to an August 2014 article in CNN Money, a new paper by Federal Reserve Bank of New York economists Jaison Abel and Richard Deitz, explains that “the rate of return for a bachelor's degree has been hovering around 14% to 15% since 2000, easily surpassing the threshold for a sound investment."

The rate of return on investment or ROI was based on the cost of obtaining a bachelor’s degree and the likely earning capabilities of the graduate compared to the earning capabilities of a high school graduate.  Even with wages falling for both college and high school grads, those with the college degree will earn about 75% more over their lifetime, which adds up to about a million dollars more than a high school graduate. 

"Despite the recent struggles of college graduates, investing in a college degree may be more important than ever before because those who fail to do so are falling further and further behind," the researchers say.  If you want to learn more about the steps to take to get started on a college degree, we encourage you to contact a GSU advisor to see if our Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program will work for you. 

Source:

http://money.cnn.com/2014/06/24/news/economy/college-worth-it/  

Did you know that Governors State University offers several off campus learning opportunities including the Naperville Learning Center? These locations offer added convenience to students in all areas of Chicagoland.   If you are an adult seeking to start your college career or to finish it, please take a look at our B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies program designed to facilitate adult education.