Researching Programs and Schools

There are various ways to research graduate
programs in which you are interested. The first step is to think about the
factors that are important to you in a graduate school: location, program
focus, cost, type of institution, etc. (see “Choosing a Graduate Program” for
more possibilities to consider for evaluation). Once you have established the
influencing factors you can begin your graduate program search. There are a few
approaches that we suggest:

• Online
  research: Here  are a few websites
  that are helpful in narrowing down your possibilities and decisions:
  • Petersons.com:  This site allows you to search for programs using various search criteria. Many
    of the possible graduate programs will be listed. There are also alternate
    resources available for you as you begin down the path to graduate school.
  • GradSchools.com:  This site functions much in the same way that Peterson’s does. You can indicate
    search criteria and find graduate programs that fit with those criteria. Again,
    the list may not be entirely exhaustive but many of the programs will be
    listed.
  • Specific School Websites- If you are interested
    in some specific schools, you should always check out their websites. This way
    you can gain the most accurate information about the program.
• Program
  Literature: It is helpful to begin your search on the
  internet but as you narrow down your options, request an information packet
  from the schools and programs in which you are most interested. More than
  likely, you will receive more than enough information about the program and you
  will have established some type of contact with the program coordinator. Don’t
  be afraid to use these coordinators as resources as well.