This document provides information to help students prepare for graduate school, including why pursue further education, key differences between undergraduate and graduate programs, benefits of higher education, career considerations, and resources and requirements for the application process. It outlines that graduate school allows for more specialized education and research opportunities, can expand career options and increase earning potential, and is part of the path for careers like professors, doctors, and lawyers. The admissions process may require documents like applications, letters of recommendation, transcripts, exam scores, and essays or interviews. Questions to ask programs include whether they waive application fees, which exams are required, funding opportunities, program timelines, and deadlines.

1. Graduate School Preparation
Are you ready?
ERAU Career Services Office www.erau.edu/career

2. Why go to grad school?
Why go to grad school?
• Continue education directly after receiving
Continue education directly after receiving
undergraduate degree
• Professionals return to further their education
Professionals return to further their education
and open new promotion/career opportunities
• S i li i
Specialize in a specific area
ifi
• Strengthen job security
• Part of path to future career (professor, doctor,
lawyer)
y )

3. Education Differences
Education Differences
Graduate Education
Graduate Education Undergraduate Education
Undergraduate Education
• Specialized Education • Broader Education
• Clear academic & career
Clear academic & career • First stepping stone to
First stepping stone to
goals career
• Fewer classes & shorter • Heavier class load per
Heavier class load per
overall time
commitment semester and longer
time commitment
• M
More intense, higher
i t hi h
level coursework & • Average outcomes are
expectations
p accepted easier

4. Benefits of Higher level Education
Benefits of Higher‐level Education
• More specialized education studies and
More specialized education studies and
research opportunities
• Allows more mastery of skills
Allows more mastery of skills
• Can expand career options
• Could create greater marketability
Could create greater marketability
• Entry‐level to teaching at a university level
• Hi h
Higher salary over career progression
l i
• Lower unemployment rates

5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab7.htm, 5/27/10

6. Career Considerations
Career Considerations
Experience before graduate Flow‐through or no experience
school before graduate school
before graduate school
• Specialize in career area of • Not as clear of areas of
interest interest/specialization
• Education not as applicable
d l bl
• More mature perspective due to little, if any,
on graduate level studies professional experience
and application
and application • PPotentially lower income &
i ll l i &
• Typically more career fewer opportunities initially
options due to having
p g • Educationally qualified but
experientially not as qualified
i i ll lifi d
experience
• Extremely important to
• Command higher salaries participate in undergraduate
and/or graduate level
d/ d t l l
internships before graduating

7. Grad School Resources
Grad School Resources
• Peterson’s Guide
• Princeton Review
i i
• Faculty – ERAU and/or other universities of
interest
• ERAU Career Services website ‐
http://www.erau.edu/career/grad_school.html

8. Graduate School
Graduate School
Admissions Process
Keith A. Deaton Jr.
Student Center Annex Rm. 260
Keith.Deaton@erau.edu or
Keith Deaton@erau edu or
386.226.7166

9. Documents Needed
Documents Needed
o Application‐App fee
Application App. fee
o Statement of Objective/Intent
o Resume/CV/C
o Letters of Recommendation
o GRE or GMAT
o Official Transcripts
Official Transcripts
o Essay or interview if required

10. ERAU Requirements
ERAU Requirements
o Application‐App Fee waived if you come to
Application App. Fee waived if you come to
my office
o Statement of Objective
Statement of Objective
o Resume
o Transcripts (I get these, no charge)
o Three letters of recommendation
o GMAT or GRE‐depends on program

11. Questions to Ask
Questions to Ask
o Can you waive application fee?
Can you waive application fee?
o What exams are required?
o Assistantships or scholarships offered and how
i hi h l hi ff d d h
to apply?
o Prerequisites and how long will it take to
complete?
o When are the deadlines to apply?