After earning your bachelor’s degree, what’s next? What are your options for the future? Should you consider graduate school?

Consider these Benefits of Earning a Graduate Degree

Increase Earning Potential

You will clearly earn a better salary with a post-graduate degree. This article from the Pew Research Center explains that while bachelor’s degrees continue to pay off, a master’s degree earns even more. You also have better chances of finding employment, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Expand Science Knowledge

Your undergraduate science classes fed your curiosity and fueled your pursuit of discovery. Graduate school opens the door to in-depth learning.

What Will I Learn?
All NSM graduate degrees include advanced classes where you can deepen your knowledge in your discipline, acquire additional skills, and be exposed to the latest scientific developments. You may also be required to attend seminar classes centered on discussions of scientific literature and presentations.

How Long Does it Take?
Typically, it takes 2-3 years to earn a master’s degree and 4-6 years to earn a Ph.D. degree.

Do I Have to Do a Thesis?
Not all graduate degrees require you to do original research to appear in a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation.

Non-Thesis Master’s Options
For the NSM programs below, you have the option of doing a non-thesis master’s degree. In some cases, it can be completed in a year, but generally no more than two.

These degree options are particularly relevant for students who are interested in a career in education or in a profession where additional technical knowledge is an asset without the need for extensive research experience. Some programs do include the requirement for a small, one semester-long research-based project under the supervision of a faculty member (tutorial or capstone project).

Conduct Cutting-Edge Research

NSM’s Graduate Programs allow you to dive deeper into the process of scientific discovery and become involved in your own independent research.

Become Part of a Larger Scientific Community
The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is a dynamic and vibrant community of researchers, educators, and students working together to drive bold discoveries. Our faculty brings in $30 million dollars in competitive research funding each year, and NSM graduate students are a critical piece of our research program.

As a graduate student in a thesis-based M.S. or Ph.D. program, you will do original research under the supervision of a professor.

In many graduate programs, your involvement in research starts right away, in your first semester. Typically, the last few years of your degree are entirely devoted to research, as you have normally finished required classes in the first 2-3 years.

Publish and Present Your Research
Most NSM graduate students have the opportunity to publish their findings in scientific journals and to attend national and international conferences to present their results, hear about the latest discoveries, and network with the scientific community in their field. Check out the success stories of Khanh Nguyen, Lucien Nana Yobo and Cassandra Morris. You can view more success stories by visiting our graduate student accomplishments page.

Khanh Nguyen
Mathematics
Math Grad Student Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Lucien Nana Yobo
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Geology Graduate Student Attends Urbino Summer School in Paleoclimatology/p>

Casandra Morris
Physics
Physics Graduate Student Spends Month at CERN

Financial Implications

The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics offers numerous ways to fund your graduate education, including Graduate Assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and financial aid.

Over 90% of doctoral students employed in a Graduate Assistantship position receive a tuition fellowship that pays for their tuition and mandatory fees.

Find out more by visiting the Finance Your Education page. The College and our departments also offer competitive travel awards to students to help them with the cost of attending scientific conferences.