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Graduate & Professional Schools
What is Graduate School?
Graduate school are programs which confer the degrees of Master (M.A., M.B.A. M.Ed, Ed.M, M.S,) and Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D,) as well as professional degrees (J.D., M.D., D.O., Pharm D, etc.) upon completion of said programs.
What is Professional School?
Professional schools are graduate programs such as Dental school, law school, medical school, pharmacy school, podiatry school which lead to professional degrees.
Examinations for entry into Graduate School;
There are required entry examinations for each type of graduate program, below is a list of the required examinations; You can find information on all the different graduate examinations at the Center for Measurement & Testing in Sullivan Hall (http://www.temple.edu/marc/gradprof.html).
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
- Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Graduate School
General Information
The purpose of graduate school is to provide a general education in any number of professional careers. There is a broad range of programs available to acquire through the completion of a graduate program including M.S., M.A., M.Ed, , PhD, or Ed, D. The typical graduate program consists of two parts, the first being about a years worth of structured coursework, the second being a year of work towards a thesis. Typically individuals will select a graduate major that is in-line with their undergraduate program, and they have options for attending full time or part time. The need-to-know information is presented below.
The Basics of the GRE
- The GRE or graduate record exam is an entrance exam used by most schools to serve as a requirement for admission into a selected program. It consists of 3 sections, Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical. Each section is scored on a scale between 200 to 800. Average scores include a 480 Verbal, 550 Quantitative, and a 520 Analytical. Something to note, the GRE is offered as a general test, but also has several subject tests, which some schools require you take in addition to the general test.
- The GRE is exclusively administered through the computer (CBT-Computer Based Test), which means you need to set up an appointment with a testing center to take it. The GRE test questions are scored by adapting to your skill level. For example it will ask you a average level question, if you get it right, the next question will be harder, if you get it wrong then the next question will be easier.
The Application Process
The application process can be a mystery at times. The process is made up of a number of different parts working together to show a university that you have what it takes to succeed. Note also that schools have set deadlines for completed applications-find them out so you don’t miss out. The various components are listed below (please note, not all schools require all this information, but this is a guide as to what to expect).
Acceptable GRE Scores |
Official copy of your transcripts |
Letters of Recommendations |
A Personal Statement |
Short Essays |
A Resume |
An Interview |
Business School
General Information
- The MBA or Masters of Business Administration is a degree aimed at preparing you to be a senior level manager or leader. There are more than 700 MBA programs in the world. As graduate management degrees, the emphasis is put on the understanding of how to utilize resources, teamwork, finances, and over-all business operations. There area number of career paths for MBA graduates, including accounting, finance, human resource management, consulting, information systems, manufacturing, marketing, operations management, small business, government, education, health care, and not-for-profit. So you can see the opportunities are endless.
- The reason most individuals pursue an MBA degree is because in order to be a good manager, you need to know not only the technical side of your organization, but more importantly you need to be able to organize the work of others, and make decisions that affect the major aspects of a business.
Preparation
- Academically, almost any undergraduate major prepares you overall for pursuit of an MBA. Some points that can make you more appealing to an admissions board include knowing your numbers, this means having a solid foundation in math and economics. Also, you will benefit from knowing, on some level, another language. Also, your undergraduate GPA is important, as well as your GMAT score.
- Experientially, an average of 4 years of work experience in a business setting, gaining some real experience can make your MBA degree more worthwhile developmentally.
Also, a key note: those wishing to get into an MBA program that do not have such an extensive work history need to have superb academic credentials and an extensive record of extracurricular activities as well as clearly defined career goals.
GMAT
The graduate management admission test, or GMAT is the admissions test associated with gaining admission to an MBA program. It can help gauge your academic success during your first year of graduate school. The GMAT consists of 3 sections, two of which are multiple choice (math and verbal), with the third being an analytical section. Your scores are important, but remember, each school weighs different aspects of the application differently.
Medical School
General Information
There are 125 schools in this country that offer a M.D. degree, and 19 that offer a D.O. degree. This suggests that competition is tough. Each year over 50,000 students apply for admission into these schools. So if that isn’t enough competition for you consider the test that is used for admission is only offered two times a year! With that being said there are certain advantages that being prepared can give you to help push you to the top of the list.
Medical School Qualifications:
Medical schools all look at applicants differently; they put different weight on different aspects according to what the admissions panel sees as being most needed. Some characteristics are identified below.
A 3.5 cumulative G.P.A. |
Average of 10’s on the MCAT subsections |
Strong Interpersonal Skills |
Clinical and Research Experience |
Clearly defined motivation for a career in medicine |
Considerable amount of Campus and Community Service |
Outstanding letters of Recommendations from individual faculty, and college or university pre-med committee’s |
Experienced 1 year of BCPM’s namely (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Organic Chemistry) |
These characteristics were compiled from Mark A. Notesine, Ph.D., the Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Ohio State University’s College of Medicine and Public Health.
The MCAT
The MCAT, or the Medical College Admissions Test, is specifically designed to test those individuals wishing to enter a medically related field, in their scientific knowledge of biology, physics, organic and inorganic chemistry, problem solving, critical thinking, and writing skills. It tests the user in four categories, Physical sciences, Verbal Reasoning, a Writing sample, and Biological Sciences. Each section receives a raw score which is converted into a scaled score ranging from 1 (lowest) -15 (highest). Because of its difficulty, most schools will not penalize a student for repeating an exam.
LAW SCHOOL
General Information
Admission into law school can be a difficult task. Chances are if you are thinking of acquiring an education in law and all it has to offer, you have a lot of questions. Hopefully this section will target key areas of uncertainty to assist you in making a proper choice.
The Application Process
The law school application process consists of many different tasks that you will need to complete in order to successfully be considered for application. Listed below is a step by step guide to help you identify what you need to do.
The LSAT
The Law School Admissions Test is a standardized test that lasts the better part of a half day and it is used as one part of the application process for students wishing to attend any one of the 201 law schools in the country. It measures three distinct areas of an applicant, their verbal skills, reading skills, and reasoning skills. Offered quarterly throughout the year, students have ample opportunities to sign up for it.
The Schools
The first step towards applying to law school includes selecting about 5 to 6 schools to apply to. This means you will need to do some research on which schools you want to go to. Note, most schools have a rolling admissions policy, and offer fee waivers for the application costs, so check that out! Completing the research part needs to take place at least a year and a half before graduation. Key information you should consider includes, all raw information (coursework, admission policies, key faculty, costs, timeline and outcomes), their location, the median LSAT score and GPA of students who have been accepted into the program.
Secondly, make a list of schools that interest categorized on three levels.
- First are your Reach Schools, these schools consist of a LSAT score, and a GPA that are substantially above yours.
- Second are the High Probability Schools, these schools have LSAT and GPA scores nearly above or below yours.
- Lastly are the Safety Schools , these schools have LSAT and GPA scores way below yours, most certainly allowing you easy admission.
For further information about graduate school, please stop by the Career Center during our walk-in hours or chat with us during our virtual office hours.