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Grad School USA
SOCIAL SCIENCES
There are many ways to identify departments that would best suit students’ needs in the social sciences. Apart from visiting US Study Information Centres and looking at postgraduate directories listing degrees awarded and financial aid, students should check faculty pages at departments’ websites, and talk to their tutors or lecturers to enquire about their US contacts. Students might have read publications by US professors, and should investigate the institutions where they are teaching. Departments encourage prospective students to contact them regarding the program and funding opportunities, and may even have contact details for alumni or students currently studying there, who can be extremely valuable sources of information.
These courses can initially seem the easiest to research, but the process can become very time-consuming as the majority of universities offer postgraduate social science courses. Therefore, it is vital to begin research early, and thoroughly investigate which graduate schools have the most appropriate courses and faculty.
‘almost half of the students engaged in graduate study received funding’
Social science departments usually require the general GRE (Graduate Record Examination) test, with some occasionally requesting specific subject GREs too.
BUSINESS
Business is not strictly limited to MBAs – Masters in Business Administration – although it can appear so when students begin their search for courses. If students want to pursue non-MBA business programs, it is often better to begin an investigation into the field of ‘Finance’, where they are other postgraduate opportunities. For example, there may be masters degrees or PhD offered in Accounting, Finance and Banking, Taxation, Electronic Commerce, Hospitality Management, and International Business, to name but a few. Some business schools will expect one to two years of fulltime business work experience before students may apply, although this is slightly less-frequently required than for MBA programs.
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) is a common request for both international and US students wanting to study any business-orientated program of study. Visit www.mba.com for test registration and information.
ENGINEERING
In order to begin a Masters of Science (MS) or a Masters of Engineering (MEng) degree, most institutions will require students to have an undergraduate degree in the same subject, or perhaps maths or science. Students who are unfamiliar with basic theories of engineering may be able to take some undergraduate classes alongside postgraduate study to complete their general knowledge in the field. The five main areas of engineering students specialise in are chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical. The GRE may be required for admission. Further information can be found at www.gre.org.
LAW
The most common law degrees offered by US law schools are the Juris Doctor (JD) degree and the master’s degree in law (LLM). The JD is needed to practise as a lawyer in the US, requiring three years of postgraduate study. The first year has compulsory courses such as civil procedure, constitutional and criminal law, and legal writing. During the second and third year, courses may include evidence, civil litigation, corporate, commercial, family, environmental or international law. Students may be required to take the Law School Admission Test. (Further information is available at www.lsat.com).
‘View rankings with a certain degree of suspicion, as there are no official US government league tables’
Many states require prospective lawyers to have a JD degree from a law school that has been approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). Non-ABA accredited law schools may only qualify attendees to practise in the state in which the school is located.
The LLM is generally for already-qualified lawyers who wish to practise in their own country but gain experience with American law, consisting mainly of taught courses and not normally requiring a master's thesis. Most law schools require applicants to apply through the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). This service compiles application information into a single report for each law school applied to by the student, including an undergraduate academic summary, copies of all undergraduate, graduate and professional school records, LSAT scores and writing samples, and letters of reference. LSDAS registration can be done when registering for the LSAT. At the time of writing, the LSDAS recognised eight institutions in England. Graduates from other institutions must send applications directly to the law schools. decision will help you reach your goals.
