Category Archives: Grad School

What’s a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and How Do I Create One?

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Research is an incredible way to prepare for graduate and professional school. UW-Whitewater has a number of opportunities to engage in research including the Undergraduate Research Program, the McNair Program, and various opportunities to participate in ongoing faculty research.

As you develop skills to become an effective graduate student, it will be very important to learn how to appropriately market yourself. When applying for employment, assistantships, fellowships, grants, and other opportunities, resumes will no longer be the document of choice. Instead, you will be asked to submit your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Curriculum Vitae is Latin for ‘course of life’. The purpose of the CV is to provide a snapshot of your education, professional background, and research interests.

Students in "class" on Bascom Hill

Academic and International CVs
There are two types of CVs: the academic CV and international CV. Several countries outside of the U.S. use the term CV to refer to their equivalent of the American resume. Domestically, it will be necessary to begin a CV if you fit into one of the following categories:

  • Planning to attend graduate school
  • Engaging in student teaching
  • Participating/conducting research
  • Interested in academia

CV or Resume: What’s the difference?
A CV and resume are both documents used to provide a snapshot of one’s skills and experiences. The CV differs from the resume in that it is:

  • More comprehensive and longer in length
  • Used primarily for jobs in academia, research and when applying for grants, conferences, or graduate school
  • Strictly a professional document that should be approached conservatively

How do I begin my CV?
Create a master CV document. It may be easiest to request the CV of faculty member in your field of interest to get an initial idea of how a CV in your field of interest will appear.

  1. Outline information. Outline the following information: contact information, education, professional employment, research experience (publications, presentations, grants, etc.), teaching experience, honors and awards, professional service, professional affiliations. The CV does not need to be limited solely to this information, but the aforementioned are a few samples. Accompany each experience with the position held, name of organization, dates present and location
  2. Create headings and organize. Create headings that are relevant to your experiences. The list in Step One identifies information that may be used as headings. Place corresponding experiences underneath headings. Research and teaching experiences are often the first sections following the education section. Note: In regard to section order, the most important information will be listed toward is the top of CV. However, information within each heading should be listed in reverse chronological order.
  3. Create descriptions. Fill in experiences with descriptions regarding your accomplishments. Use complete citations for research (including publications, presentations, and research in progress).

The CV length for undergraduate and graduate students will likely range from 2-5 pages. For more information, explore ‘Additional Resources’ below and make an appointment with a career counselor in Career and Leadership Development and faculty member in your department.

Additional Resources:
http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/careercenter/doc/CV%20Packet.pdf
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/creatingmaintaining-your-cv/26887 http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rhetoric-of-the-CV/131404/

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Graduate School: Prepare & Apply

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The idea of attending graduate school always intrigued me during my years as an undergrad. With a desire to become a counselor I knew it was inevitable, but I didn’t know much about the process. Here are some of my tips for preparing and applying to graduate school programs.

Research

Research the University, the Graduate School, the Department, the Program and the City/Area in which the school is located. You’d think that this would be common sense, but from experience, I can tell you it’s not. Each of these levels can have a dramatic effect on your choice to attend or even apply to a specific program. For example, if the program is located in a city or state that you are unwilling or unable to move to, it doesn’t matter how strong of a program it is, it won’t be satisfying for you. Same thing goes with the department. If you are looking for a graduate program with a large full-time staff, a program that relies on adjunct faculty may not be your best bet.

Visit

If at all possible, once you have done your research, go on a campus visit. You can learn a great deal about a campus and a program by looking at the space you’ll be in as a graduate student. Listen to your gut if it does or doesn’t feel right.

Informational Interview

Consider setting up interviews with faculty members to learn more about their research or areas of expertise. Ask questions that you couldn’t find the answers to online or in print resources.

Contact current graduate students! Often time departments are more than willing to have prospective students meet with current students. Find out from students what the pros and cons are of the program and what suggestions they would have for you about how to navigate the grad school life.

Apply

If you like what you see and hear, apply! Remember that graduate school applications can be somewhat complex and generally require all or some of the following components:

  1. Application form (electronic or paper)
    1. For the Graduate School
    2. For the program
  2. Resume
  3. Cover Letter
  4. Personal Statement
  5. Autobiography Statement
  6. Letter of intent

For assistance with any of these documents, you can set up an appointment with any of the Career staff at Career & Leadership Development by calling 262-472-1471.

With your application, pay special attention to deadlines, specifics on where and how to submit your completed application or necessary admissions tests like the GRE or GMAT.

Overall when you’re thinking graduate school, start early and weigh your options. No two programs are the same and there is a “right one” out there for you!

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Tips for Considering Graduate School

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Are you planning on going to graduate school? The first question I ask is “Why?” Possibly your career choice requires a master’s or PhD. Or maybe you like school and want more education. Another reason might be because you can’t find a job. Whatever the reason, the decision to go on to graduate school deserves some consideration.

Evaluating a Program

Assuming you’ve decided to proceed with your graduate degree and know what you want to study, the next step is finding a program that is best suitable for you. The process is very similar to what you went through in for your undergraduate school. You might want to consider if you want to go to the same university where you got your undergraduate degree or find a different school. There are very good reasons for either choice. You will want to know if it is an accredited school and by whom is it accredited. This is a very important fact to find out, as you will want to have your degree mean something. What is their reputation? Other points to consider are found on our website.

Applying to Grad School

Once you’ve decided on one or several schools, you will need to apply. Most schools will look at your GPA, your involvement, volunteer and other experience. The programs usually require a resume, personal statement, transcripts, an admission test and references, plus an application form and an interview. By looking at the university’s website, you can find out what each school and program will require.

Financing Grad School

How to pay for school is always a consideration. In general, there are no financial aid grants, but loans are typically available. As you are evaluating a particular program, look to see if there are scholarships and definitely look at graduate assistantships. Graduate assistantships are particularly important as they not only provide money, but also much needed experience in your chosen field. This is important when you look for your job after graduation.

These are but a few highlights of the process of getting into grad school. Talk at length with the schools you’re looking at. A visit to the school can be very useful. Speak to the department chair, other professors, students in the program and alumni if possible. If you are planning on an online program, find out the particulars of the program, the expectations, and what resources are available for you.

There are a variety of websites to help you including our website. You can also contact our office at 262-472-1471 to schedule an appointment if you’d like to discuss any aspect of grad school. You can also go to a search engine to look for any aspect of the process.

Grad School 101

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Have you ever thought about going to graduate school after receiving your bachelor’s degree? Graduate school is a time to pursue an advanced degree in a topic area that you are passionate about.

I received some valuable advice when I was starting to think about going to graduate school: don’t go because there is nothing else to do, be deliberate about your decision to go. Another great piece of advice: seriously consider attending a school different from your undergraduate degree because you will get a different college experience. However, if your undergraduate school has a rockin’ graduate program that you want to get into, go for it.

Once you have made the decision to look into graduate school, do your research! There is a lot of information you need before you even start applying for graduate school, such as:

  • Does your future career require an advanced degree?
  • What program/topic area would you like to study?
  • Where are programs available for your topic?
  • Do you want to go to a public or private university/college?
  • When are application deadlines?
  • What exams are required? (i.e. GRE, GMAT, LSAT, etc.)
  • What is the undergraduate GPA requirement?
  • What are the particulars about the program?
    • Coursework
    • Accreditation, if applicable for your field
    • Graduate assistantships
    • Experiences offered through program (internships, practicum, etc.)
    • Cost of tuition and other fees

These are just a few of the questions that you need to answer when thinking about graduate school. Generally, schools are willing to send you information about the program(s) you are interested in. Also, check out a school’s website. There is a wealth of information available to answer your questions.

Another helpful idea for the graduate school process is to figure out ahead of time who you want to have write references for you. Visiting the school can also be a key piece in figuring out if the program is right for you. Try to set up an informational interview with one of the faculty members or a current student in the program.

Helpful websites to get you started:

Any further questions for me or have advice to share with other students? Please leave a comment!