By Tom Kowalski
NFL Continuing Education Consultant
Attending graduate school is an option available to most National Football League players who have earned their undergraduate degrees. Whether a player was an outstanding student or somewhat more marginal, there may be a graduate program that would suit both his ability and interests while still being flexible enough to allow him to succeed in the NFL.
The first choice a player must make if he wants to attend graduate school is to determine what program he would like to pursue. Just because a player may have majored in sociology as an undergraduate, it does not mean that he must pursue sociology if he were to attend graduate school. Rather he could opt to earn his Masters of Business Administration (MBA), pursue a law degree, or choose any major that he might be interested in terms of preparing for a post-football career. Many NFL players choose to begin work on a Masters degree in Education. Many colleges will allow students to earn their teacher’s certification as part of this program.
The next step for an NFL player who would like to attend graduate school is to determine at which college or universities to apply. There are many questions that players must ask themselves prior to applying:
- Do I want to attend classes in the classroom or pursue an online program? This can be a difficult decision. Classroom learning gives players the opportunity to attend classes in a structured environment, be able to learn in a traditional setting, and have face to face contact with their professor. Online programs, while more convenient, put more emphasis on the player to develop a regular routine and to continuously devote time to his program. Players should not confuse online with “easier,” as most would tell you that online or distance learning is just as or more difficult than traditional classes.
- Part of the decision about where you will go to school may hinge on where you spend your offseasons, or better yet asking yourself if enrolling in or around your franchise city makes sense. If you are pursuing a teaching program and eventually want to return to your home state, you may want to make sure that your state has a reciprocal agreement (in terms of teacher certification exams) as the state in which you are pursuing your education.
- NFL players wishing to attend graduate school will also have to consider the admission requirements of the schools that they are interested in attending. Most schools require an application, application fee, transcripts (depending on the school they may require a certain college GPA), admission exams (GRE, GMAT, LSAT (Law school) MCAT (Medical School), resume, essays, letters of recommendation, work experience, and other supporting documents in order to evaluate you.
Schools vary in terms of what qualities they are looking for in terms of admitting students to their programs. Most programs evaluate each applicant on an individual basis so applicants will want to play to their strengths. All will look favorably on representing your team in the community, being productive during the offseason, and providing them with a well-done application.
A Few Words on Quality
Identifying which graduate school to attend is a difficult choice, but the good news is that there is a school and program for just about everyone. There is no such thing as a reliable rating system (even though the folks at US News and World Report try). Yes, some schools may be better known and have higher admission standards than other schools, but no one school can serve each student equally, so the key is to find the school that is the right fit for you. Remember, former President Ronald Reagan graduated from Eureka College, former US Olympic Chairman and MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth attended San Jose State University, and Warren Buffett graduated from the University of Nebraska. Therefore the student’s job is to ask questions and make judgments based on what is important to him.
A few aspects of searching for the “right” graduate school might be:
- Faculty Resources
- Facilities (if on-campus); computer requirements (if online)
- Semester or quarter start dates
- Reputation of the school
- Placement services and success
NFL Player Engagement stands ready to help players who want to attend graduate school. Not only will we assist in identifying programs that might work for you, we will also assist you by helping you to identify your learning style, editing your essay questions, working with you to develop your resume, and other services to help make the transition from undergraduate to graduate school successful and rewarding.