Graduate School
Before Applying
You can find resources in our office (SSC 270) and on the web. Be sure to visit the college's websites that you are interested in and review their catalog and visit their campus.
Research schools and programs
- Student's Guide to Choosing a Graduate Program (opens in new window)
- Grad school research check list (Google Sheet)
- Getting into Grad School: 5 Steps to Admission (opens in new window)
- Talk with professors, family, friends and coworkers
- Make an appointment to meet with an advisor in the Career Center
- Identify deadlines and program requirements
Researching Graduate Programs & University Rankings
- CSU, Chico Graduate Programs—California State University, Chico's list of master's programs, coordinators, and entrance requirements.
- Participating External Graduate & Professional School Programs
- Petersons.com (opens in new window)—Offers a database of graduate or professional degrees by: name or location; search by: academic areas or professional degrees (law, MBA, medical, etc.).
- Gradschools.com (opens in new window)—A comprehensive graduate school site of information.
- CJBNetwork.com (opens in new window) - Search tool for environmental graduate programs.
- Graduate School Rankings: U.S. News and World Reports(opens in new window)—U.S. News graduate school rankings by field.
- College Rankings: U.S. News and World Reports(opens in new window)— U.S. News & World Report's exclusive college rankings are taken from their ranking of America's Best Colleges.
- Psychology Program Ranking (opens in new window)—This site provides a ranking of graduate programs in psychology throughout the US.
- Best Nursing Degree (opens in new window) - Directory of graduate nursing programs
- Nursing Degree Guide (opens in new window) - Database of nursing programs accredited by the CCNE and NLNAC
- GraduateGuide.com (opens in new window)
Putting Together Your Application
- Application (most are online)
- Resume / Curriculum Vitae
- Statement of Purpose or Letter of Intent (opens in new window)
- Transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
- 2-3 usually required
- Ideally give professors/employers 4-6 weeks advanced notice
- Give recommenders tools to be successful (pre-stamped envelope, copy of your resume, description of grad program, etc.)
- Follow up to ensure you meet set deadlines
- Entrance Exam
- Graduate School Blogs through Magoosh:
- Chico State Testing Office: test dates and locations
- Graduate Studies Master's Thesis/Project Writing Workshop Series
- GRE Fee Reduction Certificate Application (opens in new window)
Graduate School Interview Questions
Funding Graduate School
- Apply for assistantships/fellowships: Understanding Fellowships and Assistantships (opens in new window)
- Identify scholarship opportunities
- Research federal graduate financial aid (if needed)