There is great variety in programs of graduate study, with over 1,000 different types of master's degrees and 60 types of doctorates offered at universities throughout the U.S. and abroad. Degrees may be either academic or professional in nature. In recent years, great changes have occurred in graduate education. The number of part-time graduate programs has increased. Boundaries between traditional academic and professional programs have become less defined.
Many schools now offer interdepartmental, interdisciplinary, or joint degree programs.
A list of particularly helpful websites is included on the last page of this handout. Deciding on Graduate or Professional School Unlike undergraduate education, graduate school is generally undertaken as a means towards a clear and specific career or professional goal. Making the decision to attend graduate school should be the result of careful thought and research. Too often, students decide to apply to graduate school because they lack knowledge of other options. Because a liberal arts degree does not directly translate into any specific occupation, some graduates take what seems to be the most obvious and familiar route and continue their education on the graduate level.