What will you do once you have your diploma?

If you’re considering pursuing a graduate degree, you probably already know that a good education is the springboard to success. From Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, who said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” to President Barack Obama, who called knowledge “the most valuable skill you can sell,” there is no shortage of enthusiasm out there for the value of higher education.

But once you have that diploma in hand, what can you do with it? It’s not unusual for graduates to wonder, “what next?” once their final projects have been turned in and the so-called “real world” stands waiting before them. At Touro College Graduate School of Technology, however, this doesn’t tend to happen very often.

“There are so many different job opportunities that students have if they come to our school,” says Issac Herskowitz, Dean of the Graduate School of Technology (GST). “We have three different programs, and each degree offers unique opportunities.”

Recently, the program chairs of Touro GST’s three degree programs — Dominika Juraszek, Web and Multimedia Design; Payam Bina, Instructional Technology; and Shmuel Fink, Information Systems — talked with Issac Herskowitz, Dean of Touro GST, about the many different paths available to graduates, and what makes Touro GST such a unique and wonderful place for students to start their careers.

During their conversation, they identified some of the top career paths they see their students pursuing. Prospective students and future grads, take note: These are the opportunities you could be qualified for, with a master’s degree from Touro GST.

Web and Multimedia Design

“Once you graduate from our master's program, you really have several directions you can take,” said Dominika Juraszek, chair of the Web and Multimedia Design program at Touro GST. “There are many specialties, and we cover them, not just within our core curriculum, but also within the extensive electives that we offer.”

Some of the career paths open to grads of this program include:

● UX UI design

● Graphic design

● Product design

● Multimedia design

● Video production

● 2D and 3D animation

“Touro GST offers students an opportunity to thoroughly explore all the different software required by today's design industry, sharpen their portfolio skills, and create a personalized presentation — they’re not using a template or formula that everybody else is using,” said Juraszek. “Our students get real world experience, for example, through our summer design lab, which allows them to create products and designs for existing companies. Having this type of end product in your portfolio is powerful and impressive. Many of our students end up getting jobs at top companies like Google and Apple.”

Information Systems

“Our Information Systems program has four different components to it,” explained program chair Shmuel Fink. “There are four core courses that everybody takes, and then the electives are specific for the individual concentration. It’s almost like four different degrees that can lead to four different career paths — but they all fit under the one umbrella: Master of Science in Information Systems.”

Because there are so many different paths in Information Systems that students can take, there are dozens of different jobs that graduates can land or work their way up to. Some of these include:

● Data analyst

● Business Intelligence (BI) analyst

● Database developer

● Database administrator

● Data warehouse analyst

● Web developer

● Mobile app developer

● Project manager

● Cyber security specialist

● Network administrator

● Network engineer

● Cloud computing specialist

● Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

● Chief Information Officer (CIO)

● Director of Technology

“Of course, we wouldn’t expect our graduates to apply for CTO or CIO jobs, but if they start working as technicians, analysts, or managers and move up through the ranks, it’s not unlikely that they can eventually become Directors of Technology, and then move up to be vice presidents of the company, and from there, become CTO's or CIO's,,” said Fink. “Our students come away with very strong skills in several fields. It’s a unique combination that I don't think too many other programs have. Regardless of what path they take, their skills are in high demand.”

Instructional Technology

“The Instructional Technology program has two concentrations: One for corporate trainers, and one for teacher certification,” said Payam Bina, the program’s chair. The teacher certification track allows public school teachers to get a master’s degree within the required time frame after getting certified to teach. “They can also become a technology coach and work for the district, rather than being in the classroom.”

A few of the job titles a graduate of the Instructional Technology program could pursue include:

● Instructional designer

● Corporate trainer

● E-learning specialist

● Director of Technology

“It’s hard for people to really understand how much we have to offer at Touro GST,” said Dean Issac Herskowitz. “There are a vast number of careers these degrees will offer students.” Ready to find out more? Sign up for one of these upcoming information sessions, which will take place on Zoom: April 20, 2021 — 7:00-8:00PM ET: Graduate School of Technology Online Info Session | The Touro College and University System April 28, 20201 — 4:00-4:30PM ET: Instructional Technology Program Online Information Session | The Touro College and University System

All attendees receive a $50 application fee waiver, so if you’re thinking of applying, don’t miss this opportunity.