II. Desirable Traits

How is graduate school different from undergraduate?

Differences in style:

In general, as an undergraduate, you acquired knowledge and skills; as a graduate, you will apply knowledge and skills. As Tara Kuther stated in her book Graduate School,

“Graduate education entails a critical transition from consumer of knowledge to producer of knowledge.”

You attended an undergraduate program to acquire the basic liberal arts skills of reading, writing, quantitative reasoning, and critical analysis, as well as a general foundation in a field. In graduate school, you will put those skills to work, applying and producing knowledge within a specialized area of your field.

Because graduate programs vary so widely, there really is no “typical,” but in general, graduate school:

• Is more flexible. Sometimes there are no textbooks or even no specific course requirements. Courses may not have a clear structure and may consist entirely of seminar discussions or of individual research.
  
  
• Requires research. Graduate programs frequently, but not always, require writing a thesis or dissertation and many courses require final papers. Courses are sometimes based on the research students bring to class and may even provide the foundation for a book or article the instructor is writing. On the other hand, some programs require very little research, while others focus on practica.
  
  
• Offers current, often cutting-edge topics. Unlike undergraduate curricula, graduate course work does not necessarily provide an overview of the field. Courses may instead reflect the specialties and expertise of the faculty. Courses may also reflect the expertise of a visiting professor, of an opportunity available that semester in the community, or of a new publication.
  
  
• Situates instructors as experienced colleagues. In graduate school, instructors tend to teach less and collaborate more. At the doctoral level, instructors are often seminar facilitators, co-researchers and co-learners with students in pursuit of new knowledge.
  
  
• Expects students to be apprentice colleagues. Graduate students need to be more independent and better able to learn on their own than they were as undergraduates. Participation, engagement, and initiative all become essential.
  
  
• Is more expensive. Most graduate students need financial aid of some kind, whether in scholarships, teaching assistantships, or loans. For more information, see below.
  

Because graduate programs are so different, what professors expect of students is also different. In graduate school, you will need:

• Exceptional reading skills. Graduate courses require considerably more reading than undergraduate courses. Students need to be able to read quickly, accurately, and critically, and be able to grasp nuances in writing. Students planning on attending graduate school should read as much, as often, and as widely as possible.
  
  
• Excellent writing skills. Student who plan to attend graduate school should take as many writing courses as possible during their undergraduate years. Some graduate programs expect publishable, or at least near-publishable writing skills, and few graduate instructors will spend time teaching students the basics of writing.
  
  
• Strong analytical/critical thinking skills. Graduate schools are looking for exceptional students, and analytical/critical thinking skills often distinguish exception students from the average.
  
  
• Strong communication skills. Graduate students must be able to communicate clearly and concisely, not only in writing but also verbally, in seminar courses, in presentations, and at conferences. Good communication skills are also valuable when collaborating with colleagues, working with professors, and socializing with the department.
  
  
• Independence. Graduate schools value personal, intellectual, and emotional independence. Students need to be self-sufficient enough to persevere without hand-holding.
  
  
• Initiative. In graduate school, students must be internally driven to succeed, to finish, and to graduate. Students should approach their graduate studies with the intent to learn and experience as much as possible.
  

In addition, doctoral programs expect:

• The ability to formulate research questions,
• The ability to conduct research, and
• Students who have something new to contribute to the field.

Because of all these demands, students considering graduate school might want to consider whether they are, or can become the following.

It also helps to have the abilities to see the “big picture” and to question “the way things are.”

What is required in graduate school?

Differences in structure:

Graduate programs normally consist of courses, qualifying or comprehensive exams, and a practicum, thesis, or dissertation, but every program differs in what is required and in what order. There are no standard practices, but there are typical formats according to level and field.

• Professional Masters – These degrees are similar to undergraduate programs in that no thesis is required, but they generally require some kind of capstone project before the degree is awarded. Examples include the MBA and the MEd.
  
  
• Professional Masters in Health and Human Services – These degrees are often course based, but may also require a thesis and some kind of internship or practicum. Graduates must often pass a licensing exam before they can begin practice. Examples include MSW, MPH, and MS in Medical Technology or in Speech-Language Pathology.
  
  
• Fine and Performing Arts – Students demonstrate their creative ability through performances, recitals, or works of art. Course work includes numerous studios, ensemble, or performance courses. In many programs, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is the terminal degree, requiring intense study not unlike doctoral work, but some programs do offer the Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA). Examples include MFA in Art, Dance, and Theatre, MMus in Music, and MA in Creative Writing.
  
  
• Academic degrees in the Arts, Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences – At both the Master and PhD levels, students usually complete a series of courses, take comprehensive exams, write a thesis or dissertation, and pass an oral defense of their work.
  
  
• Laboratory Sciences – At both the Master and PhD levels, students are expected to do real science in a lab with a supervising professor from the beginning. Much of this work is collaborative and will lead to a thesis or dissertation topic. Examples include MS or PhD in Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, and Oceanography.
  
  
• Professional Doctorates – These degrees require both course work and applied practice at the highest levels of the professions. No dissertation is required, but intense testing and practice is involved. Examples include MD, JD, and PharmD.
  
  

Course Work: Master degrees and doctorates usually require students to complete a certain number of credits. At UHM, the number of credits required varies from 30 to 60. Full time at UHM is 8 credits per semester, which indicates how much more intense this level is. Also, to remain a classified graduate student, you must maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA), not the 2.0 required for undergraduate work. In graduate school, you are expected to earn mostly ‘A’ grades; a ‘C’ grade indicates unsatisfactory work.

Seminars: In graduate school, many courses are seminars – discussion-based courses in which students research a subject then share their findings with the seminar group. Seminars often meet once a week for several hours.

Comprehensive Exams are most common at the doctoral level and are designed to test whether students have gained a thorough foundation in their field. Comprehensive exams range from a few hours to as long as a week; some are proctored, while others are take-home. Some doctoral programs require two exams, one that tests students’ foundation and another that tests knowledge of their specialty area. Exams often include history, current issues, and the work of leaders in the field.

Theses and Dissertations: Some, but not all, Masters degrees require theses; doctoral degrees almost always require dissertations. (Some programs use “thesis” and “dissertation” interchangeably.) The purpose of a Masters thesis is to demonstrate that the student is capable of carrying out the technical aspects of scholarship in their field. Theses are generally reviewed by a committee of at least three faculty and must be defended orally, usually in a public forum. The purpose of a doctoral dissertation is to demonstrate the student’s original and significant contribution to the field’s body of knowledge. Dissertations are generally reviewed by a committee of three to five faculty, and both the proposal to write the dissertation and the completed dissertation must be defended orally, usually in a public forum.