Schools that will be in attendance with representatives are CSU-Pueblo, CSU-Fort Collins and CSU-Global, a part of the Colorado State University system that only offers online programs.
Students who attend will get information on how to apply, the application process, tuition and the correct pre-test needed to get into each school, because they do vary.
All the graduate schools in Colorado are competing for increased enrollment so the focus is to compete and bring students to CSU-Pueblo’s graduate programs by showing them what the university offers, said Michelle Gjerde, director of the Career Center. She added that in the future they may consider opening the event up to other universities and colleges, if requested.
The environment of the graduate fair will be different than that of an internship fair. The attire for the fair is not business but causal. There will be food and beverages available and students are encouraged to come with questions for the representatives from each school.
There has not been a graduate fair on campus since 2004, making this the first in eight years, Gjerde said. “I’m anxious to see how it goes next Thursday, if anybody shows up.”
The interim provost noticed the lack of effort on the part of the campus to market graduate programs at CSU-Pueblo, Gjerde said.
The Career Center, located in the Library and Academic Resource building, focuses on providing opportunities for each CSU-Pueblo student and graduate to develop a clear career objective, to obtain relevant work experience, and to learn the skills necessary to conduct a successful self-directed job search, according to the information on CSU-Pueblo’s website.
Although it may seem like this graduate fair is only about these schools gaining through increased enrollment, Gjerde expressed the benefits for students.
“A lot of it is earning power. (Your earning power) could be greater if you were to go on and get an advance degree,” she said. “Just having a bachelor’s degree is going to increase your earning but if you want to increase that, furthering your education is the way to go.”
Students are also advised to make an appointment with the Career Center to get help with resume preparation, job searches and learning interview skills. For more information about the graduate fair or the Career Center, contact Michelle Gjerde at 719-549- 2512.
