Grad school for dummies!

[cookderosa]

Hello! I am new to the gradcafe and have a few questions. My background- I have a BA in Social Sciences pending conferral. I would like to understand the grad school process a little better. Can someone give me their opinion on the paths of MA vs PhD and also the issue of stipend? Do I understand that some programs provide free tuition and a stipend? Please advise. Thanks!! Jennifer

[bgk]

Hello! I am new to the gradcafe and have a few questions. My background- I have a BA in Social Sciences pending conferral. I would like to understand the grad school process a little better. Can someone give me their opinion on the paths of MA vs PhD and also the issue of stipend? Do I understand that some programs provide free tuition and a stipend? Please advise. Thanks!! Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

It looks like nobody had any thoughts. I'm not in the social sciences, but I can tell you how it works for me as an engineer.

Almost all of the programs to which I applied offer some sort of financial support. Usually the deal was, in return for some TA duties, you get tuition and a stipend to live on. The TA duty varies from class to class, some TAs work very hard, others less so. Some give sections/recitations, others grade homeworks. It really depends on the professor.

Another option was RA (research assistant), where a professor takes you on from day one to do some research in his group. There are a few risks with this, since you are tied to the professor and if you don't get along with them and/or your interests change.... you'd be in a predicament.

Finally, if your academics are excellent there are fellowships (either offered by the department/university or external ones). These give you ultimate freedom to take as many classes as you like and get to know exactly what you want to do.

I can't really comment on MA/PhD in your area... I hope someone else can?

Cheers

[flyingwalrus]

What kind of social science? The field as a whole is pretty broad.

[balderdash]

Grad school is in no shape or form for dummies. If you are making a topic this immature you are clearly not ready for the rigors of graduate school.

If you misspell "social" in your profile and resurrect a thread that was dead for over three years, then "you are clearly not ready for the rigors of graduate school."

[biggspc]

Grad school is in no shape or form for dummies. If you are making a topic this immature you are clearly not ready for the rigors of graduate school.

Wow, arrogant much? the OP just came here trying to get information. If anything, you'll scare him/her away from grad school because he/she doesn't want to interact with people like you.

[Saik]

This thread made me laugh

[MakeYourself]

Grad school is in no shape or form for dummies. If you are making a topic this immature you are clearly not ready for the rigors of graduate school.

This post is a good example of some of the pretentiousness that you will encounter in graduate school. Learning to ignore these people will help you tons.