Career Services

Finding the Right Program

Factors to consider when selecting a graduate program include:

The quality of the faculty (Are they leaders in your field? Do they offer a mentor relationship?)
The program's reputation (How is the program viewed by experts in the field?)
Assistantship, Internship and/or Research opportunities (Does the program offer opportunities for students to gain practical/research experience in the field?)
Financial assistance (Does the program offer students tuition assistance/waivers? Will the institution offer scholarships?)
Program requirements (Are students required to take comprehensive exams or write a thesis?)
Size and diversity of the student body (Are the classes a reasonable size? Is there much diversity in the graduate school?)
Location (Is the institution in a place where you would like to live for two or three years?)
Schedule flexibility (Do you have a choice in attending classes on a full or part-time basis? Is it possible to work while in school?)
Accreditation (Is the program nationally or regionally accredited?)