Graduate school

A graduate school or "grad school" (American English), or, in British English a postgraduate school, is a school that awards advanced degrees, with the general requirement that students must have earned an undergraduate (bachelors) degree. Many universities award graduate degrees; a graduate school is not necessarily a separate institution. Graduate schools are also a part of quaternary education, together with postdoctorate research, and a graduate school experience often involves a significant component of original research, including the writing and defense of a thesis or dissertation.

Related Topics:
American English - British English - Undergraduate - Bachelors - Universities - Quaternary education - Thesis - Dissertation

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Students who attend graduate schools are called "graduate students" or "grad students" in the US and Canada, and "postgraduate students" or "post-grads" in Britain and other Commonwealth countries.

Related Topics:
Canada - Commonwealth

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Degrees awarded by graduate schools include master's degrees, doctorate degrees (Ph.D.s), and other postgraduate qualifications such as a graduate certificates, as well as some professional degrees.

Related Topics:
Master's degree - Ph.D. - Professional degree

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The term "graduate school" does not usually refer to medical school (students are called "medical-" or "med-students") and only occasionally refers to law school or business school.

Related Topics:
Medical school - Law school - Business school

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Although graduate school programs are distinct experiences from undergraduate degree programs, graduate instruction (in Australia, the United States, and other countries) is often offered by the same faculty and departments as teach undergraduate courses. Unlike in undergraduate programs, though, it is rarer for graduate students to take coursework outside their specific field of study. Some institutions, however, do designate separate graduate faculty and divisions.

Related Topics:
Australia - United States - Coursework

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