1. Applied Research Project: New York City vs. Charlotte, NC Issa Basco April 14, 2015

2. Average Living Expenses Charlotte, NCNew York City, NY One bedroom apartment$800 per month$2800 per month (Brooklyn) Groceries100 per month$300 per month TransportationVolkswagon Golf or equivalent car: $16,750 per year $112 per month (unlimited monthly metro card) Health Insurance$328 per month Utlities$50 per month Job income (Assistant Account Executive) $40,000-$45,000 per year$45,000-$50,000 per year Cell $75 per month

3. Graduate School According to onetonline.org, 92% of PR specialists have bachelor’s degree while only 8% have a master’s degree. Associated job titles: Communications Specialist, Corporate Communications Specialist, Account Executive, Communications Director, PR Coordinator (only can expect 10-12% boost in pay) Costs $50,000 per year for Masters of Science in Communication from Northwestern. $53,000 per year from Emerson.

4. Pros of Graduate School Additional education never hurts. Great networking opportunity.

5. Cons of Graduate School According to bankrate.com, hands-on experience is more important than graduate school for job seekers. Clients that need creative/marketing talent aren’t seeking candidates with graduate degrees. According to a study by Georgetown University, employees with graduate degrees in advertising/PR can only expect an earnings boost of 12 percent for their diploma while mass media students might only seek 11% increase.