Should I apply to graduate school?
Dispelling Some Myths Underlying the Pursuit of a Post – Graduate Degree
You are about to graduate (or have recently graduated) and are now looking at your potential job
prospects. You may or may not know what you want for a job and a career. For some career fields, the
opportunity of finding work may look brighter than for others depending on the current economic climate.
Several thoughts usually come to mind:
(1) By obtaining a post graduate degree I can distinguish myself from job seekers who only posses a
Bachelor’s degree.
Can a post graduate degree really differentiate you from other job seekers who only have a BA?
According to Anne Markey, executive director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and
Employers, "As your career progresses, a masters degree does help you advance your career. For a
brand new graduate, it's better to get experience in your field first. If you want to go to professional school
- for instance to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher - perhaps that does make sense to go to graduate school
immediately." Still, she adds, "most professional schools do value [work or life] experience on your
application." Markey also cautions that job seekers with a graduate degree also run the risk of being seen
as being overqualified for entry level positions. “Employers may see the person as more expensive, or,
that they have higher expectations in the workplace."
(2) I can ride out the current economic downturn by pursuing a Post Graduate degree.
Sharon Irwin-Foulon, director of career management at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the
University of Western Ontario cautions undergrads against leaping into grad school out of fear and
without knowing why they're going. "It's a stay of execution. Once you get your masters degree, you'll be
facing prospective employers who "don't want to hear you were waiting out the economy; they want to
hear it was part of a grander plan."
(3) I will immediately become more employable and can land my dream job by pursuing a post graduate
degree.
Wendy Cukier, Associate Dean, academic, at the Ted Rogers School of management at Ryerson
University, states that “for recent grads who are frustrated at not getting their dream job and think that a
graduate degree will land it for them, they need to do some serious self-assessment. Graduates have to
do a really tough assessment of their skills and abilities and understand whether they're not getting the
job because of their [lack of] credentials or because of a skills gap." For instance, she suggests students
assess their maturity, interpersonal skills and communication skills - soft skills that are crucial in the
workplace. "What we see is success in the business world is as much dependent on your interpersonal
skills, your EQ - Emotional Quotient - or your ability to build relationships as what you learn in books.
Being a well-rounded person requires having a well-rounded background that includes school, work,
volunteering and a social life."
It would be a mistake to think that one route is better or worse than another.
Whether or not to go to grad school depends on several factors: your discipline, on your financial
circumstances, your background, and your career aspirations. What is really important is for you to
understand the reason(s) why you want to pursue a post graduate degree, and to weigh the various pros
and cons.
Dr. Douglas Peers, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President Graduate, York
University presented a workshop on pursuing a graduate degree and provided very unique
insights:
Introduction [wmv]
The nature of doctoral studies [wmv]
The changing nature of a Master's degree [wmv]
When is the best time to obtain a graduate degree?
Is it better to attend graduate school right after you complete your bachelor’s degree or is it better to wait
a few years and gain some work/life experience first? The most important consideration is that you should
not consider going immediately to graduate school as a default move (“I don’t know what to do, so I guess
I’ll get a graduate degree.”), or to avoid getting a job.
Reasons for going straight to graduate school after earning your bachelor’s degree
include:
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you are accustomed to being a student and your research and writing skills are sharp;
you have few obligations (e.g. family, debt, health);
you are considering an occupation that requires an advanced degree for an “entry-level” position.
Reasons for working for a few years before going to graduate school:
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you have gained a clearer idea of your career goals by working in the field for a few years;
the graduate program you are interested in requires work experience;
your work/life experiences will enable you to bring a broader world view to your studies;
you have a more mature outlook on work/life balance;
your employer will pay some or all of your graduate school expenses;
you now have a solid financial footing;
you may improve your chances for acceptance into a graduate program.
Dr. Douglas Peers, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President Graduate, York
University Why go to Grad School? [wmv]
Graduate degree options
There are three general types of graduate degrees:
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Course-based master’s degree: This requires the successful completion of a specific program
of graduate-level courses and is typically one or two years in duration.
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Research-based master’s degree: This requires the successful completion of both graduatelevel courses and a thesis and is typically two years in duration. You will typically choose your
thesis topic in consultation with a graduate supervisor, although many universities require that
you state your research interests as part of the application.
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Doctoral or PhD degree: This requires the successful completion of original research and the
defence of a thesis that makes a substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the
student’s chosen field of study. The doctoral degree usually requires either two or three years of
full-time residency, although it is common that more time of directed research and writing are
required to complete the doctoral thesis.
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A thesis supervisor plays a critical role in helping you choose an appropriate research topic,
designing and directing your research studies within a realistic period and providing you with
professional training in your chosen field. Since your topic will often determine your career path,
your choice of program and thesis supervisor requires thoughtful planning and expert advice.
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Theses at the master’s and doctoral level include oral defence before a board of examiners,
usually made up of departmental faculty along with scholars drawn from other departments and
institutions.
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Some graduate programs offer the option of full-time or part-time studies. In addition, a number of
Canadian universities offer master’s programs via distance education.
Dr. Douglas Peers, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President Graduate, York
University Types of graduate degrees [wmv]
There are several factors that you must consider before applying to graduate work:
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Do I like this subject enough to continue in it after I obtain my degree?
Do I have the required grades, which are usually higher than the listed minimum requirements?
Is this graduate work necessary for the career I want?
Choosing a graduate program
The search for your graduate program begins by assessing the research and academic orientation of the
university department in which you intend to study. When searching for a suitable graduate program, it is
often more important to consider the reputation and strengths of the particular department and its faculty
than the reputation of the university as a whole.
How do you choose where to apply?
Do your homework! Use the web, reference libraries, journals, and discussions with different professors.
Your decisions about where to apply and where to go really do matter.
Once you narrow down your list of schools that seem appealing, contact the schools you are interested
in. Here are some things you may want to know about schools that seem interesting:
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What are their completion rates? (As many as 50% of students starting a PhD may not finish.)
What are average completion times for the degree?
What is the placement record of the school like; do their graduates get good jobs?
What kind of funding does the school offer? What proportion of students are funded, and to what
level? Is the funding through scholarships or TA-ships? How many years of support do they
guarantee?
What is the quality of life like? What are housing costs like? What's the town or city like?
Are there a number of people there you would like to work with?
Dr. Douglas Peers, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President Graduate, York
University Selecting the right program [wmv]
Where do I get information on post-graduate programs?
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University websites have minimum grades, other admissions requirements, and deadlines posted
online.
The Canadian Universities Website, Peterson’s Planner, Grad Schools, Grad Source are good
starting points that can be used to narrow down your prospective schools. They allow you to do a
specific search into each program and find out: the cost to apply, financial aid information, and
degree requirements.
What Does a Normal Application Package Entail?
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A typical application package can include: the actual application, transcripts, references,
interviews, resumes, curriculum vitae, a statement of interest, admission tests and a sample of
your recent work. If you are applying to visual arts, music performance or other practically based
programs, you may also need to include a portfolio or recording of a performance
All of the above requirements will be listed at the respective websites if they are required
References
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You usually need 2-4 references that can attest to your abilities as a student and researcher.
Typically, these are past professors that know you and your work. The reference seals the
reference letters, or forms that are sometimes provided, so you must be confident in their opinion
of you and your work.
Tips on Obtaining Letters of Reference
Interviews:
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Review the interview preparation section contained in the Preparing for a Job Search Module.
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You can practice and record your interview for review online by accessing the Optimal Interview
module located on the myCareer site, in the student resources page.
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You can also attend an interview workshop or book a mock interview in person with the Career
Advisor by accessing the appointment and event calendars on the myCareer site.
Resumes:
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Information on writing resumes is contained in the Preparing for a Job Search Module.
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You can develop a resume online by accessing the Optimal Resume module located on the
myCareer site student resource page.
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You can have your resume reviewed at the resume clinic offered by the Centre for Career
Education. For a clinic schedule and times go to the events calendar located on the myCareer
site.
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You can also attend a resume workshop or book a 1-1 resume review appointment in person with
the Career Advisor by accessing the myCareer site appointment and event calendar at
https://my.uwindsor.ca.
Statement of Purpose:
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Your statement of purpose gives you a chance to explain why you want to do graduate work, the
specific areas you are interested in and why you would be a strong student to do this work at
"their" school.
Writing a Statement of Purpose
You can have your personal statement / statement of purpose reviewed by the career advisor. To
book a review go to the myCareer appointment calendar and select from one of the available
personal statement / letter of interest appointments.
Sample of Recent Work/Portfolio/Performance Recording:
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If this is required, you should select something specific to the program you are interested in to
show your insight and writing abilities. You can ask a relevant professor which sample they would
deem most reflective of your strengths for submission
Admission Tests:
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Some programs require admission tests, which will be specified either in the Graduate Programs
Index or through your research of the programs Admission Information.
Additional Information:
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In the Graduate Programs Index there is a distinction made between a thesis, research paper,
projects and research essays.
All graduate work involves course work and sometimes a written component.
A thesis would be the largest written component, and would be longer and require less additional
course work.
Projects, research papers and essays would involve less writing and more course work.
Dr. Douglas Peers, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President Graduate, York
University Preparing a strong application package [wmv]
Gaining admission to graduate programs
Generally, an honours baccalaureate (or equivalent) and high academic standing are required for
admission to a master’s program. Master’s programs that have a professional focus often require work
experience in the intended field of study. For a doctoral program, a high level of achievement at the
master’s level is typically required.
Other factors that are considered as part of an application include an official transcript of marks, official
test scores (which are required by certain professional master’s degree programs), letters of
recommendation from faculty members or professional colleagues, and a personal letter describing your
academic and career objectives and your reasons for applying to the program.
The graduate school admissions committee will be looking for evidence that your goals are realistic, that
the program is appropriate to your interests and that you have the qualities that are required to
successfully complete your studies.
How many applications should you make?
There's no simple answer here, but do try to be strategic. Spread your applications over a range of
schools -- apply to a couple of your dream schools, but have some more modest fallbacks.
The number of applications is likely to be limited by your financial resources, since applications can cost
$50-$100 each once all the fees and postage are added up.
When should I start planning for grad school?
You should begin no later than your 3rd year of study. That being said, it is never too early!
For one thing, if you manage to plan ahead, you may be in a better position to get strong letters of
recommendation; you may want to work with people who seem like they'd be good referees in the
subfields that interest you, and give them a chance to get to know you and your work (say by taking a
number of courses with them). Ideally, they'll know you not only for your work, but as someone who
participates well in class, and someone who has interesting things to say in office hours, and so on.
You may also want to think ahead to what your writing sample will be (application packages typically
include a sample of your written work). A good writing sample, whatever else it does, should show off
your careful analytical skills.
Paying for graduate studies
Canadian graduate students often receive some type of financial assistance from their university in the
form of graduate scholarships, bursaries, grants, research assistantships and fellowships or teaching
assistantships. Most universities do not require a separate application for scholarships or other financial
support. All three federal research-granting agencies (Science and Engineering Research Canada, the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) offer
programs to support graduate studies.
Other government and private sector scholarship programs are also available. Private sector scholarship
programs are often linked to a particular discipline or are designed to increase the participation levels of
women, minorities or other designated groups. Provincial loan programs are another source of financial
aid. Based on financial need, these programs are designed to cover the difference between your
household income and assets and the actual costs you will incur as a student.
Graduate Scholarship Programs
Dr. Douglas Peers, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President Graduate, York
University Funding career paths & other [wmv]
For more information
The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies has prepared an online handbook, entitled Your Future:
A Guide for Potential Graduate Students which aims to demystify graduate studies. It is part how-to
guide, part self-help manual, and gives an overview of the ins and outs of graduate school. It includes
everything from practical tips to confidence-boosting advice. It explains the various types of funding
graduate students may be eligible to receive. It provides a handy timeline of when students ought to start
investigating schools (at least a year in advance), when to submit applications and when to expect a
reply. Perhaps most useful, it includes an exhaustive list of questions students ought to ask of prospective
schools, departments and supervisors and to which they should expect answers.