Researching Graduate School

Many Terps consider graduate studies, but do you know if further education is the right next move for YOU? When you think about continuing on with your education are you considering a master's or doctoral degree? And why? There are good and not so good reasons to attend graduate school and you should consider the pros and cons of going straight to graduate school versus working for a few years first to earn money,  gain experience, and clarify your longer-term career and life goals.  Review content on the University Career Center website to help support you in this decision Links to an external site..

Reasons to attend graduate school include:

• You have done the self-exploration and research and you definitely want to be a doctor, lawyer, professor or work in specific career that requires additional training to enter the profession
• You have a passion for and interest in a particular subject and wish to gain additional expertise on the topic
• You have appropriate time and financial resources to devote to further education

Reasons not to attend graduate school include:

• You hope to postpone the “real world” for another two or more years
• You wish to stay in school longer to avoid a poor job market
• You lack self-defined career goals and are simply doing what others are telling you you should do next

Before applying to graduate school, it’s important to research schools and programs. Do your homework!

Steps for successful research:

• Review program options at Petersons.com Links to an external site. and GradSchools.com Links to an external site.
• If your industry has an accreditation credential, check the list of accredited programs
• Create your list of graduate schools that are of interest and review each program’s website.  Look for the following information:
  • Graduate assistantship options and other funding opportunities.  You can sometimes get paid to go to graduate school!
  • Faculty research interest areas and how do they align with your interests?
  • Required courses for the program - do they match your interests - and experiential learning opportunities
  • Are they offering an information session or open house for prospective students?
• Contact the directors of your programs of interest and ask to set up a meeting to discuss more
• Find one or more current students in the program on LinkedIn (or another way) and set up a time to speak to them about their experience
• Seek guidance from UMD’s Pre-Law Advising Office Links to an external site. or the Reed-Yorke Health Professions Advising Office Links to an external site., if appropriate

Things to consider when researching your options:

• Type of program/ degree (PhD, Master’s, professional degree, and more!)
• Academic prerequisites
• Size and reputation
• Location and networking opportunities
• Job placement rate
• Curriculum, course load, and concentrations
• Faculty and staff support
• Accreditation status (if applicable) 
• Cost and available funding (your own and from the programs)
• Is there an assistantship requirement/option?
• Timing- Is this the right time in your life for graduate school? For your field, is it better to gain work experience first?
• Full-time vs part-time enrollment
• Admissions requirements and your eligibility

Instructions:

For this assignment, choose one of the sites above, Petersons.com Links to an external site. or Gradschools.com Links to an external site. (or both) to explore programs you think you might be interested in for graduate study. Write a one page reflection on the programs you found.

• Which peaked your interest the most? Did any surprise you?
• What aspects of the programs made them the most appealing?
• Use the considerations from above in explaining why you liked or didn’t like certain programs you found.

Evaluation:

In order to receive full points for this assignment you must write and submit a one page reflection based on the instructions above.