what does the average grad school course workload look like

by Prof. Nichole Keeling 5 min read

You may have several hours of work to accomplish each day, on average. Even with a light course load, you may find yourself spending 15 or 20 hours a week on your studies. To fit such a workload into your life, you’ll need to plan and balance carefully.

Full Answer

What does grad school look like?

Aug 23, 2011 · For many people, this is simply not true in graduate school. If you are taking 2-3 graduate courses which expect you to read one book-length primary source per week and critical articles, and you are also carrying a one or two course teaching load, you probably will not be able to read every word of every assignment and also sleep. I found it ...

What is it like to be a graduate student?

You may have several hours of work to accomplish each day, on average. Even with a light course load, you may find yourself spending 15 or 20 hours a week on your studies. To fit such a workload into your life, you’ll need to plan and balance carefully.

What do you need to know before going to graduate school?

It then occurred to me that the best way to help instructors was to make it easier for them to make similar calculations. So I recruited Justin Esarey to work with me on an app that would automatically estimate course workload based on instructor inputs about assignments, as well as the research on student learning. And we are introducing our ...

What's the difference between College and graduate school?

As for graduate school courses, they tend to be very relaxed but absolutely fucking filled to the brim with presentations. I swear to God every single class I had last quarter had 4 presentations each. Super freaking annoying. I managed to make it through but my personal research suffered.

What is the workload like in graduate school?

Graduate School Workload During your graduate studies, expect late nights and loads of reading. In fact, expect a lot more work than you ever dreamed of as an undergrad. And when we say more, we mean MORE! There's more reading, more writing, more research—and all with less time to do it.Nov 29, 2017

How many hours a day should a graduate student study?

Graduate study is more demanding than undergraduate study, so you should plan for 3 hours offline prep for every hour you spend “in class.” For each course, you should probably estimate: 3 hours per week reading the content online. 9 hours doing the related readings, papers, etc.Jun 28, 2021

How many hours study a week for Masters?

Courses normally begin in September or October, though some start in January or February. You may have fewer than ten hours of weekly contact time, but you'll be expected to undertake at least 30 to 35 hours of independent study. Teaching methods include seminars, lectures and workshops.

Is there a lot of homework in grad school?

Graduate assignments and tests are a whole new level of crazy. You are expected to know like an infinity more amount for a test. The amount you're expected to read and study is a lot more intense than what I had in undergrad. There really are not that many smaller papers, projects, or assignments.Nov 6, 2011

Is studying 10 hours a day too much?

Study all the time with your computer for 10 hours will destroy your eye vision in a short time. But studying all the time with paper books and pen maybe not suitable for the new modern learning system when much information you need to research online as well as writing and submit essays online.Jul 14, 2020

How many hours do Harvard students study?

Each student takes four courses in both the autumn and spring semesters for a total of 32 courses over the four years. Harvard students spend, on average, 12 hours per week in class and enjoy wide latitude in setting priorities for study and free time.

Can you do a Masters while working full time?

It's also possible to study a Masters while working full-time. Bear in mind that you'll need to be studying the right kind of Masters, however – don't expect to be able to successfully juggle a standard Masters programme with full-time employment commitments!Jul 3, 2020

Is Master's Degree difficult?

In general, master's degree programs are more difficult than undergraduate programs. That's because they build on existing concepts and skills. When you're going for your bachelor's degree, you spend your time reviewing what other people have discovered.Apr 9, 2022

Can you work while doing Masters?

As opposed to the work-study option, part-time work has no restrictions on salary or chosen job. Evening or night-time studies are common options offered by most part-time study programmes. You can always choose both part-time work and part-time study to get the best of both worlds.Jan 11, 2022

How do I get the most out of grad school?

4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Graduate School ExperienceHave a Plan. A graduate degree itself is a nice asset to have. ... Take Advantage of Campus Resources. ... Make Connections Between Your Assignments and Work. ... Manage Your Time Effectively.Jul 27, 2018

What's it like being a grad student?

Graduate study, especially at the doctoral level, is like an apprenticeship. Instead of sitting in class for a couple of hours a day and then being free, grad school is more like a job that occupies all of your time. You'll spend a great deal of your time working on research in your advisor or mentor's lab.Jul 11, 2019

Are there quizzes in graduate school?

The four most common standardized tests for Graduate School are the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Medical College Test (MCAT).

Estimation Details

Somewhat surprisingly, there is very little research about the amount of time it takes the average college student to complete common academic tasks.

Bibliography

Aaronson, Doris, and Steven Ferres. “Lexical Categories and Reading Tasks.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 9, no. 5 (1983): 675–99. doi:10.1037/0096-1523.9.5.675.

Also on Rice Center for Teaching Excellence

"How much should I assign?" is one of the most basic questions teachers …

What does grad school mean?

You'll spend a great deal of your time working on research in your advisor or mentor's lab. 3. Graduate School Means Research.

What makes a graduate student successful?

1. Successful Graduate Students are Autonomous. Graduate school is less structured than college. It requires independent thinking and the initiative to figure things out on your own. You may have to choose your own advisor.

How long does it take to get a doctorate?

4. Doctoral Study Takes Time. A doctoral program is typically a five- to eight-year commitment. Usually, the first year is the most structured year with classes and lots of reading.

Who is Tara Kuther?

Tara Kuther, Ph.D., is a professor at Western Connecticut State University. She specializes in professional development for undergraduate and graduate students. You planned ahead and sought experiences to construct a solid graduate school application. Through hard work, good grades, a solid GRE score, stellar letters of recommendation, ...

Is a doctoral degree a research degree?

While college centered around classes, graduate school centers around research. Yes, you'll take courses, but the purpose of doctoral education is to learn to conduct research. The emphasis is on learning how to gather information and construct knowledge independently. As a researcher or professor, much of your job will consist of gathering materials, reading, thinking about what you've read, and designing studies to test your ideas. Grad school, especially doctoral education, is often preparation for a career in research.

Is graduate school like undergrad?

Graduate School is Not Like Undergrad. Doctoral and master's programs are nothing like college. If you're considering graduate school because you're doing well in college and enjoy school, be aware that grad school will likely be very different than the last 16 or more years of school you've experienced.

Gneiss1

During the past two years of undergrad I took on a fairly heavy workload and have managed to grow accustomed to it and balance things. I took 18-23 credits most semesters, worked a part-time job, and have a family.

TakeruK

For me, I am working way less than I did in undergrad. In undergrad, I spent 18-20 hours a week in classes, worked one evening a week at a tutorial centre, volunteered 2 nights a week with a youth group, took Friday night and half of either Saturday or Sunday off. The rest of the time was homework and undergrad thesis.

Marshall

I feel the complete opposite actually. I suppose it depends on your department, your thesis project. I took about 21 hours my last semester as an undergrad, worked 3 jobs, and was in the wonderful process of planning a wedding but it doesn't compare to the amount of time I spend working now.

jpedge

I think it depends on your department, but also on where you went for undergraduate and graduate school. I have taken coursework at the undergraduate and graduate levels at several institutions- public and private, small and large. I was truly amazed at how much the difficulty of the coursework varied, even within the same discipline.

Eigen

The institutional culture is something to keep in mind as well, and the mindset of your PI. Sadly, a lot of bench sciences have the 60-80 hours of research mentality, with the idea that coursework and everything else is separate.

rockhopper

Just wanted to say thanks everyone, this thread is really helpful! I feel like Frosh-Junior year I really worked hard in undergrad and I've been hit with senioritis. Hopefully I'll get a new sense of purpose the first year in grad school with a TA!

Shari A Williams

I think it's a bit of a leap, but again it's dependent on the factors persons have listed above, along with things like self-discipline etc. I'm finishing my Masters at the same university that I did my undergrad in (which may be the reason why I personally feel like grad school is only a little harder than undergrad).

Who is feeling that COVID slump right now?

I know I’m not the only one, but sometimes it feels like I am. Where I currently am, we have been locked down since November, and currently have a state of emergency activated in our region. There is nowhere to go, we have a stay at home order, and vaccinations are going horribly.

Graduated with a Masters and don't even care

Earlier today I got my diploma, an award for community service and an extra certificate that I opted for and I'm relieved to have been able to pull this off during the wild COVID times but mostly because I have more of a life now. Except now that I have free time, everything is shut down and there's nothing really to do.

It's hard to feel excited about finishing your PhD when it mostly means losing your health insurance and (sort of) stable income..

Humanities PhD student here; just wanted to put this sentiment out there because it's been kinda bumming me out.

What is the best advice you received in grad school?

Looking for some positive engagement here. My supervisor once told me to “get a hobby and stick with it” and also noted that “other people’s successes are not your failures.”

Lack of communication

I haven't talked to my thesis committee in months because of mental health issues, I've had an email for them in my drafts for months. But I basically just fell off the planet and never sent it. I haven't been able to make any progress on my research or writing.

My institution is behind on my paychecks: filing a wage theft claim for the first time

My institution recently launched a new payroll system. This year, all of my paychecks have been for a reduced amount, and five of them were never paid. Since OCTOBER, I have been emailing/ calling every administrator/ account/ HR person at my school that I can think of who could help me out, to no avail.