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Explore Graduate and Professional Schools

Should You Attend Graduate School?

Many consider attending graduate school to gain knowledge in a particular field of interest, to expand career opportunities and increase earning potential, or to work closely with experts in a field. The 2010 MIT Graduating Student Survey found that 40 percent of graduating seniors planned to pursue advanced degrees right after graduation. Give yourself plenty of time to make this decision so you have time to apply. The Graduate School Application Timeline for the graduate school application process will help you stay on track.

Is Graduate School for You? Self Assessment and Decision Making

Self Assessment is important when deciding if graduate school is critical to your career plan and if the timing is right. Would graduate school help you reach your goals? Learn more about the fields you are interested in entering through informational interviews, books at the MIT Libraries or GECD library (room 12-170), and internships. GECD Career Services offers career counseling appointments that can help you weigh the pros and cons. As part of the self-assessment process, carefully consider how you make decisions.

How to Research Schools and Programs

• Conduct informational interviews with people in the field you want to enter, such as faculty, colleagues, and current graduate students, and ask what schools they regard most highly and why.

• Research programs online  and in the library, after preparing a list of what you are looking for in a program.

• Look up people online that you admire and are in the field to see where they went to school (Linkedin.com and the MIT Alumni network  can be helpful resources).

• View lists of graduate schools that MIT graduates have attended by reading the Graduating Student Survey results from previous years.

• Visit the schools you are considering, even if you have to wait until after you have been accepted due to costs. 

Top Criteria to Consider when Selecting a Graduate Program

Be sure to consider what programs will be the best match for you, based on your career interests/goals and the degree you will end up with. Some aspects of each program to consider are:

• Quality of the program

• Course offerings in your area of interest

• Department and faculty strength and reputation

• Faculty/student ratio

• Program costs: tuition, fees, books, supplies, and living expenses

• Time to completion of degree

• Internship or field-work opportunities

• Quality of research facilities, laboratories, and libraries

• Financial aid resources

• Career success of recent alumni

• Connections with alumni

• Degree requirements: credit hours, comprehensive exams, thesis, fieldwork

• Geographic location

• Years of experience suggested pre-enrollment
  

Types of Graduate Degrees

Which degree makes the most sense for you? Talk to people in the field to decide which path will ensure you are positioned for future success. If a PhD is required for the field you are pursuing, can you gain a Masters first, or will you need to go straight through?

• Research Master's: typically one to two years, designed for students to gain expertise in research or scholarship, often a step towards a Ph.D.

• Professional Master's: typically one to two years, often terminal degree, meant to prepare student to work in a specific field such as engineering, education or counseling.

• Research Doctorate: also known as a Ph.D. or Sc.D. takes a minimum of four to six years of full-time study and involves course work and a major research project

• Professional Doctorate: typically refers to the M.D. for medical practice and J.D. for law

Events

GECD Self Assessment and Career Planning workshops, such as Why Apply to Graduate School? or Defining a Career Plan Using Values and Skills

Graduate School Email List

To receive occasional emails regarding graduate and/or professional school admissions, sign up for the Graduate School Listserv through CareerBridge. Login to CareerBridge, select My Profile under the My Account tab, and click on the Additional Information tab. Select “Yes” from the drop down menu next to the question “Would you like to receive emails about applying to graduate school?”