The Decision To Attend Graduate School

Howard G. Adams, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (GEM).

IN CHEMISTRY MARCH - APRIL 1991

Reprinted with permission from Successfully Negotiating the Graduate School Process: A Guide for Minonity Students 1987. GEM. (Reproduced with permission.)

Who should consider pursuing a graduate degree?

There is no clear, neat answer to this question. To attend or pass on graduate school is an individual decision that should be made in conjunction with one's overall career and life--goal plans. . .

In deciding between full-time graduate study immediately after attaining the B.S. degree and full-time employment, you must consider a number of personal factors:

abilities--a realistic assessment of your chances to complete successfully an advanced degree program;
career goals--what you hope to accomplish vocationally during your work life;
financial resources--your ability to handle the cost of tuition and fees*, living expenses*, and loss of income** you would have earned had you taken full-time employment; and
motivation--the will to tackle a single-minded endeavor that will demand total time and effort.

[Statements enclosed in brackets such as these are not part of the original article, but have been added by the Director of Undergraduate Studies at Duke University.

*Most institutions will offer you a teaching assistantship that covers these costs.
**The loss of income is short term. Without further training in graduate school, you are limited as to how far you can advance in your employment. In the long term, this limitation can severly decrease your earning power. ]

The challenge of graduate study is a demanding one and should be accepted only by those who enjoy the rigor of disciplined, long, and sometimes lonely hours of hard work.

For many students, the decision to pursue graduate education is made either to obtain specialized training and credentials in a certain area or to expand employment options. These are noble reasons, but may not be sufficient to sustain the drive necessary to persevere in graduate school. It is, therefore, important for each individual to make a commitment to pursue graduate work and to devote total effort, energy, and time to completing the degree.

Some important questions to consider when thinking about attending graduate school are:

Why do I want to attend graduate school?
What are my goals, objectives, and expectations for graduate work?
What are my plans after graduate school?
How will a graduate degree affect my future career plans and goals?
How will I survive financially while in graduate school?
Are the rewards for having an advanced degree worth the effort?

If, after weighing the various pros and cons of "Why Graduate School?", you find graduate study an attractive option, then go for it.

When should I begin making plans for graduate school?

The sooner the better, and definitely by spring of the junior year of undergraduate study. Far too many students wait until their senior year to decide to pursue graduate study following graduation.

Waiting until the senior year can limit one's opportunities and eliminate some choices of programs such as medicine, law, and dentistry, which often require that some materials be filed during the junior year.

Students whose career plans include graduate study should begin exploring opportunities and options during the first two years of undergraduate study. Then, early during the junior year, gather information about the particular school or program of interest, take the appropriate admission test, and start a credential file.

For those students who are already seniors or recent graduates, it is not too late. Get started by making applications and following through on the application process.

How can I evaluate those institutions and academic programs in which I have interest?

There are many factors to consider when selecting the proper graduate school, such as whether your interest lies in chemistry, psychology, engineering, business, Iaw, medicine, or another field.

Where you do your graduate work can make a real difference in the value of your credentials upon receiving an advanced degree. So seek out those programs that have earned a reputation for excellence in your particular area of interest.

Some questions to ask about the university or program you are considering:

Does the faculty exhibit special strengths and research qualities through their graduate advisees, published works, and funded research?
Are the libraries, laboratories, computers, and other research facilities adequate for your educational needs?
Are the graduates of the school or program sought by recruiters?
Does the department of interest offer sufficiently large and varied curriculum to allow you a broad offering of courses and options?
How senior are the professors in your area, what are their interests, and what will their availability be?
What are the degree requirements?
Is financial support available?
Are support services adequate to make campus life conducive to the needs of minority students?
How long will it take for me to complete my program?
How are the advisors assigned and selected? Will I have a choice in who my major advisor will be?
Are study space or office carrels available for graduate students?

The national reputation of a school is determined by the quality of its faculty, Iibrary holdings, research facilities, and the success of its graduates.

All students should take advantage of graduate study career fairs. Such fairs present an excellent opportunity to meet with representatives of various schools to seek information for comparison on various programs.

Electing to pursue graduate studies is more a personal decision than undergraduate education. So having feelings of apprehension and uncertainty may be a natural part of evaluating your options. The process of assessing your options through self-assessment, questioning, and then making a final decision is a valuable experience.

SELF ASSESSMENT FORM

The 10-item self-assessment form that follows is designed to help you decide if graduate school is for you. Working through the items should give you insight.

Answer each question with YES or NO.

Do I need an advanced degree to begin my career?
Do I enjoy rigorous academic work that requires total time and effort?
Are my research skills such that I can define, implement, and carry out an original research project?
Am I willing to forgo income for the additional period needed to complete the degree without being overly frustrated?
Have I given enough thought to the type of degree I want to pursue--M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., J.D., etc?
Do I qualify for admission on the basis of my grade point average, test scores, and/or educational prerequisites?
Would having an advanced degree give me any advantages over my competition?
Do I have undergraduate loan obligations, and if so, can I get those deferred until I complete the advanced degree?
Is there fellowship assistance available in the area of my interest, or will I have to take on the extra time burden* of working as a teaching or research assistant to finance my graduate study?
Have I realistically assessed my chances for successfully completing an advanced degree program?

[* The implied time burden is minimal at Duke, i.e., the time required to earn a Ph.D. degree is essentially the same for those graduate students who serve as teaching assistants and those who do not. In addition, many institutions consider teaching to be a valuable and essential part of your training.]

[If you answer question 2, 3, 6, or 10, with "No"; you should give serious consideration to employment instead of graduate study. For the remaining questions, the more questions that you answer with "No", the less you should consider graduate study. ]