Advice from the Admissions Director

1. Why a doctorate?

The doctoral degree is a research degree and a teaching degree and if you enjoy reading, problem solving, and exploring new ideas, then you may be considering a doctoral program. Doctoral education gives you an opportunity to learn more an academic field that greatly interests you and gives you the opportunity to develop those interests into your life's work. By earning a Ph.D. you demonstrate the ability to master complex topics, write clearly, read critically work independently-the kinds of skills that are transferable to a variety of settings-not just in college teaching, but in administration, government service, and in the corporate setting.

2. What is the nature and what are the requirements for the doctoral degree?

Although a doctoral career begins with course work, doctoral education involves much more than just additional courses. Most doctoral programs are 60 credits beyond the BA. Transfer credits may be applied. There are often additional requirements, including examinations, language requirements, computer conditions, statistics, and teaching requirements. After completing all course work and requirements, one is advanced to candidacy. In order to receive your degree, you need to write and defend your doctoral dissertation, your book length work that embodies original research. A doctoral career is very different from other forms of advanced professional training. Those studying medicine or law experience their most difficult training at the very beginning or their education. Those involved in doctoral training, usually experience the most difficult portion at the end-the completion and defense of the dissertation.

3. How do you research doctoral programs?

Utilize the available technology. Peterson.com/Internet sites within your field. Sites established by your professional association. Link to interesting graduate student web sites for advice on schools, programs, preparation. Visit school and department home pages. If possible, physically visit programs that interest you. Meet faculty and enrolled students through attendance at the various activities that a program schedules throughout each academic year. Sit in on a class. Feel the climate or mood of a program by personally visiting a program. Once you evaluated your research and decided on some programs that may meet your needs, the next step is to apply and it is important to know that you are applying to a program rather than to an institution. Although your application and materials are sent to a central admissions office, your file will be evaluated by a faculty admissions committee within the program. doctoral admissions committees consider many factors when evaluating admissions files and no single element in the file is considered in isolation.

4. What factors are considered by the admissions committee?

• Preparation: Since doctoral study involves concentrated study in one area and emphasizes high levels of independent work and collaborative work, you prepare by: enrolling in advanced courses in the field; enrolling in independent study courses; registering for courses that involve research and statistics. A doctoral degree is a research degree and you prepare by assisting professors in research projects. You gain valuable research experience and are introduced to the range of problems and questions that are being pursued within your discipline.

• Grade Point Average (GPA): Admissions Committees will scrutinize your transcripts and consider your overall GPA, GPA in Major, and your performance in essential required courses and key advanced courses in your major. You do not have to be a straight A student to be admitted into strong doctoral programs but you need to have a solid record of success within basic and advanced courses in your field.

• Letters of Recommendation: Strong letters of recommendation from faculty in your field (and from faculty who know you well) are critically important in the doctoral admissions process because your professors are in the best position to access your ability to peruse advanced work in your discipline. Be in the habit of seeing your professors outside of the classroom and discuss your exams and papers with them during their office hours. You demonstrate that you value working with ideas and that you can critically examine your thinking. Solicit their advise about graduate school, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of programs that your are considering.

• Personal Statement: The Personal Statement is important because it is your opportunity to discuss your background and preparation for your field of study and how your preparation fits in with your choice of program. The Statement should discuss your intellectual development within your discipline and should indicate the reasons that you are applying to a particular program. It should address the central question of how the research interests of the program's faculty match your interests, preparation, and goals. discuss your Personal Statement with your professors and solicit their feedback. The personal Statement is a reflection of the applicant and it should be thoughtful work that is written over time.

• Graduate Records Exam (GRE): It is strongly advised to prepare for standardized examinations. Obtain practice materials and take practice GRE exams. Become familiar with the test, identify weaknesses and develop strategies for approaching each section of the test.

FROM THE DEAN

Factors to Consider in the Selection of a Graduate School

As pointed out in item 3, it is very important to recognize that you are applying to a particular program not to an institution. Therefore, while you should evaluate the institution as a whole, you should also pay particular attention to the department or program to which you are applying. Among the points to be considered about the department:

a) Is it a strong department and/or program? To answer this question, you should ask faculty members at your undergraduate institution for their evaluation of the department. You may also want to check the rankings published by various organizations.

b) Does the department have strengths in the particular area you wish to study? Even if a department has an excellent ranking, it still may not have faculty who work in your particular area of interest. An otherwise excellent doctoral program in history may not have people with expertise in European history. If European history is your field of interest, you should probably consider other departments.

c) Even if a department is not highly ranked, it may still be excellent in the particular area you wish to study. For example, a doctoral program in music may be excellent in composition using computers, but weak in performance. If your interest is in computer composition, that department may be an excellent choice for you.

d) Learn as much as you can about the faculty. Make sure that there is at least one faculty member (and, preferably, several faculty members) with whom you would like to do research. While your choice of graduate school is one of the important decisions you must make concerning graduate education, your choice of a mentor is equally important. In the best case, your mentor will be a part of your professional life for many years after you complete your graduate work.

e) Find out about the culture of the department in which you wish to study. What are the course requirements? What is the system of examinations? Is research supervised by your mentor alone or is there a thesis committee system? How long does it take to complete a degree in that department? What is the average time it takes to complete a degree under the direction of the mentor(s) you are considering? Answers to these questions differ widely among departments.

While some information is available in department publications, you would be well advised to speak with faculty members and graduate students in the department to get a sense of the way the department operates.

General Points About the Application Process

1. Know the timetable of when things are due in the Admissions Office and mail applications early, at least one month before the program's deadline. Be meticulous in preparing each application.

2. Many doctoral institutions utilize "self-managed" admissions applications (GSUC) and it is important that applicants make requests for credentials as early as possible to insure that materials are secured in advance of deadlines.

3. Review all transcripts before ordering official copies to insure that they are complete and accurate.

4. Request letters of recommendation from your professors well in advance of program deadlines.

5. Plan to take GRE examinations well before the program deadline.

6. Investigate all financial aid opportunities. Fellowships, assistantships, and grants are generally awarded on the basis of academic merit and are intended to attract the most qualified students into programs. Read financial aid materials carefully and explore all funding possibilities.

Doctoral Program or Master's Program?

The Ph.D. degree is a research degree. A substantial doctoral dissertation is its defining characteristic. While a master's degree program often involves a research component, it involves a less substantial thesis requirement and, in some cases, a comprehensive examination is required in lieu of a dissertation. In many cases a master's degree may be the more appropriate degree based on your career objectives.

Although a master's degree is not a requirement for entry into a doctoral program, under certain circumstances it may be useful to complete a master's degree before applying to a Ph.D. program. One reason for this may be an inadequate undergraduate record in the major you wish to pursue. Completing a master's degree will provide the necessary background for successful study at the doctoral level. A second reason may be your desire to pursue advanced study in a field in which you did not major as an undergraduate. In this case it is often appropriate to complete additional study before entering a Ph.D. degree program.