You’re investing a substantial amount of time, energy, and most importantly money into pursuing a graduate degree. Here are a few characteristics to look at when evaluating potential graduate programs.

I’ve been planning to write on my graduate school experience for sometime. Lots of ideas, not much writing. This spring will be my final semester, so before I start whatever comes next, I’m going to do some writing.

An insider’s perspective was what I valued most when I was evaluating possible graduate programs. Unfortunately, like most things in life, you just don’t know what to search for when you’re new to something (a reoccurring theme when you pursue a tech career). So I thought I would share some of the characteristics that I would look for in a graduate program, knowing now what I wish I knew back then.

1. Relevant and Current Training

Develop skills that will benefit you and your employer on day one. Develop skills that will benefit you and your employer on day one.

It has been my experience that rarely will your courses actually reflect current practices, use the latest technology, or generally be vaguely cognizant of what skills will be useful to you outside of academia. This can be one of the most frustrating aspects of graduate school and college in general. It’s easy to become disenchanted when you discover the hard work you’ve put into your studies has made you a successful scholar but not a marketable hire.

So what can you do to avoid this all too common trap?

Before enrolling in a graduate program, sign up for job alerts in your field of study - think Indeed. What skills are employers looking for? Write these down. Does the program your interested in have courses directly aimed at developing some of those skills? Every school has a point of contact for questions from prospective students. Establish a line of communication with that person and ask what tools you might work with. Would you have opportunities to gain experience with the latest tools, software, or methods relevant to your interests?

The majority of students seeking a graduate degree will not go on to work in academia. Nonetheless, most programs are structured to produce tenure track professors. If you’re a grad student currently struggling in that quagmire, don’t despair, you’re going to be better for it. You’ll just have to hustle a little harder to stay competitive.

First and foremost start building a network of professionals in your field. I’ve found Twitter to be a great resource for discovering what tools and skills are relevant. Checkout local meet ups. They can be a great low pressure environment to ask questions about the type of training employers are looking for in new hires. Conferences are a great option as well if you can afford to attend them.

Become a weekend warrior.

Rarely do I have time during the school week to learn new skills, but during the weekend I try to take a few hours to learn something new to supplement my course work. Starting a blog is an efficient way to chronicle and reinforce what you learn by sharing it with others.

2. A Rigorous Journey

Graduate school should challenge you. Embrace it. Graduate school should challenge you. Embrace it.

Writing the word “rigorous” makes my stomach churn. New challenges are scary. Do I have the skills to survive this course or program?

Am I good enough?

While I can’t provide any answers to existential questions, I would say look for graduate programs that will challenge you. If you’re not struggling, you’re not learning and you’ve invested too much time and money to not get any value out of your degree.

It may sound cliche to suggest, but when I was looking for possible graduate programs I second guessed schools that intimidated me. Maybe the department was very prestigious or I maybe felt my experiences were not relevant enough for the program. I did myself a disservice by shying away from some of those challenges.

Finding out if the course work is worth your while can be tricky. Alumni or current students willing to exchange a few emails with you are the best way to find out what course loads will be like and what resources will be available to you.

Don’t be afraid to reach out. Current grad students are usually happy to share their own experience.

Perhaps more important than difficulty alone - will this program provide the support and tools you need to overcome the challenges that grad school throws at you?

Asking someone to climb El Capitan without any climbing gear isn’t exactly setting them up for success.

3. Monetary Support

Higher education is only getting more expensive. Higher education is only getting more expensive.

According to College Board’s 2017 Trends in College Pricing, the average annual tuition for graduate students is around $10,000 at public universities and at private colleges you can expect to pay 3 times as much ~ $30,000.

So for a master’s degree alone you’re looking at investing $20,000 - $60,000.

Yikes.

That’s a lot of money not going into your retirement fund, and we’re not even considering the interest on that debt.

Personally, if you can’t get paid to go to graduate school through a research assistantship or teaching assistantship, I don’t think it’s a wise investment. Most programs won’t allow you to work and go to school at the same time.

While living on an assistantship stipend is by no means easy, it does relieve the anxiety and burden of looming student debt payments upon graduation.

Reach out to professors to see if they might have funding opportunities for assistantships on projects that interest you. Working as a research assistant will provide you with the kind of specialized experience that you might not otherwise get. Likewise shoot for the moon, apply for external funding opportunities such as NSF grants.

Don’t cripple your future with a mountain of debt if you can avoid it.

4. Mentors Who Invest in You

Who you chose as your mentor will define your graduate school experience. Who you chose as your mentor will define your graduate school experience.

Luckily, I was fortunate enough to find an incredibly supportive mentor who has made my time in graduate school both invaluable and enjoyable.

Unfortunately however, I’ve seen first hand how long and miserable two years can be for students and professors alike who were a bad match for each other.

A good mentor will help you foster the kind of skills that not only help you grow in your subject expertise, but also improve the soft skills that will make you a better mentor yourself. They provide you with opportunities to learn new things based on your interests. They encourage you to have confidence in your abilities, credit you for your work, and share wisdom they’ve learned the hard way so you don’t have to.

It’s hard to know through email if the chemistry is there. Meet with prospective mentors on your campus visits. If you can, visit them more than once.

Encourage an open dialogue on your mutual interests and expectations. Talk to students currently working with them, and students who are not. Alumni are even better. They will give you a good idea of what it’s like to work with that potential mentor.

Remember, it’s a two way street! Of all the takeaways from this post, this is the most important:

If nothing else - find yourself a valuable mentor.

Closing Thoughts

Choosing the right graduate program can be daunting. Don’t rush it. It’s a very personal and significant decision.

If you can find a program that demonstrates the characteristics above, I think graduate school can be a smart investment.

If you made it this far, hopefully some of the advice above makes that process a little easier.

Best of luck to you and happy hunting.