Hot Chocolate, Sweet Deal on Grad Programs  

Seton Hall undergraduates speak with members of the University about the Pirate Priority discount on dual-degree and graduate programs.

Last Thursday, a cold and damp day, dozens of students visited the first-floor atrium of Jubilee Hall to warm up with some free hot chocolate and to learn about, and register for, the Pirate Priority discount on dual-degree and graduate programs at Seton Hall. Gathered outside the beautiful new Global Commons, members of the Office of Graduate Affairs, along with the Graduate Directors from several different Colleges, talked informally with students about their goals and the graduate programs that would best serve them.

Undergraduate students in their third and fourth years of study often discover that they are interested in pursuing graduate degrees, because they have become immersed in more advanced coursework or because they have begun to discern their career objectives. Graduate degrees afford students a competitive advantage on the job market and higher earnings power. In many fields, they are required for professional expertise, licensure, or credentials. But students also learned that a combination of undergraduate and graduate degrees in different fields can also give them the flexibility and dynamism to adapt to market disruptions, technological innovations, economic cycles, and changing trends.

For example, many students learned on Thursday that you do not have to have an undergraduate business degree to earn an M.B.A. and that combining a business degree with a major in the liberal arts or sciences, or any combination of fields, really makes a job applicant stand out. Many students from different Colleges at the University talked about the M.B.A. program with Director of Graduate Admissions Greg Davis of the Stillman School of Business.

Associate Dean Michael Dooney from the College of Arts and Sciences also joined the event, where he spoke to several students interested in Seton Hall’s competitive M.S .and Ph.D. programs in Biology and Chemistry, the popular Master of Social Work, the Master of Public Administration, and the Master of English.

“The M.B.A. and M.S. in Biology were particularly popular programs amongst students this past Thursday,” said Christopher Cuccia, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs, “But, I was thrilled to meet students applying a variety of programs in Communication, Nursing, Law and Health Sciences. We are fortunate to be able to offer so many quality options to prospective graduate students.”

The Pirate Priority offer affords Seton Hall Juniors and Seniors two free graduate classes if they apply to an eligible graduate program by Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Eligible programs and features pertaining to the offer may be found on the University’s website, though pertinent details are as follows:

• Current Seton Hall Seniors who submit a graduate admissions application before January 25, 2023 for an eligible Seton Hall master’s degree program will get one graduate course free in Fall 2023 and a second graduate course free toward the completion of the graduate program at Seton Hall.
• Current Serton Hall Juniors who submit a graduate admissions application before January 25, 2023 for an eligible dual-degree program will get one graduate course free in their first semester of full graduate study at Seton Hall and one graduate course free toward the completion of the graduate program at Seton Hall. These students also enjoy the discount typically embedded in a dual degree (up to as many as 3-4 courses that count for both undergraduate and graduate credit, depending on the program!).

Whether or not students made it to the great hot chocolate event, they have until January 25th to qualify for the Pirate Priority discount by applying for an eligible graduate or dual-degree program and thereby save big money.

The Office of Graduate Affairs is always happy to talk to interested students at any stage of their career about Seton Hall’s many graduate and dual-degree programs. Students are welcome to visit their office on the third floor of Presidents Hall, or reach out via phone (973-275-2892) or e-mail (shugrad@shu.edu), to discuss their graduate school goals and needs.

Students are considering graduate school are also welcome, and invited, to attend the upcoming Graduate Open House on February 25, beginning at noon in Bethany Hall. For more information, please visit the Graduate Open House webpage for further details.

Categories: Education