Preparing for Graduate Studies

What is graduate school?

Deciding to pursue a graduate education is not a decision to make lightly. Graduate school is a very focused pursuit, so it is important to have a clear idea of what you want to study. While an undergraduate education allows you to explore a variety of areas, graduate study dives into the details of a specific topic. You may work closely with one major professor and additional faculty members to design your course of study, particularly if you pursue a PhD. You may become part of a lab group or research team, and work closely with other students on that team. Often, these students work on similar, but not identical, topics as you.

How do I determine if graduate study is right for me?

Graduate study requires a lot of commitment, both from you and the people with whom you will be working. Your major professor will invest a great deal of time, energy, and training to help you succeed. Determining the major professor you want to work with is one of the most important decisions you can make. While the reputation of the school you are considering is important, even more important is the reputation of the program and the professor with whom you want to work. As a full-time student, you will generally commit two years working toward a master’s degree and an additional three to four years working toward a PhD. You may not necessarily have scheduled school breaks (such as winter, spring, summer, and fall breaks) as vacation. Understanding this ahead of time will prevent some unexpected frustration.

Approach the graduate process with the same attitude you would approach a job because ultimately, that’s exactly what it is.

When researching various graduate programs, important questions to consider are:

• Are you going to enjoy working here? Are the people and environment going to encourage and support your best efforts?
• What are the course offerings and how are they scheduled (i.e., day or night classes)?
• How many graduate students has your potential major professor had?
• What is the average length of time it has taken for one of this professor’s students to graduate?
• What have been the professor’s current students’ experiences and how long have they worked with this professor? How long do they anticipate their degree completion to take? (Talk to the students directly.)
• What are the expectations and management style of your potential major professor? When do they expect you in the office? Will (s)he be available when you have questions?

Remember that the interview process is a two-way process. Not only is your school of interest trying to determine if you would make a good graduate student, but you should try to determine if your school of interest is going to be a good fit for you!

Where can I go for more information?

Although your best resources of information about potential graduate studies and programs are often your professors, advisors, career services staff, professionals in your field of interest, and peers pursuing graduate study, there are several online resources where you can search for schools and programs that may fit your interests and needs. These include:

• U.S. News & World Report (Publishers of America’s Best Graduate Schools)

• Council of Graduate Schools’ “Resources for Students”

• Go Grad

• Grad’s Guide to Getting Hired

• GradSchools.com

• Peterson’s Education Center

• Princeton Review

There are several funding options for Purdue graduate students to explore, including assistantships, fellowships , grants, loans and other financial aid. Financial support for graduate students at Purdue is primarily awarded in the form of assistantships and fellowships. Over 60 percent of graduate students at the University are on assistantships. Furthermore, the Fellowship Office hosts many resources for students applying for fellowships.

Most funding decisions for assistantships are made by each individual graduate program. Some programs fund all of their graduate students, although others fund only a few or provide only partial funding support. If you have a question regarding the funding system for your graduate program, contact your graduate program coordinator.

Degree-seeking applicants are those who seek a doctoral, master’s, or educational specialist degree.

Certificate Program applicants are those who hold a baccalaureate or advanced degree who wish to complete prespecified courses to attain a graduate-level, academic credit certificate in a specific area will be admitted to the certificate program classification. Students in this classification are subject to the same restrictions as non degree students if they are subsequently admitted for degree study.

Reentry applicants are those who previously have been enrolled as graduate students at Purdue University who have not enrolled for at least three (3) consecutive sessions. Summer school counts as a session.

Non degree applicants are those who wish to attend graduate studies for professional and personal enrichment without seeking an additional degree.

Non degree applicants may apply for one (1) of the following classifications:

• Teacher License: holders of a baccalaureate or advanced degree who wish to work toward an advanced teacher license without working toward an advanced degree. Teacher license students who are subsequently admitted for degree study are subject to the same restrictions as are non degree students.

• Non Degree: those who wish to pursue graduate study without advanced degree objectives. Non Degree admission is not a form of probationary admission to a degree program. Non degree registration in courses outside the admitting department may require the permission of the department offering the course. A maximum of twelve (12) credit hours earned in appropriate courses taken in non degree status, may, with departmental approval, be applied to an advanced degree program at Purdue, should the non degree student later be admitted to an advanced degree program. Non degree students may also be international students who, with the financial sponsorship of their governments, employers, or higher education institution seek to meet objectives not appropriate for an advanced degree.

Depending on the university you apply to and your field of interest, you will likely need to consider preparing for and taking one or more standardized tests. Typically these tests are completed in your senior year before you begin applying for graduate study, but always be sure to check with the universities you may apply to in order to determine their specific requirements and deadlines.

• The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) is often required for admission to graduate programs. The GRE has a general test component, which is most often required for graduate admission, as well as several GRE Subject Tests that focus on a specific field of study.

• Free GRE preparation materials may be found on the official GRE Web page and also at www.Number2.com and www.varsitytutors.com/practice-tests.

• A complete exam prep center can be found at Graduate Exam Resource Center.

• The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) may be appropriate for any individual interested in studying business administration or management.

• If you are considering law or medical school, you will also want to review information about the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) and MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).

• The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), and Duolingo English test are common English proficiency tests.  Often, one of these tests is required for individuals whose native language is not English.