Find a Job You Really Want In
If you’ve gone to college, you’ve no doubt thought about the idea of getting a graduate degree. But getting a degree is a lot of work (and expensive), making the process a big investment – in more ways than one.
However, you may be wondering what the exact difference is. And why are they divided up in that way? Surely going to college is a similar experience each time?
The main difference between the two is in the name. Undergraduate school is when you’re getting your bachelor’s degree – and you are an undergraduate during that process – while graduate school is continuing your education past a four-year degree.
They’re divided up because there is a difference not only in the age and path of the students but in the material taught. Graduate school is usually much more focused and rigorous than undergraduate.
Key Takeaways:
| Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|
| Undergraduates are getting an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. | Graduates are getting a master’s or a doctorate. |
| The majority of undergraduates go to school full time. | Graduates usually go to school part-time while working. |
| An undergraduate degree will allow you to get into an entry-level position in most places. | A graduate degree is usually to further a career path you’re already taking. For some jobs, it’s a requirement to even get in the door – so it’s a way to get a promotion. |
| Most undergraduate classes are large, as there are a lot of students taking the same class. | Most graduate classes are small, as graduate programs are smaller and more focused. |
| An undergraduate degree isn’t just focused on your core classes. It includes a lot of other basic education requirements to give you a broad knowledge base. | A graduate degree focuses on the core curriculum to the exclusion of other subjects. Many of the classes are very in-depth on the subject, as they assume familiarity. |
What Is an Undergraduate?
An undergraduate is someone who is getting a four-year degree, or bachelor’s degree, at a university. It can also be used to describe the school, program, or degree that you’re getting.
Most universities and colleges have an undergraduate program and a graduate program. Some will even separate them into different schools or sections, but that’s more commonly done by the subject.
Most undergraduate programs require the same sort of application in order to get in. High school transcripts, recommendations from teachers, an essay, and ACT, SAT, or SAT II scores (though those are falling out of favor due to being suspended during the pandemic. Some are debating their necessity altogether.) are the requirements.
Undergraduate student has a fair amount of flexibility in their choices. Many undergrads end up shifting their major once they get to school. About one in three will change majors within the first three years of their degree, according to the National Center of Education Statistics, and approximately one in ten will even change their focus more than once.
This is possible because (with American colleges, at least) every degree requires the same baseline courses. Sometimes it’ll vary if you’re shifting from a bachelor of arts to a bachelor of science or vice versa, but the majority of schools require their undergrads to take a certain number of classes on various subjects outside their chosen major.
This is why someone getting a math degree can end up in a philosophy class, or a psychology major can take a class on Shakespeare. The classes aren’t fixed, but the higher education system is based on the idea of a well-rounded education.
Due to the nature of undergraduate school and the number of courses required for it, most undergrads go to school full-time. This means that they take five or so classes a semester and don’t work. While a few students will go part-time while working, mainly for an associate’s degree, it’s not the norm.
What Is a Graduate?
A graduate is either someone who has a bachelor’s degree (sometimes also called an alumnus (masculine), alumna (feminine), or alumni (plural, but taking on the same non-gendered singular as “they”) or someone who’s continuing their education beyond their bachelor’s. Seeing as this article is focused on students and programs, the latter is what we’re concerned with.
A graduate student has chosen to continue their education beyond just four years. This means that they’ve chosen to drill down into a specific subject. It may mean that they have a tremendous interest in it or wish to continue on to get a doctorate, or it may mean they’ve selected something to further their career.
Applying to a graduate program is usually more involved than applying to an undergrad. It requires undergraduate transcripts, recommendations from professors or bosses, and something akin to a motivation letter.
Of course, this varies from school to school and program to program, but most schools want you to spell out why you want to continue your education. It’s also necessary to specify the subject you want to get your degree in.
Unlike undergraduate school, graduate school is geared toward full-fledged adults. It’s not expected for you to take five courses per semester – more like two – and the classes tend to be much more focused on a particular subject. Because of that, and the fact that you’ve likely already settled into your career, you aren’t expected to change your major.
Graduate school is all about increasing your credentials and marketability in the job market. There are exceptions, of course, but many graduate degrees focus on skills used in a particular field and are undertaken in order to increase your value and desirability and, therefore, your salary.
Not nearly as many people get graduate degrees as getting undergraduate degrees, so the classes tend to be small and very focused. Many graduate students will be taken under the wing of a professor and help them with various tasks. This is especially so for doctoral students but not unheard of for those getting their master’s, either.
Undergraduate vs Graduate FAQ
-
Do you have to do an undergraduate degree before a graduate degree?
Yes, you’re required to have an undergraduate degree before pursuing a graduate degree. This means that you need to have a four-year bachelor’s or equivalent degree before a school will accept you into its graduate program.
It isn’t necessary to continue in the same subject as you got your undergraduate in, such as getting a degree in math and continuing in math, though that isn’t uncommon. A basis of understanding is strongly recommended, but due to the wide base that each undergraduate degree requires, most of that knowledge is covered.
-
Do universities offer both graduate and undergraduate courses?
The majority of colleges and universities have both an undergraduate and a graduate program. A few small schools are only going to offer undergraduate degrees as that’s where they get the majority of their students, but the majority have both.
-
Is graduate school easier than undergraduate school?
Whether or not graduate school is easier than undergrad is going to depend on how well suited you are to the different circumstances. However, most are of the opinion that undergraduate school is easier, as it’s both less rigorous and it’s your sole focus, rather than having to balance your job and other aspects of your adult life.
That being said, graduate school is more focused. If you struggled with classes outside your major due to a lack of interest, then that isn’t an issue in graduate school.
Also, you’ll be more established and take fewer classes per semester. Many people go to graduate school at a more settled point in their lives, which takes away the uncertainty of trying to plan out your entire life.
Author
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
