WATERLOO -- Interest in graduate programs is on the rise as some start to re-think their careers in a post-pandemic world.
"I thought it was a good time to go back and actually finish and get that degree," said incoming graduate student Justin D'astous.
This September, D'astous plans to leave his job as a data analyst and programmer and get his masters in computational mathematics at the University of Waterloo.
It's something he's been itching to do since finishing his undergraduate degree there.
"Even in the last years it still felt like I was getting my feet wet a little bit. I feel like there was more things to learn," he explained.
D'astous was accepted from a large pool of applicants hoping to do the same with Canadians applying to graduate schools in increasing numbers.
The University of Waterloo reporting a 27 per cent increase in masters applications over the last year.
"We're seeing a really large number of folks who are looking to reskill, upskill, start a new path and all of that leads them to graduate school," said Jeff Casello, associate vice president graduate studies and postdoctoral affairs at the University of Waterloo.
Just up the street, Wilfrid Laurier University experienced the same trend, up 20 per cent in graduate applicants versus last year.
It's a phenomenon that experts say is often seen during economic downturns,
"If the economy is bad and job opportunities have been lost, it’s a really good time to retrain and retool," said Douglas Deutschman, associate vice-president and dean for the faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies at WLU.
"They're now thinking what's the best pathway to be better prepared for the next disruption in our economy," added Casello
D'astous said more companies are willing to hire remotely, so it's a good time freshen up his resume.
"It feels like it also opens more opportunities to work at more interesting places even if it's not just something nearby," he said.
