The Buffalo State Graduate School held its semi-annual information session this past Wednesday for potential graduate students.

The session, held in the Butler Library, gave nearly two dozen undergraduate students the opportunity to ask questions on the wide range of degree plans and the ability to begin applying for the school.

Much more new information was delivered to the students to help them understand what a graduate-level education would be like.

Interim Dean Kevin J. Miller, Ed.D., opened the event with statements thanking the students for their attendance and introducing other faculty and staff that were present. Since the information session was directed towards the Graduate School’s education programs, Dean Miller had optimistic words for the attendants.

“There is an open market in the field of education,” Miller said. “Teachers are most certainly needed.”

Those remarks were followed up by more from the Associate Dean of the School of Education, Kathy L. Wood, Ph.D.

“We’ve always been known for our education programs, but they’re also unique and up-to-date with the current education practices of today,” Wood said.

Many of those that were present at the event were pleasantly surprised to hear that financial aid is offered for graduate-level courses. Facts like this helped answer a lot of the questions for people like Erin Griffin of Kenmore, who is looking into the graduate programs.

“I need to know if this is cost-efficient,” Griffin said. “I also want to know how long it will take since I also work part-time.”

Griffin, a former Buffalo State undergraduate, was just one of many people with similar inquiries about the programs. Much of the concern around the potential graduate students were very similar to those who are in undergraduate programs. The top two concerns being cost and the ability to balance schoolwork with a full-time work schedule.

The staff that was at the function made it abundantly clear that such balance can be maintained with courses that are also available online. In fact, the entire graduate program for public relations can be done entirely online, a convenience that students have not had in the past. And although only a few of the students at the information session were currently enrolled at Buffalo State, they were all informed of the five-year program that could save people up to an entire year’s worth of tuition while earning a master’s degree.

Overall, the session did seem to be helpful to those in attendance as many stayed for quite some time while speaking with the faculty and staff members. Since events like this are only held a couple of times a year, it becomes even more important for those who are seeking an education beyond a bachelor’s degree to attend whenever the opportunity presents itself.

F or more information on the Buffalo State Graduate School: graduateschool.buffalostate.edu.