Graduate School

Graduate School

Why go to graduate school?

An advanced degree is required for some jobs, such as being a college professor. It also gives you the opportunity to study a topic of interest to you in depth and from a research perspective.

What kinds of programs are available?

• Master's (M.A.) - more typical for computing students; some programs require 2+ years work experience first.
• Doctoral (Ph.D.) - required for most research & academic positions at colleges & universities.

What do I need to do to get into graduate school?

• Maintain a 3.5+ GPA
• Take the GRE during the spring of your junior year
• Work on a research project
• Investigate graduate schools during the summer before your senior year
• Apply to graduate schools during the fall of your senior year

What does applying for graduate school involve?

See the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Graduate School Steps to Apply page.  They do a fabulous job outlining the times at which you need to complete the various steps to apply.  These will be similar at other schools, but you should check for specific dates for each institution.

How do I find a graduate school?

Some good places to start your search are:

• GradSchools.com - Comprehensive information on graduate schools around the world.  Has a really nice search tool
• PhDs.org - Allows you to rank graduate schools in your field based on your priorities.
• US News and World Report- Graduate school rankings and selected articles.
• Peterson's - Graduate program searching.
• Council of Graduate Schools - Resources for choosing, financing and applying for graduate school.
• Graduate Guide - Graduate school search by major or state.
• Graduate View - Information on graduate schools including search tools.
• Graduate Schools in Math from the American Mathematical Society
• Graduate Schools in Computer Science from the Computing Research Association

In considering graduate schools, these articles can help guide your thinking:

• Choosing a Grad School from the Princeton Review
• Choosing a Graduate Program - this has a number of postings from recent grad students about their experiences.

How do I write a personal statement?

Here are several resources to get you started on the process.  I am also very happy to review your essays one-on-one and give some feedback.  You could also take them to the Writing Center here on campus.

• The OWL at Purdue
1. Writing the Personal Statement
2. Examples of Successful Statements
3. Advice from Admissions Representatives
4. Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls
• Yahoo! Education - Graduate School Personal Statement Secrets
• The Princeton Review - Writing the Statement of Purpose