Santa Clara University

Graduate Program Criteria

• Program Types

  Professional Degrees

  • Prepare you for a particular profession (degrees include MD, JD, and MBA).
  • Professional degrees may be less research oriented and may not necessarily include a final thesis.

  Academic Degrees

  • Prepare you for academic and/or research careers (degrees include PhD and EdD)

  There are, however, no set rules, so talk to people doing the work you want to do and explore all options.

   
  

• Program Criteria

  The Reputation of the Faculty

  • Are the faculty and the department well respected in the field?
  • What are some of their recent publications?
  • Are they known for ground breaking research, insights, or inventions?
  • Are they not merely academics, but active in their actual field?

  The quality of the program

  • What is the student retention rate?
  • Is the program accredited?
  • Are there opportunities to publish and present at conferences?

  Financial costs of the program

  • What types of financial aid are offered?
  • Is the debt you might incur reasonable?

  Program requirements

  • Will your coursework culminate with a thesis, comprehensive exams, or a project?

  Available course offerings

  • What is the curriculum?

  Facilities

  • What is the library like?
  • Are the lab facilities state of the art?

  Program outcomes

  • What are the employment statistics of recent graduates?
  • What is the success rate of students passing professional exams?

  Geographic location

  • What is the community like?
  • Where might you live?
  • Is housing affordable?

  Student life and satisfaction

  • Talk with the graduate students! What do they appreciate most and least about their program?