POSTGRADUATE STUDY IN THE USA

Every year many Oxford students consider going on to study for a higher degree in the United States. Typically 15-20 students each year are accepted on to courses immediately following graduation (this does not take into account those graduates who apply for US postgrad study more than a year following their degree completion). There are over 1,700 universities offering postgraduate degrees, so choosing to study in the USA opens up a huge number of choices and decisions to make. Students choose the States for many diverse reasons discuss your motivations with your tutor or a Careers Adviser before taking the plunge, and read this sheet for an introduction to essential information and directions to more resources to help you. qualification is valid in the UK, if you ultimately want a career here. You may also wish to review the general Considering Postgraduate Study? file available in the Resource Centre. Keep in mind that US degree programmes, even at the postgraduate level, are often quite flexible, allowing you to create an academic experience that meets your interests. Once you have decided on a course, it is straightforward to generate a list of institutions that offer it, using resources like the USA Education Guides database on the Fulbright website (www.fulbright.co.uk/study-in-the-us/postgraduatestudy/choosing-a-degree-programme) or Petersons Directory (also online at www.petersons.com). However, you will almost certainly need to narrow down the options further. The best way to identify a good course or research group is by talking to academics who are active in that subject area. Start with your tutor and other members of your department, and ask for their recommendations. Dont be afraid to contact US departments directly to talk to academics about the nature of the course, funding prospects and career prospects afterwards. Building a relationship with potential supervisors is particularly important for those wanting to study for a PhD. Making contact ahead of your application will not adversely affect your chances of admittance, and in fact might help you. You might also want to consider factors like the location, the cost of study and living, the likely availability of funding (see Information Leaflet Funding Study in the USA) and the reputation of the institution possibly by consulting published rankings (see web resources at the end of this sheet) - but remember, the US doesnt have a system of published league tables. Rankings are usually published by companies with commercial interests (ie selling magazines), and may have more 'brand-name' cachet than substance. Not all fields/programmes will have rankings - Humanities courses are generally given short shrift in these types of rankings. The Carnegie Classifications (www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/) are used by higher education researchers, and might provide some data to help in your decision.

What to Study
Masters Degrees these may be academic (eg MS) or vocational (eg MBA). Academic Masters consist of coursework followed by an exam or a thesis or both. Usually last one to two years depending on your study rate and outside commitments (eg taking on assistantships to fund study). You would usually take a subject related to your undergraduate degree check course content carefully for overlap. Professional Masters are vocational courses and are unlikely to contain a thesis option. Consider the career implications carefully check acceptance of the qualification outside the USA. Doctorates usually follow taught courses for one to two years followed by research leading to a dissertation. Exemptions from taught courses may be possible. Difficult to finish in less than five to six years. Special Student Status unique to Harvard University and offering one years study without the award of a degree. Funding is available only through scholarships or self-funding.

Where to Study
Decide on a subject and level of study that interests you through discussions with tutors, careers advisers and others. If you are considering a professional course, such as Law, check with the relevant UK professional body that a US

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How to Apply
There is no central clearing-house for applications to US universities. Each university has different requirements, which you must check! A typical application consists of: Application Form some can be downloaded from university websites, others need to be posted out make sure you leave enough time to receive and return it. Standardised Test Results (eg GRE, GMAT, LSAT) most US (and many Canadian) universities ask for results of tests that you can arrange to sit in the UK. You need to register in advance, and pay a fee for each test you take. See the file on PG Study in the US Standardised Tests in our Resource Centre and the resources listed on this sheet for more information. Recommendations from your Tutors these carry great weight in your application, and are worth discussing carefully with your chosen referees. Official Transcripts of your exam results; get these from your college the most common approach is to have your College Secretary prepare a letter, or else you can photocopy the relevant pages of the Examinations Statutes and have them signed by a tutor with a college stamp. Statement of Purpose usually a 500- to 1,000-word essay on why you want to study that subject at that university. There is information to help you in the Thinking About Postgraduate Study file, and a session on this topic is held at the Careers Service early in Michaelmas Term (check our online events calendar for details). Application Fee a non-refundable fee of $50-$125 for each institution you apply to. Some universities have recently begun charging a different fee scale for online versus paper applications.

Aug-Oct 2009: Finalise choice of universities; start putting together application package. Arrange and sit tests. Nov 2009-Mar 2010: Send off applications for place and for funding. April-June 2010: Apply for visas to study in the US. See the Fulbright Commission/US Educational AdvisoryServicewebsite (www.fulbright.co.uk/eas) for more information.

How to Pay for it

You will usually need to make an application for funding separately from your application to the university. Remember that you will need to allow for tuition fees, living expenses, travel costs and private health insurance. Average annual costs in 2008-2009 were about 26000 for private universities and 18,000 for state universities, of which 12,000 were living costs. Even the process of applying to US universities can be expensive (applying to three universities can cost a few hundred pounds, including standardised test and application fees). There are two main sources of funding for US postgrad study: financial aid from universities, usually in the form of teaching or research assistantships, and scholarships from grant-awarding bodies such as trusts or charities. Find out more about the options by reading the Information Leaflet Funding Study in the USA.

How to find out more

Information at the Careers Service: For details of resources available at the Careers Service or online, see www.careers.ox.ac.uk/about-us/resources-centre/. A section of the Resource Centre at the Careers Service is devoted to PG Study in the USA. You will find the following files helpful: Thinking About Postgraduate Study Funding for Postgraduate Study PG Study in the US: Standardised Tests Information to take away: Information Leaflet: Funding Study in the USA Booklet: Postgraduate Study & Research Leaflet: GRE Information and Registration Bulletin Books: International Handbook of Universities complete list of degrees and diplomas at university-level institutions worldwide, including contact details, admission information, description of faculties. Applying to Graduate School in the United States general information and advice on how to go about applying. Road Map for Graduate Study a short but useful book offering an overview of the

Timing
Deadlines for applications and funding for postgraduate study in the US can be as early as October of the preceding year. It will take a considerable length of time to put together all the components of your applications. Realistically you need to start thinking about your choices in the summer preceding your final year at Oxford, if you want to move straight from Oxford to the States. The following suggests timings based on beginning a postgraduate course in Autumn 2010. Summer 2009: Find out about and choose courses. Look into funding; find out application deadlines for funding opportunities.

application process from the perspective of former postgraduate admissions officers. NAFSAs International Student Handbook Postgraduate Study in the USA Fulbright Commission comprehensive guide covering all aspects of postgraduate study in the USA. A few things you should know before you go a Fulbright Commission publication with useful information for those who have secured a place and are organising their departure. Books on international funding and grants: Grants Register - complete guide to postgraduate funding worldwide. Sponsorship and Funding Directory International Foundation Directory international directory of foundations, trusts and similar non-profit institutions by country. Petersons Scholarships for Study in the USA Funding for US Study Grants for Graduates and Post-Doctoral Funding Books on preparing for standardised tests: GRE Big Book - complete guide to preparing for all GRE tests, including practice papers. The GRE for Dummies Princeton Review Guides to GRE and GMAT Sample Test Books for the GRE Subject Test for Physics, Maths, Chemistry and English Kaplan Test Prep Centre in London offer a free GRE diagnostic test once a month; visit their website for more information and booking: www.kaptest.co.uk. Books on writing applications: Graduate Admissions Essays - guide to producing effective statements of purpose. Events at the Careers Service: Postgraduate Study in the USA general session, usually runs in Hilary Term. Writing Applications for US Postgrad Study advice on writing effective application essays and personal statements, running in early Michaelmas Term. See the Term Planner and the Whats On section of our website at www.careers.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/ by logging in to the password-protected area of the site. Web resources: www.educationusa.state.gov/graduate.htm a US Government site with information on graduate study www.petersons.com Petersons produce one of the best-known postgraduate directories; this site includes a searchable database of postgraduate degree courses, allowing search by degree level, subject area and/or location

www.gradschool.com an easy-to-navigate site, which allows you to search for courses by subject area and region of the US, with contact details and links to university websites www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/ a research source used by academics containing empirical data on US higher education institutions http://thegradcafe.com discussion forums and blogs covering the admissions process www.review.com useful website for Professional Programmes from the publisher Princeton Review www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/bchom e.htm from US News and World Report, which is a US magazine publisher, and part of this large site features their annual publication of the rankings of professional grad schools - but keep in mind these rankings are commerciallydriven!www.essayedge.com includes a free, step-by-step guide to writing a good statement of purpose www.gre.org GRE tests, the most commonly requested, including information on subject tests www.gmat.org GMAT tests, for management and business courses www.lsat.org/ LSAT tests, for law courses www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm MCAT tests, for courses in medicine www.toefl.org TOEFL tests, for non-native English speakers to test proficiency at English check with your intended institution whether you need to do this; a degree from a UK university should provide exemption The US Educational Advisory Service at the Fulbright Commission The Fulbright Commission sponsors an educational advisory service based in London, set up to advise UK citizens about education in the USA. They are open all year round, and often run seminars, which are well worth attending if you miss out on the Careers Service talks, www.fulbright.co.uk/eas.

Oxford Careers Network

The Careers Service operates an online database of Oxford graduates, who provide case studies and are willing to be contacted about their career, including postgraduate study experience. Use it to gain behind-the-scenes insights into a particular university, and to create valuable opportunities for networking. See our website www.careers.ox.ac.uk/students/ocn, for more details. Access the Network by logging in to the password-protected area of the website.

Careers Advisers
Our careers advisers have knowledge and information on different areas of employment, but all careers advisers can help you with the different stages of your career search. Natalie Lundsteen has responsibility for Postgraduate Study in the

USA. Please telephone 01865 274646 to establish availability for discussion.

Oxford University Careers Service, July 2009 J:\Resources\Information Leaflets\Versions published in 2009_10\Postgraduate Study in the USA Issue 6.doc