GRADUATE EDUCATION:
Benefits & Opportunities
Nura Dualeh
Graduate College – McNair Program
Spring 2012
TAKE CHARGE!!!!!
Preparation for Graduate School–
Begins with You
Time Matters
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Note deadlines
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Develop a multiyear plan
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Apply to graduate school and national
fellowships - Start 1 year early!
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Write/Re-Write your personal statement.
It’s one of the most important essays
you’ll ever write!
Look into a Summer Research
Opportunity
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Provides an in-depth look at your field
Investigate a research question that matters
Get to know faculty
Learn how to read research literature
Design and carry out a research project
Learn what is expected in graduate/professional
school
Increases your confidence when applying to
graduate school
UROC:
Graduate College’Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Consortium
PROGRAM BENEFITS
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Faculty Mentoring
Summer stipends: $3,000-$5000
6 credit hours – free!
GRE prep class – free!
Graduate Admission Workshops
Poster sessions/research conferences
Network with faculty/staff graduate recruiters
Think Summer Research
in Social Science & Humanities
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UA’s Summer Research Institute:
http://grad.arizona.edu/sri
UA’s McNair Achievement Program:
http://grad.arizona.edu/mcnair
UA’s Undergraduate Research Portal:
http://ur.arizona.edu/
University of California, Irvine – the UROP Database:
http://www.urop.uci.edu/frame_opportunities_off_ca
mpus.html
Think Summer Research
in Social Science & Humanities
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NSF REU (research experiences for undergraduates):
List of REUs by
discipline: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_sea
rch.cfm
IBP: Institute for the Broadening of Participation:
http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/
Office of Undergraduate Research
webportal: www.ur.arizona.edu
UA Career Services website:
http://www.career.arizona.edu/Students/default.aspx
?s=1&ss=50
Additional Resources
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GRE
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Applying to Graduate School
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Financing Graduate School
Master’s, PhD, and Professional degrees
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Fellowships and beyond
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How to find a graduate program
Additional Resources Cont’d
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Finding the ‘right’ program
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Nationally competitive fellowships
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Letters of Recommendation
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Curriculum Vita (CV)
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The Statement of Purpose/Personal
Statement
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Begin preparing for the GRE exam your
sophomore year – why?
 Acceptable scores vary by field
 Some fields require a “subject” test
 Is a GRE preparation course necessary or
affordable? Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!
 Develop your own prep schedule – use
study groups, online programs, cds, etc.
 Studying/preparing will improve your
scores!
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Financing Graduate School
Master’s, PhD & Professional degrees
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Teaching Assistantships
Research Assistantships
Fellowships
Grants
Tuition waivers
Loans
Submit the FAFSA annually
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A PhD can be cheaper than other degrees
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How to find a graduate program?
Web search
Ask professors and graduate students
Brochures, catalogs, professional guide books
Contact Graduate College staff
Contact the Graduate Advisor (faculty)
Contact the Graduate Coordinator (staff)
Email professors you are interested in doing
research with
 Ask if you can talk to grad students in the
program
 Campus Visits - make appointment first
 Apply to 5-10 universities: 1/3 reach schools,
1/3 very possible, 1/3 sure admission
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Graduate School Game Plan
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Summer: Write draft statement of purpose (why
you want to be admitted to this specific program).
Browse directories/websites of graduate programs.
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September: Meet with faculty to discuss your
statement and possible programs. Ask for letters of
recommendation. Sign up for required standardized
tests, i.e., GRE, GMAT.
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October: Take standardized tests. Request
application materials from programs in which you
are interested. Search the Web. Look through
Peterson’s Guide, ask your professors and program
staff.
Graduate School Game Plan – Cont’d
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November: Order transcripts from all undergraduate
schools attended. Ask if the Registrar can send a
transcript w/your fall term grades in time to meet the
deadlines of programs to which you are applying.
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December: Complete application forms – most are
online (do a draft on a photocopy of the forms first).
Give your recommenders the forms to fill out or the
addresses to send their letters & copies of your
statement of purpose or your response to specific
questions asked by the program. Submit applications.
Even if deadlines are later, apply early to be
considered for funding.
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File a FAFSA.
Graduate School Game Plan – Cont’d
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January: Contact programs about the
possibility of visiting. Make trips if possible.
(Be sure to brush up on your interviewing
skills – work with Career Services on this.)
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March/April: Follow up on your application.
Is your file complete?
Check on funding opportunities.
File the FAFSA for the next academic year.
Prepare Yourself
Conduct undergraduate research
 Provide voluntary service in the field
 Join a professional society (student member)
 Present & network at conferences/publish
in undergraduate journals
 Get to know 3 solid faculty who can give
you excellent recommendations
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Prepare Yourself
Identify awards: self-nominate or ask
faculty
 Keep up your grades: Transcripts count!
 Take standardized tests:
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If low scores, study some more and take
again
Build technical skills for resume or cv.
 Keep a file of possible graduate schools
and fellowship opportunities
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Get Lots of Information!
Meet with your faculty mentors & discuss
interests
 Read about the interests of the field
 Define 1 or more topics of interest
 Search & read funding guidelines
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Ask for Help!!!
From mentors, peers, program staff
What about Funding?
Maintain a Great Attitude
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Focus your passion
Overcome fears
Do the worst thing first
Be persistent
Practice optimism
Repeat after me :
self-worth has nothing to
do with whether or not
you receive a grant
Institutional & Extramural Funding
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Employment: GA, RA or TA
Graduate, Teaching or Research Assistantships
Usually offered as part of admission package. Tuition waiver and
healthy insurance is usually included.
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Tuition scholarships
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Institutional Fellowships & Training grants
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National Fellowships: Ford, Javits, Mellon, Sloan
Fellowships
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Federal Fellowships: NSF, Dept. of Education
Teaching Assistantships
Payment to teach a discussion section, sometimes
a class, and/or grade papers/tests
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Stipend: $12,000 - $15,000 for 9 mos.
Tuition (in-state and out-of-state)
Health Insurance may be covered
Provides teaching experience but does not further one’s
research
Useful credential for academic positions and practice in
public speaking
Research Assistantships
Faculty member/department pays you to do
research to fulfill a grant awarded to
him/her
Stipend: $12,000 - $15,000+ for 12 mos.
Tuition (in-state and out-of-state)
Individual Health Insurance
Work obligation (assisting professor with
research)
Often constitutes one’s dissertation research
Scholarships
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Usually refers to tuition scholarships,
i.e., free money that pays for your tuition
GET HELP!!!
Form a writing group or get a buddy.
 Work with an advisor. Feed “forward.”
 Let others read and critique.
 Find student who already got a national
fellowship: ask to read his/her application
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Develop Basic Building Blocks
Define research
interests
 Build bibliographies
 Build technical skills
 Conduct pilot studies
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Personal goals
 Previous experience
 Resume/c.v.
 Transcripts on file
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Proposal Writing Resources
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Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal, S. Joseph Levine, MSU, 2009
http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/
How to Prepare a Research Proposal: Guidelines for Funding and
Dissertations in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, David Krathwohl
NSF Grant Proposal Guide
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_29/gpg_index.jsp
Practical Research Planning and Design, Paul Leedy & Jeanne Ellis
Ormrod
Proposal Writing Short Course – Foundation Center http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html
Research Proposals: A Guide to Success, T. Ogden & Israel Goldberg
"The Art of Writing Proposals: Some Candid Suggestions for
Applicants to Social Science Research Council Competitions“, Adam
Przeworski & Frank Salomon. Social Science Research Council
http://fellowships.ssrc.org/art_of_writing_proposals/
University of California at Berkeley Grant Writing Resources
http://ls.berkeley.edu/?q=graduate/grant-writing-resources
University of Michigan Proposal Writer’s Guide, Don Thackrey
http://www.research.umich.edu/proposals/pwg/pwgcomplete.html
What are Your Next Steps?
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Questions?
UROC Contact Information:
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Donna Treloar, Graduate College - Summer Research Institute
621-7808
dtreloar@email.arizona.edu
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Stephanie Adamson, Assistant Director, Graduate Recruitment
626-0095
adamsons@email.arizona.edu
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Nura Dualeh, McNair Achievement Program
626-7475
nura@email.arizona.edu
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Andrew Huerta, McNair Achievement Program
626-6961
ahuerta@email.arizona.edu