The third annual Advancement to Graduate Education (AGE) Conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Student Union.

Topics to be discussed at the conference include the graduate school admissions process, graduate test preparation, financing a graduate education and networking with faculty.

In addition to helping minimize students¹ fears, doubts and misconceptions about graduate school, "one of the values of AGE is to promote collaboration among staff, administrators and students," said Cedric Hackett, conference coordinator and academic advisor in the Student Services Center/EOP.

"Our goal is to increase the number of students who get bachelor¹s degrees and then go on to pursue advanced degrees," said conference co-coordinator Frankie Augustin, outreach and retention counselor in the Science and Mathematics Advisement Center/EOP.

Aimed at sophomores, junior and seniors, the conference will have representatives from Los Angeles-area universities, including UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and Claremont College, on hand to discuss their respective graduate programs.

In addition, information packets from other universities in the nation will be available.

"I¹m hoping this conference sends the message that getting a master¹s degree is worth it, and that it doesn¹t have to take a long time," Augustin said.

Tickets to the free conference are available at the Associated Students Ticket Office in the USU.

For more information about the conference, call (818) 677-2658.

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full- and part-time students and offers 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.