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When we refer to "graduate study" we generally mean any
study you do after finishing your bachelor's degree programme. In other
words "graduate study" is the same as what Kiwis call "postgraduate study."
There are two levels of graduate degree programmes in the US - master's
degrees and doctoral (PhD) degrees.
Master's degree
The master's degree usually takes one to three years of full-time study.
There are two main types of master's degree programmes - professional
master's degrees and research master's degrees.
Professional master's degrees are certificates of competence in
specialised fields and often have some type of internship or fieldwork
component. They provide a specific set of skills needed to practice a
particular profession and generally lead directly to employment. The MBA
(Master of Business Administration) and MEd (Master of Education) degrees
are two examples of this type of master's degree.
 Research
master's degrees are generally part of the progression to a PhD programme.
They provide experience in research and scholarship and may involve writing
a thesis or taking a comprehensive examination. Academic performance in
a research master's programme can determine whether a student is likely
to be allowed to continue on to a PhD programme. Examples of research
master's degree programmes are the Master of Arts (MA) and the Master
of Science (MS) degrees.
PhD programmes in the US
The main purpose of a PhD programme is to train research scholars in
a particular field. The doctoral degree typically involves both coursework
and a major research project. It usually takes four to six years of full-time
study to get a PhD. Some doctoral programmes include a master's degree
programme, with students beginning directly after they complete their
bachelor's degree. Some doctoral programmes require the completion of
a master's degree before the beginning of doctoral studies.
The
first two years of a PhD programme involve classes and seminars to give
the student a comprehensive knowledge of an academic field. Following
this period of study, students take written and/or oral examinations to
test their knowledge. Successful completion of the exams and approval
of a research project leads to "candidacy."
The research project involves original research and, depending on the
field, should take one to three years to complete. Faculty members guide
the process of formulating the research project and evaluate the resultant
thesis, but the student carries out the research independently.
Admission requirements for graduate study
Admission requirements vary significantly depending on the university
and department. Some institutions are very selective, while others accept
most applicants.
Graduate student applications are generally reviewed with an emphasis
placed on the last two years of their undergraduate study programme. In
general, the following four factors will be key in assessing your application:
- academic record (you generally need to have an honours degree and
a minimum of a "B" average in your undergraduate studies)
- personal statement/application essay
- recommendations/references
- scores on standardised tests such as the GRE,
GMAT, and if applicable the TOEFL
and the TSE
Financial
aid for graduate study in the US
A graduate degree from a US university can cost as much as US$40,000
per year. You need to explore as many possible avenues for funding assistance
as you can. It is also important to note that you will almost certainly
be required to meet a portion of the cost of graduate study in the US.
Very few scholarships pay a student's entire costs, and many granting
agencies are more inclined to give partial financial aid to students who
will be able to contribute something toward the cost of their own education.
A good starting point for your financial aid search is the library
at Fulbright New Zealand's Educational Advising Centre where we have a
number of books listing sources of financial aid for undergraduate study
in the US. The Institute of International Education's Funding
for US Study website is an extensive database of scholarships, fellowships
and grants organized and maintained by IIE.
Applying for financial aid - start now!
The average turnaround time - from initial application to offer
of funding - takes from six to nine months. Deadlines for funding
applications often occur up to 12 months before the actual date of enrolment.
This means you should start identifying sources of aid and requesting
applications starting in July and August of the year before you wish to
commence your studies.
You need to identify important deadlines early on in the process and
work towards meeting them. All forms of financial aid (including university-based
aid) have deadlines that are independent from entrance application deadlines.
It is not uncommon for financial aid application deadlines to occur before
admission application deadlines. Try to avoid the all-too-common dilemma
of being offered admission to the programme of your choice without having
secured adequate funding.
Funding sources
There are three main sources of funding for international students: university-based
sources, private sources, and government
sources. The general rule is that there is more money available in
the hard sciences and social sciences than in the arts, humanities, and
education, and there is more money in the humanities, arts, and education
than in business and law.
University-based
funding
The most common funding source for international students is from the
university. There is generally more money available to PhD students than
to master's students. Common types of university-based funding are teaching
assistantships, research assistantships, lab assistantships, tuition and
fee waivers, and stipends.
University-based aid often comes from the academic department. It pays
to do some in-depth investigation into the research interests of the departments
to which you plan to apply. How well you match your research goals with
those of the department is directly related to whether they offer you
funding. It is important to show a clear understanding of the department's
research and to demonstrate that you have some new and innovative approach
to contribute to their work.
Private funding
Private sources of funding consist of grants, fellowships, and scholarships.
There are many private sources of funding that offer aid to international
students (even if they don't specifically state it in their information
materials).
These sources may be from New Zealand, the US, or elsewhere. Universities
usually have resource materials listing private donors to help you research
funding.
Private sources of funding can be useful for students at two stages in
their graduate careers: the very beginning and the very end. Funding opportunities
for first-time master's degree and PhD students often come in the form
of fellowships (money for tuition and/or living expenses). For those nearing
the end of their graduate study, funding often comes in the form of grants
(money to cover research or project-specific expenses).
There
are many smaller awards that you may not consider. This is a mistake.
Although an award in the $250-$1,000 range may not put much of a dent
in your total costs, it will help defray the costs of books and supplies
for a semester, and it is an invaluable investment for the future. Potential
sponsors look favourably on past grant winners - these awards, even
small ones, may help you secure other larger awards later on in your educational
and professional career.
Government funding
US government-supported financial aid is normally reserved for citizens
or legal permanent residents of the US. The one notable exception is the
Fulbright programme, which receives both US government and New Zealand
government support. Check out the Fulbright
graduate student awards offered by Fulbright New Zealand.
There are also a number of scholarships available for graduate study
in the US that are administered by the New Zealand Vice Chancellor's Committee.
Check out the NZVCC website
for more information on these awards.
More on graduate study in the US
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Graduate
law study in the US
