What is Graduate Studies?

Graduate studies are the pursuit of graduate degrees, such as a master’s or a PhD, with the general requirement that students have earned an undergraduate degree, such as a bachelor’s. In some countries, including Canada, professional degrees, such as a doctor of medicine or doctor of optometry, are still considered undergraduate degrees, even though most individuals already have undergraduate and sometimes graduate degrees before enrolling.

To obtain a graduate degree, students must produce original research, incorporate the research into a thesis, and defend the thesis in front of a panel of professors. There is usually course work involved in graduate studies, but the bulk of time is spent doing research.

Normally one would finish a master’s degree program before starting a PhD, but this is not always the case. For example, I started in a master’s degree and then switched into the PhD program after one year.

In Canada, typically a master’s will take two years and a PhD will take four years. Add that time to a four-year undergraduate degree and you can spend a total of ten years in university after graduating from high school. In my experience though, so far it has been totally worth it.

Graduate students are aided in their studies by one or more professors who act as their supervisors. They fund and usually help formulate projects, troubleshoot problems, and generally keep students on track to graduate.

If you have any questions about graduate studies please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP. Constructive feedback is always appreciated as well :) Cheers