WHAT IS GRADUATE EDUCATION?
Comprehensive exams
(comps) Written or oral
exams administered at
the end of coursework for
graduate programs. Oral
exams are administered
by a committee of faculty
members from the program.
Students may or may not be
allowed to appoint members
to the committee.
Graduate education refers to formal study after receiving a bachelor’s degree.
It diers from under graduate study in many ways, but a key dierence is that a
graduate program is designed to specialize in an academic discipline or profession
and therefore oers less elective coursework. Classes tend to be smaller and are
often targeted to a specific cohort, or the set of all students in the same year of the
program. (For example, you may have heard a law student referred to as an 1L, 2L, or
3L, which means that the student is in the first, second, or third year of law school.)
Graduate coursework is typically discussion heavy, and faculty expect graduate
students to come prepared and actively participate. Besides coursework, graduate
students may be expected to conduct and defend independent research, complete
internships or fieldwork, or sit for comprehensive exams.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
Many fields may be open to you. You do not necessarily have to stay in the field you
majored in as an undergrad, although you may be expected to complete additional
coursework to get ready for graduate-level study in a dierent field.
Two types of graduate degrees, professional and research, can be earned at the
master’s, specialist and doctoral levels, as well as a number of combinations of these
types and levels. You are encouraged to research your desired career path well before
selecting the discipline or program you will pursue in graduate school.
TYPES OF DEGREE PROGRAMS
Professional degree programs. A professional program is designed to prepare those
who intend to enter specific professions like law, medicine, college student personnel,
education, accounting, and many others. These programs may have an experiential
learning requirement such as an internship, clinical residence, or practicum.
Research degree programs. A research program is designed to contribute
original research and a body of knowledge to a particular discipline like those that
compose the humanities, the social sciences, the natural sciences, engineering, or
communications and information.
LEVELS OF DEGREES
Master’s. Master’s degrees can be earned in most academic fields. The Master of
Science (MS) and the Master of Arts (MA) are the most common degrees at this level.
However, there are also specialized degrees, such as the Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
or Master of Business Administration (MBA), that carry a label unique to a particular
program. Some master’s degrees are designed to lead to doctoral studies, while
others, like the MBA, are the terminal—or highest—degree for a profession.
Professional master’s degree. A professional master’s usually indicates that the
degree holder has a specific skill set needed to practice a profession or that the holder
has enhanced a skill set to enable upward mobility in an existing career.
Research master’s degree. A research master’s provides experience in research
and allows further specialization in a particular field. It can also lead t o increased
responsibilities and marketability in an existing career without the time and financial
commitment of a doctorate. Full-time students usually complete a master’s degree in
two years. As part of both types of master’s degrees, you may be required to write a
master’s thesis, complete a culminating project, or sit for comprehensive exams and
often to complete an internship or a field experience.
Full load 9 hours
(this is a heavy load in
graduate school.)
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