In recent years, there has been a significant gap in the number of students admitted to master's and professional master's degrees, which has led some colleges and universities to decide to stop recruiting master's programs. For example, the Department of Mathematics of Nanjing University will stop recruiting academic master's students, Sichuan University will no longer recruit master's students in psychology, Fudan University's School of Economics will no longer recruit academic master's degree students, Southwest University will stop recruiting academic master's students in statistics, and Northeast Forestry University will stop recruiting master's degrees in landscape architecture, ecology, and public administration. This is bad news for graduate students, as not only do master's programs have relatively low tuition fees, but also include accommodation costs, and master's degrees are relatively easy to apply for a PhD. Students believe that the suspension of enrollment of master's programs in colleges and universities has affected their chances of applying for master's programs in their ideal universities to a certain extent, which has brought great trouble to the road to graduate school.
What does it mean for colleges and universities to suspend the enrollment of master's majors for postgraduate students?On the one hand, the master's degree program continues a certain academic research style, allowing students to have more research results and opportunities, which has a positive impact on academic development. On the other hand, compared with the master's program, the master's degree program pays more attention to the cultivation of comprehensive quality, and students can also accumulate certain research ability and scientific research experience in the process of writing the degree. Therefore, for those students who intend to continue their academic research, the suspension of the admission of master's programs by colleges and universities is undoubtedly a heavy blow to them. In addition, master's programs also provide a relatively cheap option for those financially strapped students, and now colleges and universities have higher tuition fees for master's programs, which is a heavier burden for students with poor family conditions, and colleges and universities have stopped recruiting master's programs to make these students' choices more limited.
The duration of the master's degree is generally two years, and the one-year study period is less than that of the master's degree, so many students choose the master's degree. However, many universities have recently extended the training period of postgraduates from two years to three years. This news is unacceptable to many students, because the extended duration of study means that students will have to pay more time during their master's studies, which is not cost-effective. The extension of the duration of the Master's degree is a detrimental change for students and may increase their burden and stress.
What will be the impact of the extension of the Master's degree on students?First of all, the two-year duration of the master's degree is originally designed to cultivate professional skills and employability, and the extension of the duration may make students feel that the employment advantage of the master's degree is greatly reduced. Secondly, the extension of the study period also increases the difficulty and requirements of professional and master's studies, which is undoubtedly a problem for those students who want to be able to enter the workplace as soon as possible. In addition, the extension of the academic system of the master's degree will also cause certain pressure on the family economy, and students need to pay tuition and accommodation fees for a longer time, which will undoubtedly increase their financial burden for students with average family economic conditions.
Despite the expansion of the program, most universities have made it clear that they will no longer provide on-campus accommodation for postgraduates, which means that students who are admitted to the post-secondary program will need to rent a room near the school, which will increase their accommodation costs. Usually, the cost of renting a house near the university is high, which brings financial pressure to students from ordinary families, and also makes many ordinary family students who are interested in applying for a master's degree feel helpless.
What is the impact of not providing on-campus housing for students?First of all, post-graduate students have to choose off-campus accommodation, which means that they have to pay for their own accommodation and transportation expenses, which increases their financial burden. Secondly, on-campus housing provides a convenient learning and communication environment where students can learn from each other, which is important for fostering a spirit of collaboration and an academic atmosphere. In addition, on-campus housing provides better security, so students can focus on their studies without worrying too much about safety in their lives. Therefore, for those students whose families have a heavy financial burden, the inability to enjoy on-campus housing undoubtedly increases their pressure to attend school.
To sum up, these three bad news ushered in by graduate students have indeed brought challenges and troubles to their road to graduate school. Some colleges and universities have suspended the enrollment of master's majors, extended the training period of professional and master's degrees, and do not provide on-campus accommodation, which has brought great influence and trouble to the choice and life of postgraduate students. However, every challenge is an opportunity, and in the face of all the bad news, graduate students should maintain a positive mindset and firm confidence to find new opportunities and solutions, and strive to pursue their dreams. At the same time, colleges and universities should also pay attention to the needs of students, reasonably adjust policies, and provide a better learning and living environment for postgraduate students.