Planning for Graduate School

Student working on the computer.

Hunter's Computer Science Program prepares its students for the choice between entering the workforce and continuing their education in Graduate School.

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Making Decision

For Hunter students nearing completion of our computer science undergraduate program, the decision of whether or not to begin the application process for graduate school may be a difficult one. While faculty advisors, professors and fellow students can offer invaluable help in fleshing out your field of options, we’ve pulled together the information below to better prepare you to make an informed decision. If you’ve already decided to pursue a graduate degree, you’ll find helpful resources here, too. For further discussion and assistance, drop by while our advisors are in session, or contact the CS Department at csinfo@hunter.cuny.edu for an appointment.

About Graduate School

For most computer scientists, graduate school means one of three things:

  1. Graduate degrees in majors for which an undergraduate computer science degree is helpful. Examples include advanced degrees in the sciences where you apply your computer science background to other areas, and professional schools such as law.
  2. Terminal master’s degrees. These are master’s programs that allow you to get more exposure to computer science than possible in the limited amount of time in your undergraduate years.
  3. Doctoral degrees (PhDs). These are intended for those interested in doing computer science research. It is almost always mandatory for getting a job either in industrial research or academia.

Option 1, it is best to consult advisers in the corresponding undergraduate departments to make sure you have adequate undergraduate coursework in both computer science and the other area. If your goal is a scientific major, a strong mathematics background beyond the courses required for your computer science degree is essential.

Option 2 is gaining in popularity, and is becoming increasingly desirable to employers. It allows you to take more advanced versions of your undergraduate courses, and also do independent work. Typically, this takes the form of 2 years of additional coursework, including a major project and/or a master’s thesis. Since this involves independent work, a master’s degree will allow you to get a higher-level and more interesting job with more individual responsibilities than attainable with an undergraduate degree. Terminal master’s degrees are typically not funded, and some are expensive; however, many believe that the extra costs are recovered quickly in a few years since salaries are higher for those with master’s degrees. Traditionally, the master’s degree was in computer science; however, some schools have recently started master’s programs in various computer science subareas. Sample areas include software engineering, information science & technology, computer security, embedded systems, computational biology, and game programming. These may take the form of degrees or certificates associated with a computer science degree.

Option 3 is intended for researchers. PhD students typically get jobs as college professors, or in industrial or government research labs, with a few also going on to start their own companies or head groups related to their areas. Many studies have shown that computer scientists have one of the highest job satisfactions of all majors, but computer science researchers tend to have high job satisfactions even relative to computer scientists. Typically, a PhD program takes 4-8 years, with the bulk of the time being spent doing independent research and writing a thesis. This is a long time; however, it is generally funded at a level supporting your tuition and a basic subsistence lifestyle. You do not need a master’s degree to apply for the PhD program; however, many Hunter students find a master’s degree helpful in getting more advanced knowledge and in getting accepted to more prestigious PhD programs (see below).

You should also be aware of a disadvantage of advanced degrees—the higher the degree, the more focused it is. You will be spending the rest of your life in a somewhat narrow computer science subarea. Note, however, that this is also true for an undergraduate degree, but to a lesser extent—while an undergraduate’s first job may be as an entry-level programmer, future jobs will likely be in subareas related to the first job.

Hunter college offers a Master’s degree in computer science aimed at those who pick option 2 or are unsure if they want to continue with option 3. Advanced students with high research potential may also be able to directly enter a PhD program.

Format of a PhD Program

The end goal of the PhD is to become an expert individual researcher in a particular research area. As such, there are generally 3 stages in a PhD program.

The first phase (typically 1 year) involves taking courses that give you a broad exposure to computer science that is more advanced than an undergraduate program. People with master’s degrees are sometimes exempted from the coursework. This may or may not be a good thing, as you are required to take a qualifying examination based on your courses before continuing in the program, which may pose problems if your MS is at a different college. The exams are a major hurdle, as you typically have to repeat the first year if you fail them.

Debunking the Grad School Myths

Misconceptions about grad school abound, making the decision to pursue a graduate degree even more daunting for many students, so let's dispel some of those myths to clarify the concept of graduate school:

What to Expect

Graduate school is your opportunity to enrich and deepen your knowledge and understanding of your field of computer science, allowing you to develop professionally as an independent individual while offering the potential for unprecedented collaborative experiences. Instead of short-term class grades and course projects on which you’ve relied as an undergraduate, your success in grad school will primarily depend on long-term projects that will be informed by meaningful ongoing research, conference attendance and participation, creative problem solving, and productive peer interaction. However, exams are important, too— your GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores will carry significant weight with admissions committees, fellowship boards, grant organizations and scholarship foundations throughout your career.

In short, your tenacity, resourcefulness, interpersonal/communication skills, and ability to solve problems creatively and independently will be the key factors on which your degree will be awarded.

Getting Started

You've wrapped your head around the concept of graduate school and you're ready to begin the application process. Congratulations — now, the work begins!

Reach Out

Get The Assistance You Need

Your faculty advisors are available to speak with you about planning your post-graduate career. To arrange an off-schedule appointment, contact the department at csinfo@hunter.cuny.org. Helpful related resources on the web include:

  • FinAid: Self-billed as “the smart student guide to Financial Aid,” this funding resources clearing house provides information about scholarships, graduate fellowships, loans, lotteries and grants. You’ll also find handy calculators and even applications online.
  • CRA: Computer Science PhD Rankings: The Computing Research Association’s searchable database of information provided in the National Research Council’s Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change study. Impressively granular search criteria, but data is from a 1995 study. Good starting point, though.