Graduate Culture

Graduate students are part of an elite group. The U.S. Census Bureau (2004) reports that just 5.5% of the American population holds a master’s degree. This differs dramatically from the 16% of Americans who have a bachelor’s degree.  

Graduate studies has a unique and distinct culture that is dramatically different than that of undergraduate education. Undergraduates most probably pursued a broad program of study, diving into a specific discipline area as they neared graduation. The broader program of study was probably intended, among other things, to help students develop as responsible citizens with knowledge about a variety of content areas. They prepared papers using the content in textbooks and, superficially, the resources in the library. They relied on knowledge created and synthesized by others as the basis of their learning.

The expectations for cognitive development and performance is higher at the graduate level. The rigor is greater. The potential to develop personally and professionally is enormous. Many people find graduate studies to be a transformative life experience. Bloom’s Taxonomy (http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/guides/bloom1.html) articulates various cognitive domains. Where undergraduates are expected to perform cognitively at the levels of knowledge, comprehension, and application, graduates are expected to perform at the levels of analysis and synthesis, and participate in activities that lead to performing at the level of evaluation.

Graduate students should expect from their programs of study exposure to content that is much deeper than what was experienced in undergraduate study. Graduate students are expected to be open to diverse ideas and viewpoints and to think more critically about their own perceptions. They are expected to analyze, critique, compare, contrast, and synthesize literature in order to develop arguments that are firmly grounded in existing theory. More importantly, graduate students are expected to apply what they know from the literature to real-world situations.

Inquiry-based learning and discovery is a big part of the learning experience in graduate studies. Students are expected to take an active role in hunting and gathering information and knowledge. As such, they need to develop a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for new information. They need to perfect their research and library navigational skills as they are responsible for sorting out volumes of information and making sense of conflicting viewpoints. Graduate students are responsible for their own learning journey and are therefore encouraged to search for opportunities to conduct research and strive to publish their work. The GCU and its faculty support graduate students at every step of the graduate program, but each individual student is ultimately responsible for his or her successes and disappointments in academic performance.

What does membership and involvement in the graduate culture mean to the graduate student? It means graduate students are accountable for higher levels of thinking. They do not blindly accept the first answer or even the second answer. They are expected to sift through the available evidence, construct, and break down ideas, and to keep pushing until they arrive at a logically defensible position. In other words, graduate students have the great responsibility to be society’s thinkers and to demonstrate through cognition and critical thinking the ability to make responsible decisions.

References

The GCU Graduate Student

The graduate student holds a special place in the academic culture of Grand Canyon University. GCU graduate students are expected to exemplify the highest standards of ethical behavior and values-based decision making. The graduate studies curriculum in all disciplines is designed to prepare men and women to realize the mission of Grand Canyon University:

Grand Canyon University prepares learners to become global citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and responsible leaders by providing an academically-challenging, values-based curriculum from the context of our Christian heritage.

Toward this goal, graduate students are challenged to find their place in the world academically and professionally but also to integrate their academic, professional, and spiritual selves to achieve their highest potential. In achieving their potential, GCU graduate students hold within their hearts the ability to make a positive difference in the world around them.

Rewards of Graduate Education

A graduate degree may provide opportunity for a new position or advancement for a working professional, it may validate one’s achievements in the workplace, or it may represent a life-long goal that reinforces esteem and a sense of personal accomplishment. Regardless of the motivation for pursuing a graduate degree, the end result is membership to an elite group of people who demonstrate through excellent academic performance and the highest ethical standards the value and reward of life-long learning.

Commencement is the time for honoring those who have accepted the challenge and earned a graduate degree. Recognition of holders of a graduate degree is bestowed through, among other things, ceremonial academic regalia that differ from that worn by graduates with associates and baccaulaureate degrees. Some interesting information about the history of academic regalia is discussed at: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=524612

In the end, the rewards of graduate education go much further than the costumes of recognition. The greatest rewards are those that come from the sense of personal transformation, mastery and empowerment that are earned along the way.