Why Graduate School?

Graduate school includes any program that leads to an advanced degree beyond a bachelor’s degree. While undergraduate education (what most people think of as “college”) offers a broad foundation across subjects, graduate education focuses on developing deep, specialized knowledge in a particular field—helping you become highly skilled or even an expert in that area.

Although graduate degrees vary, they generally fall into a few common categories:

• Master’s degrees — such as a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), or Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
  Typical completion time: 1–2 years
• Doctoral degrees — such as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Education (EdD)
  Typical completion time: 5–7 years
• Professional degrees — designed to prepare individuals for specific careers and offered at the master’s or doctoral level (e.g., Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Social Work (MSW), Doctor of Medicine (MD))

In general, master’s programs are geared toward building expertise for career advancement, while doctoral programs—especially PhDs—focus on conducting original research and contributing to academic or scholarly work.

Types of Programs

Generally there are two types of graduate school programs. One type is professional in focus and gives you the skills and qualifications necessary to succeed in a profession (examples include an MBA program, medical, or law schools). These programs are usually very structured and career-focused. Another type are programs that are more academically focused (generally ending in Ph.Ds.) and aim to prepare future professors and researchers. These tend to be less structured and built around your own academic interests.

The Essential Questions

Start with the main question: Why am I interested in grad school?

Weak answers:

• I want to take a break from a tough job market.
• I want to figure out a new career path or find a career direction.
• I don’t know what else to do.
• I don’t think there’s anything else I can do with my major.

Stronger answers:

• I’m genuinely interested in my field and passionate about pursuing new knowledge/expertise in a very specific area.
• My career goals require a graduate degree.
• I have the resources I need (time, academic record, energy, etc.) to be successful in a graduate program.

If you decided that you’d like to grad school, the next question is, When is the right time? You could plan to go right away, or you could wait.

Reasons you might choose to go right away:

• You have the momentum and desire to continue being a student.
• You may have more flexibility, with fewer family, work, or financial commitments.
• The degree may be necessary to help you get the job you want, or it could help speed career advancement in your chosen field
• You currently meet the requirements for admission (i.e.: the program doesn’t require extensive work experience before you apply, and your GPA/test scores fit within the program’s criteria).
• You are willing and able to make the financial investment now.

Reasons you might choose to wait:

A break might boost your motivation for further study.

You need more time to be sure of your goals.

You currently do not meet the requirements for admission (i.e.: the program you’re targeting requires more work experience than you have, or a higher GPA/test scores than you have).

You don’t have the financial resources to invent another degree at this time.

You can save money by waiting, or you may find an employer that would help you pay for your program.

You find value in taking a gap year(s) to gain experience that may help strengthen your graduate school application.