Graduate school can advance your career or help you transition into a new one. It can connect you with new friends and help you build your professional network. It can give you a credential that immediately sets you apart from others in your field.
A common challenge when considering graduate school is narrowing down the program you want to apply to. Oftentimes, a school has more than one program that fits you. And since you don’t know ahead of time which programs you’ll get into, it can be an appealing idea to keep your options open by applying to more than one.
Fortunately, you can usually apply to multiple graduate programs at the same school. Many schools even encourage this practice and charge only one application fee to do so. If you get accepted to a joint graduate program, you can pursue master’s degrees in two different fields at the same time.
Table of Contents
- Reasons to Apply to Multiple Graduate Programs Within a Single School
- What Are Joint Graduate Programs?
- Why Consider a Joint Graduate Program?
- Are There Any Drawbacks to Applying to More Than One Graduate Program at a University?
- Is There an Application Fee for Each Graduate Program You Apply to at a University?
- If I Get Into Multiple Graduate Programs at a School, Do I Have to Choose Just One?
- How to Prepare for Graduate School
- How to Finance Your Graduate School Education
Reasons to Apply to Multiple Graduate Programs Within a Single School
There are many reasons to apply to multiple graduate programs within a single school. The most important one, of course, is that it gives you multiple chances to get accepted to a program, which increases your overall odds substantially. There are several other reasons to consider, as well:
It Keeps Your Options Open
You might not know which program is the best fit until you get accepted to more than one and can compare offers. For instance, one program might accept you but expect you to take out loans to pay for your education, whereas another program within the same school might offer you an assistantship that covers your tuition and even gives you a stipend for living expenses. A graduate school assistantship might involve serving as a teacher assistant for undergraduate classes or working as a research aide in the lab.
It Helps You Find a Suitable Mentor
Depending on the program, the interview process might involve one or more in-person interviews. These can be nerve-wracking, but keep in mind that it isn’t just them interviewing you. You’re also interviewing them to find the best fit. A grad school interview can tell you a lot about the potential mentors you’ll be working with. By applying to multiple programs, you can compare interviews and decide which is a better fit.
It Provides More Networking Opportunities
Even if you end up choosing against a particular program, just putting your name in the hat potentially gets you into contact with professors and advisors who might be able to help your career down the road, assuming you stay in touch. Don’t worry — they won’t be bitter or resentful that you chose a different program.
It Helps You Learn More About Research and Scholarship Opportunities
Just reading the websites of each program doesn’t give you the full scope of what it offers. When you get into the application and interview process, you’ll learn more about research opportunities and other outside-the-classroom experiences involved with each program.
What Are Joint Graduate Programs?
A joint graduate program is a program offered jointly by two or more departments within the university. A common example is a JD/MBA program, where students pursue both a law degree and an MBA at the same time.
Students in joint graduate programs typically spend a portion of their time completing work for each program, plus a portion of time devoted to coursework and projects that blend the curricula of both programs. Instead of earning a single graduate degree with two concentrations, students get two degrees — one from each program.
In addition to law and business, joint graduate programs are common in fields such as engineering and public health. For instance, a student might be able to get a master’s in public health as well as an a speciality health field such as occupational therapy.
Why Consider a Joint Graduate Program?
Other than getting two degrees in the time it would typically take to get just one, perhaps the main benefit of a joint graduate program is that it gives you access to faculty and resources in more than one department. This can be hugely beneficial to your career after you graduate, as each professor, advisor, and classmate you connect with is a potential entry point into a lucrative career network.
Another benefit of joint graduate programs is that they’re often much more affordable than getting two graduate degrees separately.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Applying to More Than One Graduate Program at a University?
There is no real drawback to applying to more than one graduate program at a university unless it’s expressly disallowed, which it almost never is.
One worry that students sometimes have is that applying to multiple programs can appear as a “scattershot” approach, showing a lack of commitment on your part to any particular field or discipline. Students who have this worry believe this approach lowers their chances of being accepted into any of the programs they apply to. But there’s no evidence that acceptance rates are lower for students who apply to multiple programs.
A better way to look at it is that applying to multiple programs gives you more options and increases your chances not only of getting in somewhere but, more importantly, of finding the perfect program for you.
Is There an Application Fee for Each Graduate Program You Apply to at a University?
It depends on the school and the program. Some graduate schools don’t have application fees at all, meaning you can apply to as many programs as you want to without paying anything. Some schools have one fee that covers your application to as many programs as you want. A rarer situation is that a school makes you pay a separate application fee for each program you apply to.
If I Get Into Multiple Graduate Programs at a School, Do I Have to Choose Just One?
Again, it depends on the university and the program, but you might not have to choose just one graduate program if you are accepted into multiple programs at the same school.
Some schools will allow you to enroll in multiple programs simultaneously and work toward your multiple degrees at the same time. Others may require you to choose which program you want to complete first, and defer your admission to the second program until you are able to focus on it full-time.
Keep in mind that either of these options will likely extend the amount of time it takes for you to earn your degrees, whereas a joint program lets you earn multiple degrees within a normal grad school program time frame.
How to Prepare for Graduate School
So you’ve gotten accepted into the program — or programs — of your dreams. Awesome! If you’re like most people, your excitement might be tempered just a little bit by nervousness or anxiety. After all, if you’re going to invest the time and money into graduate school, you want to make sure you’re successful.
Here are a few tips on how to do that.
Do Your Research First
Make sure the program you choose aligns with your career goals. Use job data that you can find online to do a return on investment calculation. That is, figure out roughly how long it will likely take you to make up the cost of the program with increased earnings in your career. That way, you can start graduate school with full confidence that you’re making the right decision.
Start Studying Early
By early, we mean before the first day of class even starts. Talk to your soon-to-be professors and advisors, and find out what books they recommend incoming students read to give them a baseline of knowledge. Just this simple step will put you ahead of most of your peers when classes start.
Make Connections
Even if you’re introverted or shy, try to talk to everyone you can. Grad school isn’t just about what you know; it’s about who you know. You might never have a better — or easier — opportunity to build a powerful career network than in graduate school.
Make Friends With Your Professors
Don’t be intimidated by them. This is professional school, not junior high school. If you do it right, your professors will be counted among your personal friends and mentors by the time you complete your program.
How to Finance Your Graduate School Education
Paying for graduate school can seem daunting, but there are many sources of financial aid available. Scholarships, grants, loans, assistantships, and work-study programs can all help pay for your graduate degree. Here are a few tips on how to finance your graduate education.
- Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is an easy step that will help you determine what you’re eligible for in federal student loans and other financial aid.
- Seek third-party scholarships and grants. This means money from other sources than the university itself. There are often thousands of these available, many of which get zero or almost zero applicants.
- Apply for an assistantship. Many graduate school programs will pay you to pursue your master’s degree. All you have to do in return is TA an undergrad class or work in the lab.
- Apply for work-study jobs. These are a step down from an assistantship and often involve campus jobs like working in the mail room for an hourly rate (usually not much more than minimum wage). But they’re better than nothing!
- Consider taking out a student loan. Obviously you want to avoid this route if at all possible. But compared to other loans, a student loan is really not a bad deal. It has a low interest rate and flexible repayment options.
You can apply to multiple graduate programs at the same school. It requires separate applications, and at some schools, it might require separate fees as well. You can always check with the admissions office at a particular school to learn more about their process.
