If you are thinking about going to graduate school, then you should also be thinking about getting into contact with people who can answer your questions.
Many people may not know how to or what to ask when looking at new graduate schools. Thus, I wrote this to give some of you guidance as you continue on your educational journey.
Note that though these 80 questions can help get you needed information before you make a decision to attend a particular graduate school for public health.
The scope of this article does not cover determining which public health graduate degree you’d like to get. These are usually Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Public Health – could also include Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and PhD in Public Health. The questions here don’t encompass the entirety of questions that should be asked for DrPH and PhD programs.
Support The Public Health Millennial on BuyMeACoffee
Some things you’ll want to figure out in your head before you start thinking about graduate schools. I haven’t written about the difference between a MPH and a MS so here’s a post from my friends @Doughnuts_and_Data on it for those that need more information. They also have a post on PhD vs DrPH programs on their IG profile.
To Ask Yourself Before
1. Did my undergraduate degree prepare me for this graduate degree?
2. Do I need a gap year to take a break and save?
3. Do I need to get more real-world experience before I apply to graduate school?
4. How will my real-world experience with … help me in this program? Or would it be better if I got more experience in … before I applied?
5. Am I getting this degree because I want to or because I’m getting pressured to?
6. Would I be able to balance a full/part-time job and graduate school?
7. How is this degree going to benefit me?
8. Is this going to be a good return on investment?
9. Will this graduate degree help me get to my desired career path?
10. How much debt am I willing to take and what is my anticipated salary and salary trajectory after graduation?
11. Do I have references that I can use?
12. What sorts of networking opportunities will I get from this program?
To Ask About Admissions
13. What the competitiveness of the program?
14. How many students are accepted?
15. What are the most important pieces of the application process?
16. What GPA and GRE score is usually accepted? (for programs that still take GREs)
17. Are there many students from other states or international countries?
18. How diverse is the program’s student body?
19. What makes this program and student body unique?
20. What is the graduation rate?
21. What’s the average class size?
22. Are there any alumni or current students that you can connect me to?
About Financial Fit
23. What is the cost of the program? Is it per semester or block tuition?
24. What types of scholarships, teacher assistant positions and other financial aids are available?
25. Are there work-study opportunities available?
26. What is the median income a student freshly graduated can anticipate from your alumni data?
27. What is the anticipate salary range after 3 years of graduation?
28. How easy/difficult is the process for joining a research lab?
29. What percent of graduates end up in their chosen field within 3, 6 and 12 months of graduation?
30. What percentage of students get scholarships?
31. Are there any outside scholarships or grants you know about that I can apply for?
About Information on Program
32. How flexible are the electives I choose?
33. Is there a difference between online courses and on-campus courses?
34. What is the faculty-student ratio for the program?
35. How are the electives structured and would these … electives help me achieve my goals?
36. How are students supported to get jobs and internships during the program?
37. Does the program do anything to have students bond and the beginning of the program? How about throughout?
38. What research opportunities does your school offer?
39. What internship potential is there? Locally, regionally, nationally and internationally?
40. How much of the program is coursework versus practicum or other research and internship experiences?
41. Is there grant funding available for travel to conferences/professional development sessions?
42. Do we have access to case competitions throughout the program?
43. What does your program offer that can set me apart from other graduate students?
About Academic and Professional Resources
44. Which courses are taught by professors, adjunct or teachers assistants?
45. Do professors hold office hours? How often?
46. What areas of research do professors in the college work on?
47. Are there many guest lectures that come to campus? (specific to program and general)
48. What sorts of tutoring services are offered on campus?
49. What sorts of career services and professional development is available?
50. Do students have access to a writing center?
51. Do alumni do guest lectures for current students?
52. What sort of support do students have for internships?
53. Does the school/program host career fairs and how often?
54. What sorts of learning disability resources do you have on campus?
55. How easy is it to find summer jobs or internship through your school?
About Campus Life and School Vybe
56. Do many students in the program live on campus?
57. How accessible and helpful are health services?
58. What sorts of foods are available on campus?
59. Are there cafes and other study spots nearby?
60. What sorts of mental health services are offered?
61. Do sports play a large role in campus life and culture?
62. Are there many intramural sports activities available?
63. Are there a lot of social clubs on campus?
64. Would I need a car or can I get around by scooter/bike?
65. Are there rooms available to reserve to study or work on group projects?
66. Does the school host other events, such as concerts, comedians or magicians?
67. Do students have access to any discounts or perks in … for being a student?
To Ask Alumni or Current Students
68. Was your graduate school experience worth the price?
69. How much personal attention did you receive from professors?
70. Which classes would you recommend me taking?
71. Did the available class times work well with your work/internship schedule?
72. If you could go back to your first day of graduate school, would you change anything?
73. What’s campus life like?
74. What is it like living in …?
75. Do you know many people in the program that regretted getting the degree?
76. What have you personally done throughout the program?
77. What is your current job and role?
78. How long have you been there and how did you get the role?
79. What is your biggest complaint of the program?
80. In retrospect, would you have gone to that particular school/program?
Summary
If you are looking to apply to graduate school, use these questions to inquire more about the programs you are interested in. Choosing a graduate program is not a light process with many different factors that come into play.
These 80 questions can help you to figure out if the graduate school you are thinking about is a the right fit for you!
The questions you should ask should fall into these buckets:
- To Ask Yourself Before
- About Admissions
- The Financial Fit
- About Information on Program
- About Academic And Professional Resources
- How’s Campus Life and School Vibe
- To Ask Alumni or Current Students
Which ones of these questions are you going to ask before you choose your graduate school?
