EDUCATION Choosing a Graduate Program by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
here are any number of criteria peo- ple can use when trying to evaluate various graduate programs . This list is not meant to be inclu-
T
sive, but to provide you with the most common criteria people use when choosing a graduate school. You’ll find the information you need to evalu- ate each program in various graduate school guides and directories, as well as from the catalogs and Websites of the individual graduate programs that interest you. Presented in alphabetical order:
Accreditation: There are two main types of accredi-
tation: institutional and program-spe- cific. You should determine the proper accreditation degree programs in your field require. While accreditation is not so much an indicator of quality as much as process, you could face negative consequences if the program does not have accreditation. For example, stu- dents who attend an unaccredited law school may not be allowed to sit for the bar exam (whose passage is needed to be a practicing lawyer). Note: a school that is not properly accredited may not openly volunteer this information -- so dig deeply.
Admission Standards: You want a graduate program with
tough admissions standards; it’s better to be among the select few than with a larger group that may end up lowering the quality of your graduate education . Most schools publish this kind of information, so look for the number of applicants compared to the number of acceptances. You could also look at base requirements for admission, which usually include undergraduate
54 HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE
grade-point-average and standardized test scores.
Career Assistance: One of your main goals for earn-
ing an advanced degree most likely Celebrating 18 Years of Diversity
revolves around career advancement -- either getting a new job or entering a new field. You should examine the amount of career development and placement assistance each program provides to graduates. While this as- sistance should just be a small part of
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