Graduate school can offer the chance to gain higher knowledge and expertise, greater opportunity for employment, higher salaries, and prestige. Not all advanced degrees necessarily deliver on these expectations, however. Your first step is to consider your motivations for interest in graduate or professional school, and whether those expectations will be met.
Important Questions to Ask Yourself
- What are my career goals, and is a graduate degree essential for me to accomplish them?
- Do I need a graduate degree to pursue the career field of my interest?
- What kind of graduate degree will I need (Master's, Ph.D., dual-degree program)?
- Am I willing to invest the time, energy, and money needed to complete a graduate program?
- Is entering graduate school immediately after my undergraduate experience right for me?
- What kind of academic and experiential background do I need for the program that I am interested in (e.g., undergraduate research, internships, volunteering, etc)?
- Am I sure about the academic program and school that I have chosen?
- What criteria do I have for the graduate program and school that I wish to attend (e.g., geographic location, faculty research, funding opportunities, size of program, etc.)?
- What career prospects do individuals with advanced degrees in this field have?
Your Path to Graduate School
ECAC offers graduate school planning assistance to students on a walk-in basis in ECJ 2.400. Counselors are available from 9am to noon and 1pm to 4:30pm, M-F.
ECAC Books on Graduate School
ECAC has a collection of books related to graduate school. These are available to you in the ECAC Library in ECJ 2.400.
Careers in Science and Engineering: A Student Planning Guide to Grad School and Beyond
Get Into Graduate School: A Strategic Approach for Master's and Doctoral Candidates
Getting Into Medical School
Getting Into Medical School: A Strategic Approach
Graduate Admissions Essays
Graduate Programs in Engineering & Applied Sciences
Great Applications for Business School
Guide to American Graduate Schools
The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions
The Law School Admission Game
Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)
Medical School Essays that Made a Difference
Peterson's Graduate Schools in the U.S.
U.S. News & World Report Ultimate Guide to Law Schools
U.S. News & World Report Ultimate Guide to Medical Schools
Additional On-campus Resources
The Sanger Learning & Career Center (located in Jester A115) provides all UT Austin students with graduate school planning assistance, offering the following services:
- Counseling can address whether or not to go to grad school, exploring your options, and how to apply
- Personal statement critiques by professional staff
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae critiques
- Library resources on graduate school planning
- Mock interviews to prepare for an admissions interview
- Graduate and Professional School Fair (every October)
Helpful Links:
UT Graduate School
Engineering Schools
GradSchools.com
ASEE--UT Chapter
Princeton Review
Pre-Graduate School Internship
GRE
Peterson's Guide
Undergraduate Research
