Q: Should I go to grad school after completing my bachelor’s or wait a few years?

A: In science and math, students usually enroll in graduate school after they complete their undergraduate studies in order to get a jump on their research. In fields like sociology, anthropology and history, a few years spent in the “real world” may enhance your understanding of society and benefit your scholarship. Waiting to attend grad school later in life may better prepare you to manage the psychological hurdles of grad school. Alternatively, it may pose limitations on your time and energy.


Q: Can I enter a grad school discipline other than the one I studied as an undergrad?

A: Some programs accept promising students with competencies in other fields, but other programs have prerequisites that require a specific number of credits within that particular field.


Q: What forms of financial aid are available to grad students?

A: Grad students may apply for scholarships, fellowships and assistantships to fund their education. These awards are often determined by the specific programs based on merit and need. To learn more about funding, please visit the Graduate Funding and Information Service.


Q: Is grad school harder than undergrad?

A: Yes. Undergraduates are expected to learn content and understand how research in their discipline is produced. Graduate students are trained to conduct research, write in their field on their own and create original work.


Q: What can I learn as a grad student?

A: You will learn how to do research and the tools available to you, what is known or unknowable in your fields, how to make an effective argument, how to teach your discipline, how to manage your workload, and how to think like other academics in your field.


Q: What is a thesis and how is it different than a dissertation?

A: A thesis is an original scholarly project that demonstrates a student’s ability to research independently. A dissertation is an original, doctoral level research project planned, executed and written by the student.


Adapted from the UW Graduate School, and “Is Graduate School Really for You?” by Amanda Seigman, Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, 2012.