Graduate School
Decide What's Next After Your Bachelor's Degree
Graduate or professional education can help you gain specialized knowledge, prepare for a particular career, qualify for professional licensure, or advance within your field.
But an advanced degree is a significant commitment of time and money.
Before applying, understand why you need the degree, what it will take to earn it, and how it connects to your career goals.
Start With Your Career Goal
Don't pursue an advanced degree simply because you're unsure what to do after college.
Start by researching the career you're considering.
Ask:
- Is an advanced degree required to enter the profession?
- Is a particular degree or credential required?
- Is professional licensure or certification required?
- Would an advanced degree create meaningful career opportunities?
- Could work experience help me reach the same goal?
- What education do people working in this field typically have?
- What are the employment and earning opportunities?
Some careers require advanced education. For others, it may be beneficial but optional.
Explore Careers Requiring Advanced Degrees →
Understand the Types of Advanced Degrees
Graduate and professional education can take several forms.
Master's Degrees
Master's programs provide advanced study in a particular field and may prepare students for professional practice, career advancement, specialization, or additional graduate study.
Program length and requirements vary.
Doctoral Degrees
Doctoral programs involve advanced study and may emphasize research, scholarship, professional practice, or a combination of these areas.
Requirements and completion times vary significantly by field and program.
Professional Degrees
Professional programs prepare students for particular careers such as medicine, dentistry, law, and other specialized professions.
These programs may have specific prerequisite courses, entrance requirements, clinical or practical experiences, and professional licensing requirements.
Research Programs Carefully
Finding a graduate program is about more than identifying schools that offer the degree.
Compare:
- Program curriculum
- Faculty expertise
- Research opportunities
- Clinical or professional experiences
- Internship opportunities
- Accreditation when relevant
- Licensing or certification preparation
- Program length
- Format and location
- Cost
- Financial assistance
- Career outcomes
- Admission requirements
For research-focused programs, faculty interests and available research opportunities may be particularly important.
For professional programs, pay close attention to accreditation, experiential requirements, licensing preparation, and outcomes.
Understand the Full Education Path
Some careers require much more than simply completing a graduate degree.
Your pathway could include:
- Undergraduate prerequisite courses
- Graduate or professional school
- Clinical experiences
- Internships
- Residencies
- Fellowships
- Licensing examinations
- Professional certification
- Continuing education
Research the entire pathway from where you are now to entering the career.
Understanding the complete timeline can help you make a more informed academic and financial plan.
Prepare While You're an Undergraduate
If graduate or professional education may be part of your future, begin preparing before your senior year.
Depending on the program, preparation might include:
- Completing prerequisite courses
- Maintaining required academic progress
- Building relationships with faculty
- Participating in research
- Completing internships or relevant employment
- Gaining clinical or observational experience
- Participating in leadership or service
- Preparing for required admission tests
- Identifying potential recommenders
Talk with your academic advisor and faculty in your field about how to prepare for the programs you're considering.
Understand Admission Requirements
Requirements vary significantly by program.
An application may include:
- Undergraduate transcripts
- GPA or prerequisite requirements
- Personal statement or statement of purpose
- Letters of recommendation
- Résumé or curriculum vitae
- Research or writing samples
- Portfolio
- Interview
- Relevant work, research, clinical, or volunteer experience
- Standardized test scores when required
Don't assume that every program within the same field has identical requirements.
Research each program individually.
Know Whether an Entrance Exam Is Required
Graduate and professional programs may require or consider standardized admission tests, but requirements vary by program.
Depending on your field, you may encounter exams such as:
- GRE — used by some graduate and professional programs
- GMAT — used by some graduate business programs
- LSAT — used in law school admission
- MCAT — used in medical school admission
- DAT — used in dental school admission
- OAT — used in optometry admission
- English-language proficiency tests when applicable
Always check the current requirements for the specific programs you're considering before registering for an exam.
Give Yourself Time to Apply
Graduate and professional applications can involve multiple steps and deadlines.
Build a timeline that allows time to:
- Research programs.
- Review prerequisite requirements.
- Prepare for and complete required testing.
- Request recommendations.
- Request transcripts.
- Write and revise application materials.
- Complete program-specific requirements.
- Prepare for interviews when required.
- Apply for financial aid and program funding.
Starting early gives you time to build a stronger application and resolve problems before deadlines.
Prepare for Interviews
Some graduate and professional programs include interviews as part of the admission process.
Before an interview:
- Research the program.
- Understand why it fits your goals.
- Be prepared to discuss your experiences and interests.
- Know why you're pursuing the degree.
- Prepare thoughtful questions.
- Practice discussing your academic, professional, research, or career experiences.
The goal isn't to memorize perfect answers. Be prepared to explain why this program and career path make sense for you.
Understand the Full Cost
An advanced degree may increase your career opportunities, but it can also significantly increase your education costs.
Consider:
- Tuition and fees
- Books, equipment, and program expenses
- Housing and living expenses
- Transportation
- Professional or licensing expenses
- Years spent in school
- Income you may give up while enrolled
- Existing undergraduate student debt
- Additional borrowing
- Expected earnings after completing the program
Look at the total investment required to reach your career, not just one year of tuition.
Explore Ways to Pay
Funding for graduate and professional education varies considerably by institution and program.
Possible resources may include:
Scholarships, Grants & Fellowships
Programs, institutions, professional organizations, foundations, employers, and other organizations may provide funding that doesn't need to be repaid.
Research opportunities within your field as well as those offered by individual programs.
Assistantships
Some graduate programs provide funding in exchange for teaching, research, or other work.
An assistantship may include a stipend, tuition assistance, or other benefits depending on the institution and position.
Understand the work expectations and funding terms before accepting an offer.
Employer Assistance
Some employers provide tuition assistance or reimbursement for education related to an employee's work or professional development.
Understand eligibility requirements and whether accepting assistance creates an obligation to remain with the employer for a certain period.
Personal Savings & Earnings
Savings and employment may help cover some expenses, although the demands of certain programs can limit how much students are able to work while enrolled.
Student Loans
Borrowing may be part of some students' plans, but loans should be considered only after exploring other available resources.
Before borrowing, understand:
- How much you'll need for the entire program
- Your existing student loan balance
- Interest rates and loan terms
- Expected monthly payments
- Expected earnings in your career
- Available federal and private loan options
Federal student-loan programs and borrowing limits can change, so review current information before making borrowing decisions.
Compare Funding Offers
When comparing graduate programs, don't look only at admission.
One program may offer:
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Assistantships
- Tuition waivers or reductions
- Stipends
- Research funding
- Employer partnerships
Compare what you'll actually need to pay or borrow at each institution.
A program's published price doesn't necessarily tell you what your education will ultimately cost.
Consider the Return on Your Investment
Before committing, step back and look at the complete picture.
Ask:
- Is this degree required for my career goal?
- How long will the entire education pathway take?
- What will the total education cost?
- How much might I need to borrow?
- What are typical earnings in the career?
- What employment opportunities are available?
- Are there lower-cost ways to reach the same goal?
- Does this program provide the preparation and opportunities I need?
The goal isn't simply to earn another degree.
It's to make an informed investment in the education and experience required for where you want to go next.
Build Your Plan
Graduate and professional education should connect three pieces:
Career Goal
What do you want to do?
Education Pathway
What degree, training, experience, and credentials will you need?
Financial Plan
How will you pay for the complete pathway?
When those pieces work together, you can make a more informed decision about whether graduate or professional school fits your future.
