TEM #038: Graduate school specializations: What they are + how to use them
April 12, 2024
Happy Friday!
Exciting news: The Education Mindset will have a slightly new look next week as I switch over to a new email provider.
(No action required on your part, you’re good!)
In honor of this special update, today we’re talking about specializations in graduate programs.
What are they? What other names do they have? How can you leverage them to reach your career goals?
Read on, I’ve got you covered.
This week’s highlights:
Your education affirmation
Graduate school specializations: what they are + how to use them
“Mold juice” revolutionized medicine
Upcoming Event: The Women of Inspiration Summit Experience 📅
Education affirmation.
“Just because you haven't found your talent yet doesn't mean you don't have one.” - Kermit the Frog 🐸
Graduate school specializations: What they are + how to use them.
When you start researching graduate programs, you may see the term “specialization” (or a variation of it) related to degree options or requirements.
Essentially, a specialization refers to a specific set of courses that a graduate student can or will take along with the required courses for their degree.
Specializations give you the opportunity to gain deep, specific knowledge and skills in a certain area related to your career goals.
Keep in mind that you may find that specializations are called something different in each graduate program you research.
Here are a few common synonyms for graduate school specializations:
Track
Major
Option
Subfield
Cognate - this was what I had as an EdD student
Emphasis
Focus area
Field of study
Concentration
Elective cluster
Area of emphasis
What to expect when researching programs:
Regardless of name, specializations are typically 3-10 courses in your chosen interest area.
These could be a pre-determined set of courses (ex. the non-profit track of a Master of Public Policy master’s degree), or a choose-your-own adventure structure where you take a few related courses that are approved by your graduate program.
My experience with a specialization:
In my doctorate, I actually chose a hybrid of the options above.
My Doctor of Education program required students to create or choose a cognate which included 3 courses that complemented the required courses for our degree.
I was interested in developing more applied skills for future leadership roles. This led me to take an elective course in the College of Public Policy (elective courses are separate from specializations, although - as you’ll see - they could count as credit toward your specialization).
After that class, I learned that the college had a 3-course Graduate Minor in Public Policy and Management. The class I took counted toward this minor, so I enrolled in the other 2 required courses and was able to use this minor as my cognate for graduation requirements.
Note: graduate minors are way less common than undergraduate minors - many schools do not offer them, and employers are not expecting to see them on a transcript.
How specializations work once you’re in school:
Typically, you’ll discuss these with an academic or faculty advisor, receive some form of approval, and the specialization will become a formal part of your transcript once completed.
It is not likely to be listed on your diploma.
How to use a specialization for your career goals:
If you have a fairly clear idea of what you want to do after graduation, use your specialization and/or elective courses to gain specific knowledge and skills that will make you a more attractive applicant.
In these courses, you might even choose to focus your large projects on case studies or topics directly related to your future field, which will give you an excellent base of knowledge to share during interview processes.
As a working professional in a doctorate program, I often based class projects around the real work I was doing, too (it was a win-win for efficiency!).
If you’re just starting to research programs or even if you’re preparing to apply, you will not need to commit to a specialization right away.
For now, focus on exploring your specialization options, consider how they might align with your career goals, and take note of programs that offer them so you can ask admissions representatives or current students about what courses you could take as a future graduate student.
🎓
Are you preparing to apply this year and feeling overwhelmed by all of these details to research and keep track of?
(I get it, I’ve been there!)
The Application Starter Pack has The Ultimate Graduate School Application Tracker to keep you organized + 35 Personal Statement Story Starters if you’re worried about what to write.
Fun fact.
Penicillin was a total accident.
Its inventor went on vacation, left a petri dish, and came back to find mold in it… and “juice.”
“Mold juice” - the liquid around the mold that killed the bacteria he was working with.
Like graduate school specializations, the initial name was less important than how he eventually leveraged it to help humanity.
The Women of Inspiration Summit Experience.
Even more exciting news!
Next week (April 18), I’ll be on stage for Columbus Young Professionals Club’s Women of Inspiration Summit Experience (WISE) event.
I’ll be facilitating a fireside chat with several local graduate school representatives and asking the real questions future applicants want to know.
If you’re in the Columbus, OH area (or looking for a fun day trip in Ohio), I’d love to see you there!
Reading this after the event? Check out the Events page to see what workshops and special events are coming up!
Enjoy your weekend, hope to see you soon!
Dr. Jena
** Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help **
If you’re thinking about graduate school 🤔
If you’re ready to apply this year 😃
Related Posts
Hi! I’m Dr. Jena. I help working professionals confidently apply to graduate school and advanced degree programs so they can achieve their career goals.
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