Graduate School Questionnaire

The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather reactions to various graduate schools for use by our current students who are trying to decide what to do after graduation. Therefore if this actually amounts to a critique of your school, we will hold it in confidence. Whatever guidance you can provide will be sincerely appreciated.

If you have gone into a field outside of geology, we are still interested in your response. Feel free to modify the wording of the questions to make them applicable. If you have attended more than one graduate school, separate responses for each would be helpful.

Your Name*
Your Email*
Grad School Name
Year you entered grad school
Your Carleton class year
Your field of specialization
Are you working toward a:
- Master’s
- Ph.D.
- Both Master’s and Ph.D.
- Other
Please specify:
How soon do you expect to finish your degree?
After you finish, would you like to work in
- Government
- Education
- Industry
How many grad students are there in your department?
How many undergrad students are there in your department?
How many faculty members are there? Comment on your access to faculty members and the attention you get from them. Are the people that attracted you to the school accessible?
What does your department stress? Is it well-rounded? Is it particularly weak in anything?
If you are in the earth sciences, is your department lab or field oriented? How good is the lab and field equipment and facilities that are available to you?
Are you encouraged to take courses in other fields such as related sciences, humanities, and social sciences?
How prescribed is the graduate program? Is there a set of courses every grad student must take? Are thesis subjects chosen by the students or by the faculty advisors?
Did you have to make up course deficiencies? If so, was the makeup work worthwhile?
Have you developed contacts for jobs outside the school through your faculty with other institutions in governments or industry?
How is the intellectual atmosphere? Do the faculty members work well together? Grad students? Does the department have a good visiting speakers program? Also, is there help available to make it possible for graduate students to attend professional meetings?
What qualities does your grad school seek in applicants? What type of person should be encouraged to apply?
How hard is it to get assistantships? Do profs with big grants "control" the department? Can you get help in getting money for your own research?
What kind of an area (urban, rural, etc.) is the school located in? Is it a good place to live? Is it near areas of geologic interest where one might do field work?
Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, if you had it to do again would you choose the same grad school? Why or why not? Can you make any recommendations for other schools which are also worth checking out for students now applying?
Name
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