Resources for Graduate Students

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RESOURCES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS:
A Selective Guide

To find information on graduate schools and the graduate school experience, consult both print and online sources. There are many excellent print directories, guides to scholarships, handbooks for writing the successful thesis, plus Internet sources on funding, test preparation, writing, and general survival. Be sure to utilize the Graduate School page and the site for the Institutional Research Board (IRB).

FINDING THE RIGHT SCHOOL

Catalogs | Colleges/Universities | Directories | Rankings

Directories

Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools. Reserve RK 91 .A58 2001.
Guide to American Graduate Schools. 8th ed. 1997. L 901 .D68x 1997.

Guide to Doctoral Programs in Business Management. HF 1131 .G85 1995.
GradSchools.com: Directory of Graduate School Programs: Claims to be "the most comprehensive online source of graduate school information."
Graduate Guide: U.S. Directory of Doctoral and Master's Programs (School Guide Publications)

Graduate Schools (U.S. News & World Report)

Information on programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine, and other disciplines.
Graduate Study in Psychology. Reserve BF 77 .G73 2002.
Medical School Admission Requirements, United States and Canada. Reserve R 745 .A8 2002/03.
Official GRE/CGS Directory of Graduate Programs. 4 v. 16th ed. Ref L 901 .G72.: Published by ETS (Educational Testing Service), this standard guide is organized by field of study in four areas: (1) Natural Sciences, (2) Engineering and Business, (3) Social Sciences and Education, (4) Arts, Humanities, and Other Fields.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools. Reserve KF 273 .A87 2002.
Official Guide to MBA Programs, Admissions and Careers. Reserve Ref HF 1131 .O539 7th.
Peterson's Annual Guides/Graduate Study. 6 v. 35th ed. Ref L 901 .P46 2001.: Well-known directory for graduate programs. Issued annually in six parts: (1) Overview, (2) Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, (3) Biological Sciences, (4) Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, (5) Engineering and Applied Sciences, (6) Business, Education, Health, Information Studies, Law, and Social Work. More complete than Web version.
Peterson's Graduate School Information Channel: Web version of Peterson's Annual Guides plus other information.
Pharmacy School Admission Requirements. Ref RS 110 .A63a 2002/03.

Rankings

Educational Rankings Annual. Ref LB 2331.63 .E34 2001.
Gorman Report: A Rating of Graduate and Professional Programs for American and International Universities. Ref LB 2331.62 .G69 8th 1997.
Graduate Program Rankings (PhDs.org.): Based on the National Research Council's publication.
Graduate School Rankings (U.S. News)
Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change. Ref L 901 .R47x 1995.: Print version of a valuable source for evaluating doctoral programs by the National Research Council.
Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change: Full-text Web version of the above print publication.

Colleges/Universities on the WWW

Use one of these directories to locate the home page of a college/university, including the college catalog.

American Universities (University of Florida, 2002)
Web U.S. Higher Education (University of Texas, Austin, 2001): Well-organized site.

College Catalogs

College Source Online: College Search (Career Guidance Foundation): Over 10,600 catalogs. Graduate and professional schools included. Restricted to CSUS students/faculty.

Table of Contents

APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL

Admissions | Personal Statement

Application/Admission Process

Beyond the Ivy Wall: 10 Essential Steps to Graduate School Admission. 1989. LB 2371.4 .G74 1989.
Getting In: An Applicant's Guide to Graduate School Admissions (David Burrell, Ohio State University, 1999): Five sections available online: (1) introduction, (2) deciding where to apply, (3) contacting faculty members, (4) visiting schools, (5) commando tactics while you wait, (6) final note. Good source. Complete guidebook available from The Graduate Group.
Graduate School Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Getting In and Succeeding. 1998. LB 2371.4 .J47 1998.
Graduate School Survival Guide (Stanford University)
Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Without Excellent Grades. LB 2371 .M86x 1997.
Tips for Researching and Applying to Graduate Schools (Chris Parks, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee): A variety of good information.

Writing the Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose

Grad School Application Essays: Accepted.com offers tips on writing for admission to grad schools as well as professional schools.
Graduate Admission Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice. 2000. In processing.
How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional Schools. 3rd ed. 1997. Reserve LB 2351.52 .U6 S74 1997.
Personal Statements and Application Letters (Indiana University)

Table of Contents

TESTING/TEST PREPARATION

Admission Tests | Sites for Graduate Tests/Test Preparation | Subject Study Guides

General Sites for Graduate Tests/Test Preparation

More can be found on most of these commercial locations than just test information.

Graduate Guide Exams
Graduate School Admission Tests (Gradview.com)
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Peterson's Test Prep Channel: Graduate Entrance
Princeton Review's Test Prep Tools

Admission Tests

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

Everything You Need to Score High on the GRE. LB 2367.4 .E94 2000.
Graduate Record Examinations (gre.org): Note change that will take effect October 2002.
GRE (Princeton Review)
Kaplan GRE Exam 2000-2001. LB 2367.4 .K37x 2000.

Miller Analogies Test

Barron's How to Prepare for the MAT, Miller Analogies Test. LB 2367.6 .S74 1998.
The Best Test Preparation for the MAT: Miller Analogies Test.: Main Reserve LB 2367.6 .B47 1998.
Stockton Ref LB 2367.6 .M47 1998.
MAT, Miller Analogies Test. LB 2367.6 .S73 1993.

Subject Study Guides

Criminal Justice

Complete Preparation Guide: Corrections Officer, California. 1996. Reserve HV 9475 .C2 C57 1996.
Complete Preparation Guide: Police Officer, California. 1996. Reserve HV 8145 .C2 C666 1996.
How to Prepare for the Police Officer Examination. 1992. Reserve HV 8143 .S34 1992.

Education

CBEST: California Basic Educational Skills Test

California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) Home Page

CBEST: California Basic Educational Skills Test. 1998. Reserve LB 3060.33 .C34 C24 1998.

Cracking the CBEST. 1999. Reserve LB 3060.33 .C34 S58 1999.

Barron's MSAT: How to Prepare for the Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers.: Main Ref LB 1766 .M64 .P67 1998.
Stockton Ref LB 1766 .M64 P67 1998.
The Best Test Preparation for the MSAT, Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers: PRAXIS II. LB 1766 .M64 B47 1995.
Cracking the PRAXIS II: NTE.: Compact Disc X EDUC CPI C.
LB 1762 .C63x 1997.
Everything You Need to Score High on the PRAXIS II: Core Battery, MSAT Speciality Area Tests. Stockton Ref NB 1762 .L48 1998.
How to Prepare for the PRAXIS: NTE, PLT, PPST-CBT: Subject Assessments, NTE Speciality Test.: Main Reserve LB 1762 .P67 1999.
Stockton Ref LB 1762 .P67 1999.
Transition from Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers (MSAT) to CSET (California Commission on Teaching Credentialing)
New Rudman's Questions and Answers on the Multiple Subject Assessment for Teachers (MSAT): Test Preparation Study Guide. Res LB 1762 .N425x 1997.

PRAXIS II: NTE.: Main Reserve LB 1762 .P74.
Stockton Ref LB 1762 .P74.

RICA: Reading Instruction Competence Assessment

Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing)
Reading Instruction Competency Assessment: Preparing for the California RICA Exam: An Online Guide to General RICA Content and the Literacy Learning Needs of Bilingual Readers (Jill K. Mora, San Diego State University)
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA)
Ready for RICA: A Test Preparation Guide for California's Reading Instruction Competence Assessment. 2002. On order.

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SURVIVING THE GRADUATE EXPERIENCE

General | Organizations/Groups

General

Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or a PhD. LB 2371.4 .P48 1997.: Good for "getting in" graduate school as well as for "getting through" grad school. Has chapters on the thesis proposal, thesis writing, plus other topics.
Graduate School Survival Guide (Stanford University)
Graduate Study in the Computer and Mathematical Sciences: A Survival Manual (University of Maryland, 1999)
How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors, Part I. (Marie desJardins)
How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors, Part II. (Marie desJardins)
Negotiating Graduate School: A Guide for Graduate Students. LB 2371 .R67 1995.
Seven Steps to Success in Graduate School (and Beyond) (Adapted from N. J. Halas)
Surviving Graduate School Part-Time. 1997. LB 2371.4 .P58 1997.: Not all that substantive, but there may be a few good tips.
The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide: Getting In, Getting Money, Exams and Classes, the Profs, the Thesis/Dissertation. LB 2371.4 .M58 1996.

Organizations/Discussion Groups/Support Groups

Association for Support of Graduate Students/ASGS: Objective is "to assist students to plan . . . and complete their theses or dissertations, produce the highest quality research, write effectively . . ., and improve their lives throughout the process."
Council of Graduate Schools: Resources for Students
H-Grad: List-serv that provides graduate students with a safe, graduate-student only forum for discussing a wide variety of issues related to graduate school, teaching, and becoming PhD's in humanities-based professions." Provided by H-Net, Humanities and Social Sciences Online.
National Association of Graduate-Professional Students/NAGPS: "Serving graduate and professional students since 1986."

Table of Contents

WRITING THE THESIS/DISSERTATION

General Guides | Literature Reviews | Style Manuals | Thesis Proposals

The following publications, which provide helpful tips and suggestions, are in four categories: (1) literature reviews, (2) thesis proposal writing, (3) general guides, and (4) style manuals. Many of the general guides also contain valuable assistance on writing the proposal, the literature review, as well as other information.

Literature Reviews

Writing a Literature Review in the Health Sciences and Social Work (Health Sciences Writing Centre, University of Toronto)

Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. 1999.: Main Reserve H 61.8 .G35x 1999.
Stockton H 61.8 .G35x 1999.

Thesis Proposal Writing

The Proposal Cookbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Dissertation and Thesis Proposal Writing. 1979. LB 2369 .F73 1979.
Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Great Proposals. 1993. Q 180.55 .P7 L63 1993.

General Guides

Completing Dissertations in the Behavioral Sciences and Education. 1985. LB 2369 .L65 1985.

Completing Your Thesis or Dissertation: Professors Share Their Techniques and Strategies. 2000. LB 2369 .C66x 2000.

Conducting Research: A Preparation Guide for Writing and Completing the Research Project or Thesis in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Forensic Science and Related Fields. 1995. LB 2369 .D35x.

Copyright Law & Graduate Research: New Media, New Rights, and Your New Dissertation (Kenneth D. Crews, Indiana University, 1996)

Developing and Writing Your Thesis, Dissertation, or Project. 1998. LB 2369 .W286 1998.

Written by William G. Webster, a retired member of the College of Education (CSUS)who taught research methods for many years. This is a "book of sound advice about conceptualizing, organization, developing and finalizing your terminal graduate research." His companion book is 21 Models for Developing and Writing Theses, Dissertations and Projects.

Dissertation Handbook: A Guide to Successful Dissertations. 2nd ed. 1993. LB 2369 .N5 1993.

Some of the advice applies to master's theses also.

Dissertations and Theses from Start to Finish: Psychology and Related Fields. BF 76.5 .C645 1993.

Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or a PhD. LB 2371.4 .P48 1997.

Graduate Research Guidebook: A Practical Approach to Doctoral/Masters Research. 3rd ed. 1994. LB 2369 .B24 1994.

Table of Contents available on OLLIE (online catalog).

Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: A Handbook for Students and Faculty. 1998. LB 2369 .M377 1998.
Guide to Writing Empirical Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 2002. LB 2369 .G27 2002.
How to Organize Your Thesis (John W. Chinneck, Carleton University)

How to Write a Thesis. 1998. Reserve LB 2369 .T36 1998.

In Search of a Dissertation Committee (Laurie Hernandez, 1996): Published in Qualitative Report (v. 4, 1996) from the School of Social and Systemic Studies, Nova University.

Negotiating Graduate School: A Guide for Graduate Students. LB 2371 .R67 1995.

Secrets for a Successful Dissertation. 1998. LB 2369 .F547 1998.

Of special interest are the following: Appendix A: Action words; Appendix B: Checklist of items for a research proposal; Appendix D: Active verbs. The action words/verbs can be useful in providing some variety for your writing style.

Successful Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Student Research from Proposal to Completion. 1992. LB 2369 .M32 1992.
Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process. 1992. LB 2369 .R83 1992.

Theses and Dissertations: A Guide to Writing in the Social and Physical Sciences. 1997. LB 2369 .T44 1997.

21 Models for Developing and Writing Theses, Dissertations and Projects. 1998. LB 2369 .W385 1998.

Another book by William G. Webster (CSUS) for those doing graduate research. "A book of practical approaches, ideas, and solutions for conceptualizing, organizing, developing and finalizing your graduate research requirements."

Writing and Defending a Thesis or Dissertation in Psychology and Education. 1980. BF 76.5 .M36.

Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation (S. Joseph Levine, Michigan State University)

A 13-page guide Dr. Levine wrote to assist his graduate students.

Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day. 1998. LB 2369 .B57 1998.

"A guide to starting, revising, and finishing your doctoral thesis."