As the recession continues to restructure the job market, more and more people are fleeing to academic institutions as a safe-haven to ride out the economic uncertainty.
Graduate programs nationwide have experienced an influx in applications this year, with IU Maurer School of Law topping the charts at a 30 percent increase.
“More people are deciding to go to law school,” said Frank Motley, assistant dean of admissions for the Maurer School. “The economy is obviously a major influence – if there were more jobs available out of school, then that is where people would be.”
IU University Graduate School also saw a rise in applications in nearly all graduate programs this year, said Dean of the IU University Graduate School James Wimbush.
“Many people who are out of work or unemployed find that going to graduate school and waiting for the job market to improve, while at the same time gaining new skills, is a viable alternative,” he said.
With more applications across the board, competitiveness for IU graduate programs is increasing as well.
“The greater the applicant pool, the better able we are in terms of selectivity,” Wimbush said.
(By Molly Johnson: IDS: 1/26/2010)
Read the article at the IDS.
