Graduate school: NonprOfit edition

Choosing a graduate career can be extremely difficult. You’ve survived four years of taking a bunch of classes that didn’t have to do with what you studied. Just when when you finally got to the classes of your interest, you either realize you love it or think “what have I gotten myself into?” I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Packaging Engineering from the University of Florida, today, I am in the PhD program at the University of Central Florida in Public Administration. How did that happen? For one, I worked as a Structural Designer straight out of college for a packaging company and although designing was fun, I hated and dreaded going to work. I loved the nonprofit I volunteered at and I was pretty freaking good at it. I took a leap of faith and applied to the Masters in Nonprofit management at the University of Central Florida. The reason I share some of my background is for you to understand there are plenty of people who are now studying something totally different, my husband got his Masters in Logistics Management and his Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Life is not decided right after college, so much goes into what will be your forever career and although, I might not be in what I thought I would be, I somehow ended where I should be.

A couple of tips on choosing a graduate career:

• Make sure this one is what you want to study. You’re gonna find your classes have to do exactly with your future career and your professors will guide you to what you want to do.
• Find a program based on the curriculum, read on the classes you will be taking and the professors who teach it.
• Names are important (sorta). In the nonprofit field, there’s so many different programs such as Organizational Management or Leadership Management. Different universities call it something different, read what the program hopes to accomplish for you. Are they focusing on running a nonprofit? Working for one? Or just the overall public sector? Such as Public Administration or Social Work. Many programs have these terms in their description, find what fits your future dreams.
• In my PhD cohort, I found that some people actually chose the program solely for the professors who are in the program. Whether it’s their research interests or who they are in their respective field. THIS IS IMPORTANT. One of those professors might actually be your mentor for the rest of your professional life.
• Finally, take the risk. Move to a new city. Go to the school of your dreams. APPLY even to the one you don’t think you qualify for or get in. You never know unless you try.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. If you are thinking of applying to UCF. I’d love to answer any of your questions. You can reach me at andreao@chbob.org.