We invite you to apply to one of Valdosta State University’s graduate programs! 

Associate Provost Message Quote BlockWhether you are a working professional, a full-time student, or both, a graduate degree from Valdosta State University can help advance your career. While a graduate degree can help to increase your salary, it can also lead to a promotion in your current career, strengthen your professional skills and abilities to move into another career field, and grow your professional and social network for even more opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently reports that individuals with a graduate degree are less likely to be unemployed while also earning 20% more than individuals with only a bachelor’s degree. Over the course of one’s career, individuals with a bachelor’s degree have typical lifetime earnings of $2.2 million compared to the $2.7 million for individuals with a master’s degree, and $3.3 million for those with doctoral degrees (American Community Survey). We will increasingly see more jobs (more than 2.5 million) require a master’s, doctoral, or other advanced degree in the years to come according to a 2017 Council of Graduate Schools’ report. 

Valdosta State University wants to be part of your academic and career journey. The Graduate School is home to approximately a quarter of VSU’s student population and offers more than 35 graduate programs along with 6 doctorial programs across six colleges. With a selection of face-to-face, fully online, and web-hybrid degrees, you can choose the learning style that fits your lifestyle. While all our programs provide opportunities for experiential learning and collaboration with faculty through research and graduate assistantships, our online programs combine excellence and innovation by offering quality academics in a 21st century format.

Like others who have pursued graduate education at VSU, I believe you will find it to be a genuinely transformative experience. You will engage directly with faculty, who are experts in their respective fields as well as with fellow graduate students. Bonds are formed that will last throughout your professional career. You may even build upon your vitae by working as a graduate assistant, publishing peer-reviewed articles with a faculty mentor, presenting your research at a state or national conference, and networking with established professionals in the region.

I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about the graduate program that lights the BLAZE within you.

Sincerely,

Dr. da Cruz Signature 

Becky K. da Cruz
Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research
Professor of Criminal Justice