Finding out about opportunities -- what to do, where to go
Your Loyola professors -- Probably the single best source of information and advice about graduate school is your faculty. Each of us have been where you are now (admittedly, many years ago!), went to one or more graduate programs, and ultimately became professional biologists. We also have peers and colleagues in many fields of Biology and -- obviously -- have mentored hundreds of undergraduates into all sorts of graduate programs. We have a world of experience, so why not take advantage of it?
Visiting speakers from other Universities -- One of the reasons why we host the Faculty Research Seminar Series and bring biology researchers and professors to campus is so that you can find out about the wide diversity of programs, careers, and institutions in the world. It is very important to realize that graduate programs do not typically have "admissions directors" who come to campuses like pre-health professions admissions directors do (see also the section below). So, attend every Research Seminar and Guest Lecture you can and don't be shy about asking the speaker about careers in their field and/or about how to apply to their graduate program.
University and Professional Society websites -- Given access to the web, it is easy to find out about careers and the mechanics of how to apply to a particular graduate program. With some suggestions and guidance from your faculty or from visiting biologists -- go to the university website of your choice, check to see if they have a biological sciences department or field that interests you, see what kind of degree program they have, and how to apply. Professional Biological Societies also have websites and many of them have "Careers in ..." resources that describe the field and what the career opportunities are.
Difference between “graduate schools” and “professional schools”-- Any degree program beyond the Bachelor's (baccalaureate ) degree can be referred to as a graduate program. However, many are specialized to provide specific training to enable you (certify you) to enter a profession. Health Professional schools (all forms of medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, and allied health fields of nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, public health, occupational therapy, etc....) are professional schools. Many of the allied health fields award Masters degrees (e.g., Masters of Public Health) and sometimes additional national certification exams are required. These professional school programs usually have a fixed curricular structure, they do not require original research, they are usually of short fixed duration (2 years for most allied health programs and up to 4 years for medical degrees), and they cost you a moderate to large amount of money. The "payoff" to the cost is that most of these professions pay very well and one can retire your educational debts pretty quickly. For more information about professional schools, see the Loyola University Health Professions Board and their materials that are maintained on the webpages of the Counseling & Career Development Offices (Health Professions webpage).
Graduate school programs are very different. They have a very flexible curricular structure (you and your graduate faculty advisor design most of your curriculum), they require original research (the main focus of your training!), they usually require 4-6 years of work, and they usually cost you little or nothing. The goal of these Masters and Ph.D. programs is that you are developing into an independent professional biological scientist. Most programs give accepted and continuing students in good standing a full tuition waiver (you don't pay tuition) and actually pay you a stipend (nationally, Masters programs provide about $15,000 and Ph.D. programs $20,000 a year). Because graduate programs are accepting only a few students each year, they are investing a lot in your success. The biggest qualitative difference between graduate and professional schools is that in graduate school programs you develop a deep mentoring relationship with your research advisor and collaborative relationships with your graduate student peers.
In recent years a number of universities have developed non-thesis graduate programs. These are 1-2 year programs that involve taking courses with no research requirement and no financial support (you pay full tuition and get no stipend). These programs are usually designed to help students improve their chances of entry into professional schools or into technical positions (e.g., as a research technician). Local examples include Tulane University's 1-year M.S. program in Cell & Molecular Biology.
Contents
Knowing yourself -- what are your interests and skills?
Fields and Careers in Biology
Finding out about opportunities -- what to do, where to go
What does one need to do to enter a graduate school program?
What is graduate school life like?