A graduate school (sometimes shortened to grad school) is a school that awards advanced academic degrees (e.g., master's and doctoral degrees) with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. A distinction is typically made between graduate schools (where courses of study vary in the degree to which they provide training for a particular profession) and professional schools, which offer specialized advanced degrees in professional fields such as medicine, nursing, business, engineering, speech–language pathology, or law. The distinction between graduate schools and professional schools is not absolute since various professional schools offer graduate degrees and vice versa.
Many universities award graduate degrees; a graduate school is not necessarily a separate institution. While the term "graduate school" is typical in the United States and often used elsewhere (e.g., Canada), "postgraduate education" is also used in English-speaking countries (Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and the UK) to refer to the spectrum of education beyond a bachelor's degree. Those attending graduate schools are called "graduate students" (in both American and British English), or often in British English as "postgraduate students" and, colloquially, "postgraduates" and "postgrads". Degrees awarded to graduate students include master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and other postgraduate qualifications such as graduate certificates and professional degrees.
Producing original research is a significant component of graduate studies in the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. This research typically leads to the writing and defense of a thesis or dissertation. In graduate programs that are oriented toward professional training (e.g., MPA, MBA, MHA), the degrees may consist solely of coursework, without an original research or thesis component. The term "graduate school" is primarily North American. Additionally, in North America, the term does not usually refer to medical school (whose students are called "medical students"), and only occasionally refers to law school or business school; these are often collectively termed professional schools. Graduate students in the humanities, sciences and social sciences often receive funding from the school (e.g., fellowships or scholarships) or a teaching assistant position or other job; in the profession-oriented grad programs, students are less likely to get funding, and the fees are typically much higher.
Although graduate school programs are distinct from undergraduate degree programs, graduate instruction (in the US, Australia, and other countries) is often offered by some of the same senior academic staff and departments who teach undergraduate courses. Unlike in undergraduate programs, however, it is less common for graduate students to take coursework outside their specific field of study at graduate or graduate entry level. At the Ph.D. level, though, it is quite common to take courses from a wider range of study, for which some fixed portion of coursework, sometimes known as a residency, is typically required to be taken from outside the department and college of the degree-seeking candidate, to broaden the research abilities of the student. Some institutions designate separate graduate versus undergraduate staff and denote other divisions.
I just had a quick hypothetical question. If you're a math and physics major, does the fact that you're a physics major help at all when applying to math grad school? In other words, say you've taken several math graduate classes and several physics graduate classes as well. Would the physics...
I want to hopefully go into graduate program in astronomy or experimental physics and am doing a dual Physics/EE major. I am going to try to get a job in a lab associated with the campus however it will probably be more geared towards applied physics and/or EE stuff than to fundamental physics...
early "planning" for grad school
I'm currently a freshman at JHU, and I know that it is very early to think about grad school, but there are a few things that I've been wondering about. I definitely am majoring in physics, and I'm taking the second year physics sequence (special relativity...
From what I've read, these things seem important for any student considering graduate school:
- GPA, with particular emphasis on higher level classes within a student's major
- Good GRE scores, especially on the quantitative section
- Some undergraduate research experience, an REU through the...
Hello,
I'm a freshman physics and ME major(which will be switched to nucEng when i transfer to purdue, right now it is strictly for thermodynamics and other courses that overlap between ME and nucEng) looking at joining the navy through a program called NUPOC.
NUPOC is a program that aims to...
Is it possible to transfer after one year of physics grad school??
Here is my dilemma. I was accepted to a physics phD program with full funding (TA + tuition). Almost a semester has passed and I am not entirely happy with my decision. I am becoming very interested in physics education and...
I am going to be majoring in Engineering Physics at the School of Mines in Colorado.
I also want to major in CS, seeing as I am a female and already considered worth less than my male counterparts [salary-wise]. I might be thinking ahead, I am taking the required science still to get into a...
Hey I'm a junior thinking about going into the mathematical biology field (bio/math double major) for grad school. I have the option of either taking 4 classes (wrong title) to get a biochem engineering minor, the main one which focuses on body regulation, tissue/organ engineering, pathways, and...
Hi all. I'm considering being a tutor for my dept and later on taking up a TA position.
I do enjoy teaching, but it's a time commitment.
Would such teaching experiences help me in applying to grad schools?
Thanks!
Hi all! I graduated last year with my BS in physics and math. I am kind of confused about my choice to do physics in grad school, even though if I get my phD I probably wouldn't want to go into academia. I would like to do research in a government lab. I am comfortable with those theoretical and...
Alright so I just graduated in May 2010 with a B.S. in Math, and a minor in Spanish. I am currently deciding what to do with my life, and while I'd love to go to grad school to continue studying math (and continue learning/using it throughout my life), I'm not sure if I'll even be able to get...
I have an interesting question.
I know it's unspoken that a rejection of financial aid is considered a "polite rejection" to your entire application, but what if I don't apply for financial aid?
Will that effect me either way? I'm under the impression that schools actually WANT students to...
I need a few safety schools, and most importantly a few target schools. I'll have no trouble coming up with reach schools.
The problem is that I have no idea what to look for. I know I want to do Physics, but that's the extent of it. I have no idea what part of physics I'd like to do, but...
Looking at some of the older threads, I've gotten the message that with my major gpa of 2.8 (in electrical engineering) and overall gpa of 3.12 I don't have a good shot at getting into grad school. However, a few professors that I have taken classes from and done research for are encouraging me...
Ok, I was somewhat interested in finance when I was in high school, and I went to a community college and found the business classes very boring, so I started taking math and science classes, which I liked. I took up to Calculus 2, and some programming classes, and engineering physics I, and...
Do you have to apply for them separately or are you automatically considered for them when you apply to a grad school? How do they decide who to give them to? Do they just give them to exceptionally good applicants?
Hey guys!
I'm an undergrad senior and I'm trying to figure out what to do. When I'm done, I'll have double majored in Physics and Math, with a minor in Computer Science. This gives me a bunch of options, but none of them really appeal to me.
Grad school would probably be fun, but the idea...
I'm debating on whether to take the October or November Physics GRE. If I take the November test, I have more time to study, but I was wondering if it would affect my chances of getting admitted to a physics grad program if all the schools got my scores a month later than they otherwise would if...
So, nearly every math professor I've ever happened to know who is an American got his or her PhD from one of about a dozen places, all of which are great, hallowed names in mathematics. I am currently in a math PhD program which, while it is certainly not bad, is not one these great names...
To introduce, I'm a third-year physics student at the University of Texas (Austin). As with most undergraduate physics students I've started to stress about applying to graduate school as I see friends of mine start to prepare for it. I'm actually not applying this year, but next year - I could...
I'm heading into my junior year of a physics degree, which means I have about one more year to decide on what graduate programs to apply to.
The thing that scares me, though, is that the more I learn, the harder it is for me to narrow down what I want to do.
So far, I'm more interested...
How feasible would this be? I'll be an Environmental Engineering sophomore this coming semester and was wondering how a path to Nuclear Engineering for graduate school would look like, if the path exists at all. I suppose that I could switch to Mechanical Engineering (having done most of the...
I'm going into my last year of my BS in Chemistry and I love physical chemistry (Quantum Mechanics, Thermo, Kinetics). I'm currently doing spectroscopy research at my university. I'm now realizing that I should have been a Physics major from the beginning. Don't get my wrong, I love Chemistry...
Hi everyone,
I am a rising junior in college. I was in Engineering program before I switched to Maths this semester.
My main reason was that I was not intellectually involved in the program that much. So basically I am behind the average Maths major in my school. Right now I am planning my...
Hello,
I'm in the process of applying to grad school in Astrophysics. I graduated last December from a top-tier Physics program and am wondering what exactly I should stick in my personal statement/statement of purpose/whatever the heck a given university calls it. My undergraduate...
It's a big goal, I know. I'm going to a top-20 in its field undergrad school (for chemical engineering). It's a state school in my state, but a solid school nonetheless.
I wasn't the best student in high school. I say that after graduating 3rd in my class, but in all honesty, I didn't...
Hello everyone! My school has a rather odd math major - it just so happens to perfectly suit me. I studied engineering for the first 2 years of school, as well as a little bit of CS, and all my classes fit perfectly in this major "Mathematics - Engineering/physics track." I should be able to...
I've got a bachelors in Ephys and I'm REALLY interested in quantum gravity (LQG and semi-classical approaches), but my GR experience is limited to running a few simulations in Mathematica, and I've just had the first semester of QM.
I know it's not realistic to start doing QG right away with...
Hi all
I've got one more year left in my undergraduate degree at a Canadian university in physics. I'll be taking a year off after graduating before (hopefully) going to the US for grad school in synthetic biology. My question is, should I write the GRE and apply to grad school now and then...
My situation:
I was originally an Economics major, math minor. However, I have lost interest in econ and have become very interested in physics and math. I begin my senior year of undergrad this fall, however I am staying in school longer and beginning the physics curriculum as well this...
I am a Canadian and I plan to go to grad school, in Canada, we must get a Masters' before a Ph.D and I am wondering when I apply for my Ph.D, will grad school (that means grad school including those from the states) look at only my most recent work of my Masters or will they look at my...
I am a senior in high school and I am taking a college class at a local community college. After this year, if I decide not to take the transfer credit, can I reject it? So I can take the course again at my new undergrad again?
Like basically abandon the transfer credit and grade? Will my...
I just finished my junior year at my university, and I am currently interested in going to graduate school in mathematics. But from reading some of the posts on here, I am starting to feel maybe I'm not really a desired candidate for graduate study in mathematics. I will post some information...
I wasn't a particularly good high-school math student, I usually tested around the top of the school for standardized exams, but never bothered to do the class work for my actual math classes, and was mainly just a jock.
I went to the local university to do engineering, and while I got A's...
Hi all,
My goal is to go to graduate school for mathematics (most likely enumerative combinatorics of graph theory). My math grades in college have been:
Calculus I/II - AP Credit so no "grade".
Calculus 3 - A+
Linear Algebra - A-
Proofs - A-
Combinatorial Theory - A
Elementary...
I'm heading into my junior year as a physics undergrad, and I'm starting to think my math skills won't be where they need to be for grad school.
So far, I've taken calc 1-3, probability theory, and an "Intro to Mathematical Physics," which used the Boas text. That class was basically a crash...
I am just wondering this because I have not set on what to do for graduate school. Now if I go for theoretical physics and study Math and Physics, when it is time for me to apply to grad school, will I get to apply to a math grad school or will they not let me because my major is "theoretical...
To anyone that did: How was your transition? What grad school and area did you choose. Thanks! I'm majoring in applied math bc I like math but don't know what I want to do.
I'm finishing my sophomore year at a top school, still undecided. I was following an engineering track, took 1st yr...
Assuming I'm capable of passing the test to become a member of Mensa, do you think that it would be a sufficiently impressive addition to a physics graduate school application to be worth the cost (about $40, I think) and effort (a test in a nearby city) of becoming a member?
Hi PF,
Sorry for the rather boring question but, does anyone know where to get data on average gpa's of students accepted to various grad schools?
I'm a bit worried because my physics gpa is around a 3.5, as is my regular gpa. However, I'm starting to realize that a lot of kids have gpa's...
Lets say that I'm the VP of the Physics club of my school, I have 2 years of research experience and a semester working at the National Terawatt Facility. I took 4 or so graduate classes which I get B's in, I get 90%> on the gre physics, but my GPA is like a 3.3. What schools am I looking at...
I'm an undergrad chemical engineer. I may switch to chemistry or materials science/engineering. I've taken abstract algebra, which sucked a lot. I should have taken the other professor's section.
Anyways, I hate proofs. I'm wondering if I should continue math with real analysis. I heard that...
I'm considering graduate school in the event that I don't get a full time job, and I'm considering two graduate schools here in Oregon where I'm from.
I am going for a masters in electrical engineering, either an M.Eng or M.S depending on funding options workload and available classes etc...
hi
im a pure math major and going into my sr year next semester
im supposed to apply to grad schools sometime next year as well, but I have
a problem. I don't think id have a problem getting into a program my GPA is 4.0 in all
my math courses and I've taken quite a few including some...
I am graduating with a BA in Physics and want to go to Graduate school in engineering I think next semester. I have a 3.4 over all and I got a 1240 on the GRE with a 720 on the quantitative part. I've also been apart of a research project for a year now.
I'm at the end of my junior year and at this point I have no idea what area of Physics I want to go into. I know that for sure I want to go onto grad school but other than that I don't really know what I want to do. I think I'm leaning towards doing theory rather than experiment but I don't...
I want to make the best use of my time in undergrad, so I can't just sign up for everything. I want to apply to the top grad schools like Stanford's and MIT's.
So, can someone help me out? What're the best ones that'll make my application look better?
So I am studying physics at some small university and I'm interested in getting into grad school. My first year and a half I screwed up with a 3.0 and got C's in all of my chemistry and biology classes. However I have never gotten lower than a B in any of my math or physics classes. In fact, I...
I am a physics major just finishing a two year associate's degree. I have a 4.0 GPA and am transfering to an undergrad program in the fall, but not sure which one. I ultimately want to receive a PhD in physics and work in research. My question is this:
Right now I have my choice of...
I've been agonizing over what to study in graduate school. I'm most interested in Astrophysics (which is what my undergraduate degree will be in), but the job prospects have scared me off of Astrophysics and even general Physics, and I'm not interested in academia anyhow. In an attempt to...