Franklin Wallace spent his undergraduate years at VCU majoring in fine arts. Specializing in painting and printmaking, Wallace said his daily routine consisted of sleeping until noon, painting for a few hours and “hanging out”- all while hoping to graduate.
“That was about it,” he said. “(I sold) paintings, (and) kind of lived off that.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, Wallace said he first worked as a corporate bondsman. Then played a role in the inception of Hook Ups Inc., a nonprofit organization that he said was a small business incubator for children and adults.
“I had no intention,” Wallace said, “no interest in returning to VCU in any capacity.”
But now – while acting as the director of VCU’s Americorps and America Reads programs and pursuing a master’s degree in public administration, Wallace said he hopes to become a better administrator.
Just how important is a master’s degree in pursuing a desired career?
With the increasing competitiveness of the job industry, Blue Wooldridge and other VCU professors predicted that those without a master’s degree could become obsolete in the business world.
“I think it’s basically essential. And not only essential, but also highly desirable,” said Wooldridge, an associate professor of public administration.
“Obviously (obtaining a bachelor’s degree) is a big milestone in (a person’s) life,” he said. “But unfortunately the world keeps on spinning and things keep changing and (people) have to develop – all of us have to.”
Wooldridge said his graduate students have bachelor’s degrees in various fields, such as mass communications, political science and history. While he teaches in the doctoral program, he said most of his students work toward their master’s degrees in public administration.
“Sometimes people want the knowledge for knowledge’s sake,” Wooldridge said. “Others want new skills. Other times they think it’s going to help them in promotion…. and sometimes all three together.”
Edward Howard, coordinator of Off-campus Academic Programs, said continuing education can help workers in many ways.
“Continuing education serves such a wide variety of purposes,” Howard said, “whether it’s educating the work force – to keep their skills up-to-date or it’s keeping teachers recertified.
“If (people) want to be competitive in the work force, then (they) have to keep updating (their) skills.”
He cited the Summer Science Workshops for teachers that offer a series of residential programs having titles such as Virginia Woods, Waters and Wildlife, DNA, Drugs and the Law, as well as Bugs, Bones and Botany.
“The teachers loved to come in for a week,” Howard said. “They were able to get three credits for recertification. At the same time (they) learn something new that basically makes science more fun to learn for their students.”
VCU faculty – some full-time and some adjunct – teach the courses.
Off-campus classes, Howard said, continue to grow because of the work force’s growing dependency on technology.
VCU student Demetrios Melis, who is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration, said he hopes eventually to secure a law-enforcement-management position. Therefore, he said, he plans to enter the law enforcement at the lowest level so he can have a better understanding of the field.
Richard Huff, coordinator of the doctoral program in public policy and administration, said the master’s degree is important, but not necessarily to receive a higher salary.
“(It will give you) a sense of accomplishment primarily,” Huff said. “You may or may not get a higher salary. Improve your skills, understanding, broaden your horizons – that’s what’s really important.”
Huff said he knows the difficulty some graduate students experience with earning their master’s degrees – many balance full-time or part-time jobs and care for their families on top of their school loads.
“My advice would be just tough it out because it’s worth it in the long run,” Huff advised students. “If you really want to succeed, if you really want a master’s degree, if you really want a Ph.D – just work hard because you can do it.”
For students still pursuing their bachelor’s degrees, Huff recommended they broaden their horizons beyond their main interests.
“The more broad your background and education is the better you can write about it,” he said.
Wallace said Hook Ups Inc., his nonprofit program, and Snaps, a for-profit business, allowed him the opportunity to utilize his bachelor’s degree in fine arts and his interest in working with children, teaching them positive ways to be successful.
“My biggest advice is to understand and take advantage of all the resources that are available to you as an undergraduate,” he said. “But if you don’t pursue these things they’re not going to come and knock on your door and tell you about it.”