Today's economy has many of the unemployed heading back to school.

Graduation is also nearing for many undergrads, but they too are facing a tough road ahead.

One doctor at Western Kentucky University says what the recession is showing us, is what most of us have already known.

More people are losing their jobs.

But many of those unemployed are becoming proactive, and looking for a chance to get ahead by hitting the books.

Dr. Bob Hatfield oversees WKU's MBA program.

It's a place he says many hit by unemployment are now finding themselves.

"You can see it's the economy that's placed them here," Hatfield said. "People do what they can to maximize, and if they can maximize earning a living, they're going to go after those jobs. If they don't have jobs, they'll go after education."

Dr. Hatfield says nationally, MBA enrollment applications are up nearly 18-percent, and WKU is seeing a healthy jump as well.

"That's not just normal growth. That has to do with the recession," he said. "The economy never just goes up and up endlessly. We have what's called an "economic cycle," and we are in the down cycle."

Courey McCubbin graduated college in 2006, and was hired in sales by a company soon after.

But with a tough economy, she says she needed an extra boost and is pursuing her
MBA.

"I just felt like with the economy going the way it is right now, I needed to do something to help me be more marketable in job searches that I might pursue in the future," McCubbin said.

She's not alone.

Hatfield says many MBA classes are full, with students looking for a chance to separate themselves from the pack.

"They've hit this glass ceiling, and they've just decided they have to come all the way back and run out of the gate again into the job market--just try something different."

Dr. Hatfield says for anyone looking to pursue a masters in business, an information session is going to be held Thursday night at 5:30p.m. at the Holiday Inn.