In recent years, with the increasingly fierce competition in the job market, many college graduates choose to take the postgraduate entrance examination to improve their academic qualifications and increase their employment competitiveness. However, some colleges and universities have recently announced that they will stop recruiting master's students, which has further stimulated the anxiety and worry of graduate students. This article will expand on this topic**, including the reasons for the decline in the number of graduate students, the impact of the decline in master's admissions, and the future trend of professional and master's degrees.
In recent years, there has been a clear trend in the number of graduate students taking the exam. On the one hand, employment difficulties are one of the main motivations for graduate school entrance examinations. Many college graduates want to increase their employment opportunities by improving their academic qualifications. However, if there are better employment options, they may not be in a hurry to go to graduate school. This is a big reason for the decrease in the number of applicants for the postgraduate examination in 2024.
On the other hand, the shortage of accommodation resources caused by the expansion of colleges and universities is also one of the reasons why students choose not to go to graduate school. In recent years, many colleges and universities have expanded their undergraduate enrollment, resulting in a lack of accommodation during the university period. The school has to sacrifice the accommodation resources of graduate students, which is a big problem for graduate students. Many well-known universities have made it clear that they will no longer provide on-campus accommodation for graduate students, which further increases the financial cost of postgraduate admissions.
With the increasing number of professional masters and the decrease in the number of master's degrees, graduate students are facing greater pressure to choose. Some universities have already announced that they will stop recruiting professional and master's students, while others plan to stop recruiting academic postgraduate students from 2024. For example, well-known universities such as Fudan University, Peking University, Northeast Forestry University and Southwest University have all taken such measures. According to the Ministry of Education's plan, it is expected that by 2025, the proportion of post-secondary students will reach 67% of the total enrollment. This means that the master's degree is likely to withdraw from the historical stage, and the graduate students can only choose the master's degree.
The news has unnerved many students who are interested in going to graduate school, fearing that the financial burden of graduate school will continue to rise. In fact, the proportion of master's degrees has been rising since 2010, from 39% to 67% currently. It will continue to increase in the future. Therefore, graduate students must think carefully and make a wise choice based on their own situation.
With the changes in the job market and the advancement of education reform, the proportion of professional and master's degrees will continue to increase in the future, while the enrollment of master's degrees will gradually decrease. To some extent, this trend reflects the reality of the increased demand for professional skills in society. For students, when choosing to go to graduate school, they should also fully understand the situation of the master's degree, evaluate their own interests and abilities, and make decisions that are suitable for them.
In the face of the retirement of the master's degree from the stage of history, candidates should consider a variety of factors, including employment prospects, financial burden, and personal interests and abilities. Postgraduate entrance examination is not only to pursue higher academic qualifications, but also to improve one's professional skills and knowledge level. Whether you choose a master's degree or a professional master's degree, you should make an informed decision based on your ability and career plan.
To sum up, the news of the master's withdrawal from the historical stage has aroused uneasiness and worry among graduate students. The current employment environment and the shortage of accommodation resources are one of the reasons for the decline in the number of graduate exams. With the expansion of professional and master's enrollment and the decrease of master's degree, the proportion of professional master's degree will continue to rise in the future, and the master's degree may gradually withdraw from the historical stage. When making a decision to go to graduate school, candidates should consider their employment prospects, financial burdens, and personal interests and abilities to make a choice that suits them. Importantly, the postgraduate entrance examination is not only the pursuit of academic qualifications, but also to improve professional ability and knowledge level.