If you do plan to continue your studies with a master’s or doctoral degree, you may have some additional questions. Now that you know what an undergraduate degree is, what does a graduate degree involve, exactly? Is it simply additional time spent in class?
Yes, a graduate degree does require additional time spent in school, but it’s not necessarily just a continuation of the same topics you examined as an undergraduate. In fact, it’s possible to earn a master’s degree in a different — but possibly related — field compared to your bachelor’s degree. If you majored in psychology as an undergrad, for example, you might decide to earn a Master of Social Work as a graduate student instead of a Master of Science in Psychology. But consider that you may be required to take bridge courses designed to help you transition to a master’s degree in this different subject.
Even if you stick with the same field of study, the focus may be different. Whereas bachelor’s degree programs include general education courses and offer a broader curriculum, graduate degrees are often more focused on a particular specialization. Graduate degrees are typically available with emphases, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an Emphasis in Health Systems Management.
Some graduate programs require field experience or practicum/internship hours for graduation — often to meet state licensure requirements for a particular profession. Some master’s degree programs may require the completion of a master’s thesis — a lengthy research paper. Similarly, it’s customary for doctoral programs to require the completion of original research in one’s field that culminates in a dissertation — an even lengthier research paper.
