Grad school Definition and 1000 Threads

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.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. T

    Part-Time Student for 1 Quarter: Impact on Grad School?

    Next quarter I'm taking 2 classes. About 8 quarter units. I need 12 to be full time. Would it look bad to grad schools if I'm not a full time student for one quarter?
  2. W

    Struggling Through a Busy Semester: Will Grades Ruin Grad School Hopes?

    Ok, so this semester has been really busy for me, I feel almost overloaded. Engineering Thermodynamics - B Special Relativity & Quantum Physics (Honors)- B Differential Equations- B/A Analog Circuits w/lab-B Linear Algebra- C/B PA-A So this is the forecast, which I see to be as...
  3. B

    Schools Lets say you want to study General relativity in grad school

    Putting all essentials aside, is a degree in both pure math and physics required? I am thinking of reducing the number of majors I have to just a minor in math and a BS in physics. Mainly because I had to retake some math classes and I do not think I will finish my degree in math at the same...
  4. Pythagorean

    Schools Which US universities offer top AMO programs for graduate studies?

    I finish my physics courses this semester. Then I will begin applying for graduate schools, and probably switch to a double major (math + physics), and take grad/math courses locally while I apply. I'm pretty sure my #1 preferred school is Boulder Colorado's university (because of my interest...
  5. S

    Schools Which summer position for my future goal of top tier grad school

    Hi, I am an undergrad second year math and CS major. I am considering different summer positions for this summer. My eventual goal is to enroll in a CS PhD program at a top tier school. I was recently offered a very well paid summer intern position (technology/CS related) at a prestigious...
  6. T

    Schools Average GPA of Grad School Admits?

    Hi there, Does anyone know if there's a place where one can get the average GPA's of students admitted to different physics graduate programs? I'm interested in both overall and physics GPA. If there is no one definite list, some of the programs I'd be interested in having particular...
  7. JasonJo

    Schools Seriously, what is grad school like?

    Hey guys, I apologize in advance because I know there have been like a thousand threads on this already. I'm about to graduate in May with a degree in Applied Math and Pure Math. I have taken a bunch of upper division math courses and I attended an REU and am currently doing an undergraduate...
  8. M

    Schools When should I take the GRE for graduate school?

    First Question, About how far in advance of applying to graduate school should one take the GRE test(s) [General + Subject]? I am currently planning on graduating in a year (Spring 2009), which would probably mean applying to grad school this fall. Therefore, I am thinking that I am closing...
  9. T

    Schools First semester of grad school down, having some doubts.

    Hello everyone! I just finished my first semester of graduate school in physics, and I have been struggling with some serious doubts since virtually the first day. During my time as an undergraduate, things were fairly easy for me. Most of my peers were spending 8 hours per day studying and...
  10. T

    Schools Help finding internships/planning for grad school

    I am a sophmore at the ohio state university majoring in physics. my gpa is something like 2.6 and i don't have any good professors references yet. I want to eventually go to grad school but i know i will probably need experience for this. Most of the internships i come across seem to be really...
  11. P

    Schools Need opinions on my prospects for engineering grad school

    I am in need of some guidance concerning graduate school. I am a student in mechanical engineering at Oklahoma State University. Long story short, I made some awful grades my junior year because I thought art was my calling—turned out to be a big mistake. I passed 6 out of 24 attempted hours...
  12. J

    Schools About M.S in AEROSPACE ENGINEERING which grad school

    hey, i m a international student i was in a puzzle about going to erau / sdsu/ iit,chicago etc... till now i have acceptance from these and some scholarship and waiting from some schools to tell . please help decide which will be better grad school for aerospace engineering embry riddle...
  13. B

    Schools Yet another grad school question thread

    I know these grad school threads have been overdone but nobody ask this question yet: Would it be fair to say that the grad school applications commitee looks at : 30 % gpa 30% GRE score 30 % Research experience 10% letters of recommendation?
  14. C

    Schools Can My Profile Secure Admission in a Physics PhD Program?

    Hello, I'm hoping that some of you can help me out a bit. I will be applying to physics grad schools (for PhD) in the coming weeks, and I basically have no idea where I stand. I am a physics major with minors in mathematics & biology. GPA: ~3.5 GRE: Verbal - 550 (73%) Quant - 720 (77%) I was...
  15. S

    Schools Physics Grad School Prospectives

    Hello all, Just wanted your opinion on my prospectives for grad school. What are some "safety" schools that I should consider? Likewise, what are some schools that I might have a fair chance of getting into? Do I have a chance for schools like MIT/Berkeley/Stanford/Santa Barbara? I...
  16. M

    Schools Applying to grad school without research exp?

    From what I understand, the most important part of a grad school application is previous research experience. I don't have any, and was wondering what schools I should be applying to. A little more about me: Professors don't know me well so letters of recommendation should be weak GPA =...
  17. L

    Schools I need a grad school reality check

    First, a little background. I am a senior double major in electrical engineering and physics (with minor in chem, with 2 semesters of ochem and ochem lab) at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. I have a modest overall GPA of 3.45, but a physics GPA of 3.92, an engineering GPA...
  18. U

    Schools Best Grad School for Cryptogrpahy/stenanography?

    Hi, I'm an EE looking to get into the fields I mentioned above. Does anyone know any good schools for this?
  19. M

    Schools Physics Major Looking for Advice on Computer Engineering Grad School

    I'm a sophomore at a small school (1600 students) in North Carolina, and I'm majoring in Physics. I'm also double minoring in Computer Science and Math. I'm doing this with the intention to graduate in four years and attend graduate school to work towards a Masters Degree in Computer...
  20. W

    Schools Grad School (engineering/physics)

    I plan to get a BS in Engineering Physics and then apply to grad school and go for a masters in Mechanical. But what are "good" grad school looking for? Obviously good GRE and GPA, but how good? Also, what about grad school for physics?
  21. L

    Schools Can I Do Organic Electronics Research in a Different Grad Program?

    I am finishing up my bachelor's (double major in EE and physics) and I want to pursue graduate studies (PhD) to do research on organic electronic devices. I am mainly interested in EE and applied physics grad programs, but some of the organic electronics research is done in the material...
  22. O

    Schools Grad school applications questions (aka pep-talk request)

    Hello, This is my first post on the forums. It's mostly elicited by anxiety about getting into grad school. I have seen a bunch of similar posts, and extrapolated as many data points as I could from them (in terms of where to apply, etc). But it's always nice to receive personalized...
  23. M

    Schools Getting Into Grad School: Advice for Students with Low GPA

    Many graduate programs seem to require at least a 3.0 gpa in undergraduate coursework. My undergrad gpa was ~2.95. What can I do to get into a graduate program? I graduated a year and a half ago with a BS in physics, but I'd like to do math. I've taken / am taking a few math courses since then...
  24. L

    Schools Grad School Abroad: US, Canada, or Europe?

    I am from Asia, and if I was given the chance to go to grad school, should it be the US, Canada, or Europe?
  25. S

    Schools Grad School; E in Calc I; How bad?

    Hello, I am applying for Grad School this year. I am putting some expectations to know how where I can shoot at them, below, or above and how to spread my tries. I got an E in Calc I in my first semester for whatever reason. I got an A, B, B in Cacl II, III and Diffi Q respectively...
  26. S

    Schools Is UC Berkeley's EE Grad School a Good Fit for Microwave Engineering?

    UC Berkeley EE Grad School!? I was going to apply to UC Berkeley's graduate school of electrical enginering, but when I went on their website and looked up the type of research they are doing over there, I was surprised to find out that they are barely doing any RF/microwave or optics research...
  27. B

    Schools Applying to grad school, how do i look?

    Apply to a grad school (not physics, but atmospheric science or GIS) and my GPA as of now is 3.22. Took the General GRE and got a 620 math, 460 verbal :-/... Talk to my prof he thinks I should be able to. My GPA should Inc. due to less gen ed classes I have to take. But I don't know if I should...
  28. T

    Schools Quantum computing/information grad school

    I'm planning to apply for PhD program next fall. I'm interested in doing theoretical work, and plan to apply for programs that has faculty doing quantum computation/information or related stuff. I found that a lot of top schools have that, but I'm also looking for some schools that is not that...
  29. C

    Schools Is My 3.0 GPA and Poor GRE Score the End of My Grad School Ambitions?

    I need some advice. I graduated from a prestigious liberal arts college in May with a 3.0 GPA and a double major in Physics and Astronomy. I had always planned on going to graduate school, but for whatever reason did HORRIBLY on the Physics Subject GRE. Like worse than 15th percentile...
  30. D

    Schools Can I Switch to Computer Science Grad School with a Math Background?

    I'm about to get an undergraduate degree in math, and I'm having second thoughts about pursuing a career as a research mathematician. I may want to switch to comp sci, but I don't want to start my undergrad over. Is it possible to get into grad school in comp sci with a background in math, but...
  31. S

    Schools  did not understand Calculus until Grad School

    This has been stated in a few topics in some places in physicsforums; that people did not really understand Calculus until they studied analysis or advanced calculus in graduate school. So what did such people really accomplish when they studied their first-year Calculus and their semester of...
  32. H

    Schools Navigating US Grad School: Funding, Top Schools, and Entry Requirements

    Hi, I was born in england and have recently graduated from an English university with a Masters in theoretical physics. I am considering taking the GRE this october and applying to US grad schools in california. Firstly, what are the chances of an international student getting funding over...
  33. L

    Schools From B.Sc. Math to Physics Grad School

    Hey guys, first post here! I am entering my 3rd year of my B.Sc. Math this September. I was wondering how likely is it to get accepted into physics grad school, esp. for Medical Physics as a math major. My school's website for the medical physics program says they allow math majors but...
  34. D

    Schools Is a Thesis Required for a Master's in EE? How Does the Grad School System Work?

    How does Grad School EE work? I don't want to go for a PhD, and I've been hearing about a Masters without a thesis option? I just want to take the courses and not really do any research. I'm kind of confused on how the system works. Also, if I go the route where I don't have to do a thesis (if...
  35. S

    Schools A few quick q's about grad school criteria

    hey all, I'm entering my junior year as an undergrad, hence looking forward towards grad school studies. At the moment, I'm attending san francisco state and have a 4.0 in my major with a 3.7 overall. I'm working toward a BA in physics and a BS in mathematics, both to be completed in Spring...
  36. F

    Schools Grad school question - GPA, deadlines, etc LOTS OF FUN STUFF

    Grad school question - GPA, deadlines, etc... LOTS OF FUN STUFF! I have one year left of school. Soon, I will be applying to grad school. My first ~1 year of school I did not do very well. I was at that time a Computer Science student, and I really just hated my classes, the math, physics...
  37. P

    Schools Applying to Grad School without Research Experience

    Hi, I'm going to apply for grad school this fall. I'm an international student from Pakistan. Although I don't have extraordinary credentials, but I think I satisfy the minimum - top 10% of my class. I'm also confident of scoring high on GRE Physics as some trials have went unexpectedly well...
  38. W

    Schools Best path to a good Grad school and Career.

    First, I believe I should mention that I have almost no idea how admissions to grad school works or of how grad school works in general. Basically, I want to know what I should do to get into the best Grad school in the future. When I got to college, I had wished that I had begun preparing...
  39. I

    Schools How Important Are Recommendations for Math PhD Applications?

    I will be applying to grad school for my Math PhD this upcoming fall and I had some questions: How important is who is writing your letter of reccomendation? I am from a top 30 Math university according to the NRC rankings and US News World and Report rankings, but I doubt I can get a...
  40. I

    Schools Conflicted about Grad School: My Uncertainty Towards a Mathematics Degree

    I'm not sure about grad school. I've sacrificed a measurable amount of my life to pursue mathematics. I am confident enough in myself to say that I would be able to get into a handful of top 20 and maybe even a top 10 graduate school. But I'm not sure if I want to pursue mathematics...
  41. T

    Schools Can You Get Into Grad School with an Online Math Degree from UIllinois?

    http://www.online.uillinois.edu/catalog/ProgramDetail.asp?ProgramID=541 Can you still get into grad school if you have an online math degree?
  42. M

    Grad School vs Work: Post-BS Decision Help

    Hey guys, I am wondering what the majority of you did right after you finished your BS degree. I am deciding between continuing to grad school vs. going right to industry. I don't want to do both at the same time. If possible, with your answer, please tell me your field (EE, ME, etc.) I...
  43. A

    Schools Are PhD Programs in the US Expensive for International Students?

    I plan on doing a PhD at a good grad school in the states, however, I am becoming quite worried with the costs. I am Canadian, so I wouldn't be able to get any loans, and it looks like it will cost ~$60,000 a year at places like MIT and this would be quite difficult. I have enough saved to...
  44. N

    What Is the Minimum GPA Needed for Aerospace Graduate Programs in Canada?

    Hi everybody, I came across this site when I was doing some research on Aerospace grad schools. I am a University of Toronto MSE student (Ya I was in EngSci:rolleyes: ) and I am hoping to do a Maters in an Aerospace related field. I am wondering what is the minimum GPA I should maintain if I...
  45. T

    Schools [Grad School] Does this make sense?

    I need some help deciding what to do in grad school. My ultimate goal is to do research in purely theoretical physics, probably in LQG, or perhaps in String theory, or something of this nature (spare me the talk about never getting a job - I know). I'd like to do this from a very formal and...
  46. happyg1

    Schools OMPS?Should I approach my professor about my struggles in grad school?

    Hi, I need some feedback. Our professor in Algebriac Structures just administered our 1st exam last week. We have covered 7 sections in the book and the amount of material is just daunting. All of the proofs, plus the notes, plus the homework. Before the exam, he listed off the things...
  47. S

    Schools Grad school quality person - Chemistry

    One of the most difficult topics several years ago was weak acid and weak base equilibria and associated mathematical determinations about them in quantitative chemistry. Our class spent a month and a half just studying equilibria of weak acids and weak bases and their buffers, pH's, titration...
  48. S

    Schools Seniors Going to Grad School: Where, What & Summer Plans

    Hey, so I know there are a few seniors here (I think AKG and quasar at least). Who's going to grad school next year? Where have you gotten accepted, and where do you plan on going? What are you going to study? I'm going to Caltech to study theoretical physics (it's strange that I haven't...
  49. B

    ETS Revamps Test for Grad School Admission: How Will It Affect You?

    ETS is going to http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=6793cb8a55e76010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=53e65da22af66010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD" with a revised version this September. Their claim is that the new test will better evaluate a...
  50. A

    Schools Choosing between med school and grad school in physics

    Hello! I am about to finish my undergraduate degree majoring in physics and minoring in math. I have a strong interest in all the natural sciences, and almost straight A:s which should enable me to get into pretty much anything I want, should it be med school or a grad school in physics. The...
Back
Top