Questions to ask graduate programs (long)
Dave Conlin (st002435@brownvm.brown.edu)
18 Dec 1994 19:13:39 GMT
SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY ASK ABOUT GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ANTHROPOLOGY
As the holidays roll around, some people are certainly considering
applying to graduate school so I thought I'd share a little bit of
experience which I hope people will find helpful. When applying to
graduate schools, people tend to concentrate on the idea that they need to
impress a University so they will get in. Sometimes you can really feel
like a piece of meat.
I had an interview where the guy showed up 45 minutes late and then
basicly said "What makes _you_ think you've got what it takes to make it
here." My reaction was "screw you, what makes _you_ think I want to come
to your department anyway, I am a qualified anthropologist, you convince
me"-- end of interview. Graduate programs, at least in the United States,
cost thousands and thousands of dollars and there is no shortage of good
ones out there. What people don't know, and what nobody is telling
prospective graduate students is that, to some degree, it's a buyer's
market with many schools competing to attract qualified students.
Don't be a piece of meat-- know your worth. Good luck.
Below youll find some of the questions I asked, or wished Id asked,
before coming to graduate school. They are arranged in no particular
order of importance. Use them or dont as you see fit, but hopefully
theyll be helpful for you in interviews and in selecting a program. Keep
in mind that you are
making a decision which will cost you thousands of dollars and years of
your time.
Questions for Professors and Administrators:
1) How many people who enter the program actually finish it? Why do
people leave? What kind of people leave (socio-cultural, archaeologists,
linguists, students of certain professors)?
2) Of the people who graduated, how many are working in the field now and
where? What are those not working in the field doing currently? Do you
keep records of these numbers?
3) How long, on average, does it take to get the degree I am applying
for? How much, on average, does it cost? Do you keep records of these
numbers?
4) Which members of the faculty have published recently and where? What
were their topics? Did they co-author the articles with their graduate
students?
5) What type of financial support is available for graduate students
here? How available is it for my first, second, third, etc. year. What
about fieldwork? Are you prepared to put your financial offers in
writing?
6) How well does the faculty get along? How well do the graduate
students get along? Are members of the faculty working cooperatively or
alone? How about the graduate students?
7) How much teaching is required for the degree? What is involved in
teaching (hours, subjects, grading etc.) Will I have time for my own
research and coursework? Will I have some flexibility in the classes I am
teaching?
8) Will I be able to work outside of the specified interests of the
faculty if I choose to? Are interdisciplinary approaches allowed?
Encouraged?
9) How does this program stack up against other programs? What are its
strengths and weaknesses?
Questions for other Graduate Students:
1) Would you do it all over again if you could? What would you do differently?
2) How many people who enter the program actually finish it? Why do
people leave? What kind of people leave (socio-cultural, archaeologists,
linguists, students of certain professors)?
3) Which members of the faculty have published recently and where? What
were their topics? Did they co-author the articles with their graduate
students? How many graduate students have published recently on their
own?
4) How well does the faculty get along? How well do the graduate
students get along? Are members of the faculty working cooperatively or
alone? How about the graduate students?
5) Are there some faculty members who should be avoided? Some who should
be sought out? Why?
6) Will I be able to work outside of the specified interests of the
faculty if I choose to? Are interdisciplinary approaches allowed?
Encouraged?
7) To what degree do graduate students interact with other graduate
students elsewhere in the university? Undergraduates?
8) What is the overall quality of life for graduate students here both
inside and outside the department? What is it like to live in this city?
This state? How much free time is there?
Happy holidays!,
Dave Conlin
Brown University
Providence RI
02912
E:Mail st002435@Brownvm.brown.edu
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