Graduate School Studies Tips
The Fundamentals of Pursuing Graduate School Education:
“Is Graduate School Right for You?”
Co-authored by: Ferzoco A., PhDc; McCaw L., MScc; Bayegan M, MAc; Moemeni B., PhD & BeMo Academic Consulting Executive Team

Overview


Has the idea of pursuing graduate studies sparked your interest? Are you debating whether or not continuing your education is the best decision for you? After completion of an undergraduate degree you may be contemplating furthering your education through graduate studies. It is crucial to consider some important points on whether or not you are prepared for graduate school or not. After all, graduate school can be a lengthy commitment and without the proper preparation you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. Preparation is key! This will aid you in forming an impressive application as well as getting you ready for the steps ahead. Your enjoyment in graduate school will be enhanced if you are fully aware of the process, commitment and future prospects available for graduate students, before you apply.

Important Questions to Consider

Before you begin the journey down the long path of graduate studies, take the time to reflect on your interests and how you envision your future. Would a graduate program help you achieve your goals?

Once you have determined that your natural curiosity and passion for research will only be satisfied by furthering your education and embarking upon your own research project, perhaps the first question to tackle is deciding which school or program is best suited for your unique goals and interests. To answer this question, search the university websites for which programs are offered, and which professors are conducting the type of research that most intrigue you. You will also need to consider how the programs balance course work with hands-on laboratory experience, as well as the time commitment required for completion. This is critical! While, at the time of writing this article, the majority of PhD programs in Canada (e.g. University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies) and the United States (e.g. Stanford University Office of Graduate Admissions) tend to be open ended taking an average of 6-7 years to complete, many European schools (e.g. University of Oxford Graduate Study) offer PhD programs with clear guidelines for time of completion ranging only 3-4 years !

Is the school/program’s reputation important to you? It may not be a point you consider immediately upon applying, however, the reputation of the school can have a great impact on your employability after graduation. Other questions to consider: Can you picture yourself living in a certain city, likely away from home, for the duration of your graduate career? What is the annual tuition fee and what will be your stipend/living allowance, if any? How long will the training last? As mentioned earlier, North American schools take significantly longer than European schools. What research funding opportunities are available? Be aware of potential internal and external scholarships! What grade point average is required for acceptance, and do you need to take a standardized test (ie. GRE, TOEFL, etc.) ahead of making an application? These are the types of questions that you must ask yourself ahead of the application process.

Choosing a Supervisor

Once you have narrowed down a program of study, you should begin thinking about choosing the most appropriate research supervisor. How do you choose the ‘right’ supervisor? First and foremost you should arrange to meet with at least 3 potential supervisors in person. Importantly, you should also interact with their graduate students to get a better sense of how it would be to work with your potential supervisor. Upper year students will gladly share both their positive experiences and their frustrations, and ultimately, this may be a deciding factor when choosing between potential supervisors.

Additional questions you should investigate ahead of choosing a supervisor are the following: How ‘good’ is the work of your supervisor? Does he/she publish often and are those publications in high impact journals? How large is the research group? Does he/she make adequate time for students? Do you prefer more independence or more guidance? Will you be reporting to your supervisor or to a post doctoral fellow or a research associate the majority of the time? How have his/her past students done in terms of publishing and their times to graduate completion? What have the past students amounted to post-graduate school?

What Can You Expect as a Graduate Student?

Perhaps the most overarching feeling in graduate school is a sense of independence. To travel down this academic path, not only must you be highly motivated and eager to learn, moreover, you will be expected to read the literature in your field and become an expert! You must be able to extract relevant information from others’ findings, relate them to your own ideas, and design your own research. While your supervisor and graduate committee are there to provide insight and suggestions, steering you down the correct path, it is your project and you are expected to take control. Essentially, succeeding in graduate school equates to taking your education into your own hands! The entire process could be frustrating at times – especially when experiments continuously fail to work – but, you’ll preserve, and when things finally piece together, you have your ‘Eureka!’ moment, you’ll be ecstatic!

The second most prevailing theme in graduate school is the idea of communicating ideas. By this, we are referring to the sharing of knowledge and ideas that are both encouraged and coveted. Graduate school is composed of mainly seminar and discussion-based classes in order to enhance your communication skills. Additionally, your networking skills will flourish at meetings and conferences, as you meet more and more brilliant minds in your field. These types of scholarly events will allow you to meet people from all over the world, with similar scientific/academic interests and share your passion for research.

It goes without saying that your primary goal throughout graduate school will be the publication of your hard work. Your countless hours in the laboratory or the library perfecting both your research and your written manuscript, will all eventually amount to your first (of hopefully many) first-authored publication. This joyous occasion will likely take years to accomplish, but the key is to enjoy the scientific and scholarly journey, remember your initial passions, and keep your goals in sight when times seem bleak. In order to get to this point, you will need to compete for prestigious awards and scholarships to fund your research. For the majority of these awards, you will be competing with your peers on a provincial or even national level. If you are successfully granted funding for your project, the money will help fund your own research, support the lab, and put a little extra cash into your pocket!

Job Prospects

An important consideration when deciding on furthering your education is whether or not this decision will enhance your opportunities for job prospects after you graduate. The goal of a majority of PhD students is to land a faculty position after they graduate, however, less than a fraction of PhD students reach this goal. Why is this? Entering into the world of academia and achieving a full-time professorship is becoming an increasingly daunting and nearly unachievable aspiration – aside from your PhD degree, there are requirements of one or multiple postdoctoral fellowships, an excellent publication record, and a demonstrated capacity to secure research grants.

What about jobs outside of academia? Will a graduate degree guarantee me a job? Although only a fraction of graduates secure a full-time faculty position at a university, the majority of them do go on to find other career opportunities, which draw upon their transferrable qualities that were developed during their graduate training.

Would a Graduate Degree Enhance My Medical School Application?

What about acceptance to professional schools? For example, will having a graduate degree help with entry into medical school? Yes and no. While some schools (for example McMaster University) give graduate degree holders additional points on their application in the pre-interview stages, the majority of medical schools do not, and only consider your overall GPA at the undergraduate level and MCAT scores. However, graduate education can help by demonstrating long-term research experience and possibly provide evidence of excellent research capacity through publications. Importantly, graduate studies will help develop and improve your critical thinking abilities, which is critical for making an excellent medical doctor. (If you are applying to medical school, visit medical school application help for comprehensive review of your medical school application including review of your medical school essays, medical school autobiographical sketch, and medical school interview preparation)

Concluding Remarks

It is imperative that you are aware of the requirements for undertaking a graduate degree, both in the application phase and during your studies. Knowing your options as well as the opportunities available for graduate students after you complete your degree will help you decide whether or not graduate school is right for you. Being prepared and knowing the process ahead will make your studies an easier and a more enjoyable experience. If you are unsure about what to expect during your studies or how to approach the application process, seeking the proper guidance will set you on the right path.

For any and all information regarding planning, and applying to graduate schools in Canada, the United States, and Europe, feel free to visit our main website for help with graduate school application or simply contact us.

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