Professional paths in a grad school program

September 9, 2010 6:31 PM

General and specific questions about grad school: two degree paths in one department, and how to learn more about them

Anonymous because this question feels kind of gossipy, and I don't want it connected to my user name if a person from either program finds it. The original draft was super-vague ("and then a person who works in this profession but is not associated with this organization . . "), but I am looking for both specific and general advice here, so I decided some detail was needed especially if it turns out somewhere here is an expert in this subject. All answers welcome, though!

I am applying for Speech Language Pathology (SLP--also abreviation for the career, Speech Language Pathologist) MS programs for beginning fall 2011. I am currently in a postbac program, and my top choice of schools is University of Washington. They have two paths for earning a masters: a "Core" program (for working in schools, clinics, and non-medical settings) and a "Med" program (for, well, medical settings). I will be applying to both, but have to request a top preference. I go back and forth between the programs, but was recently leaning toward the Med program, because it's more in line with my interests. I also think it's easier to get into (since a lot of the people in my program really want to work with school age kids in a non-sad-and-scary location, the Core program is much more popular).

HOWEVER! A few months ago, talking with a SLP in the field (a friend of a friend, at a social gathering), she made it very clear that the Med program isn't nearly as highly regarded in the industry as the Core program. She was pretty blunt about this, but thoughtful. She didn't attend either program, but said she would, even in a medical setting, much rather hire someone from the Core (she's not in charge of any sort of hiring, tho). She's been working in a medical setting for the past five years.

Then a month later, while doing some observation hours, another SLP said basically the same thing, although she was more polite about it. Again, she attended a different program, and had been working in the field for about five years.

But this is hearsayish information. I am trying to find some more information about these two programs (to see if those opinions have merit, to see why the Med program might not be as well regarded, to see if I can still do what I want to do with the Core, etc), but keep hitting a road block. Because they are both in the same department, any ranking/rating information for the programs comes up as one department. I can't find any information comparing the two programs.

Two questions: Are there any good resources for looking at differences between intra-departmental paths like these two, or masters programs in general? And does anyone have any knowledge of the UW programs specifically?

And one more, I guess: I know very little about grad school stuff; most of my family hasn't even attended undergrad, and I don't really have a lot of people I can turn to with questions. What sort of questions are okay to discuss with the program itself?

If you don't want to gossip either, this is my throw-away e-mail address/fake name/pseudonym for many things
[e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Education (3 answers total)

You can request that the department give you information on placements (who got hired where post-graduation) and see if you see a difference. But look, you're saying this is "gossipy," but reputation is essentially a "gossipy" issue. It's based on what people think and say about a program not any objective characteristics of the program. So I would assume the core program has a better reputation, regardless of which is a "better" program in any objective sense.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:41 PM on September 9, 2010

It sounds to me like you've gotten a lucky break here! You want to know how the programs are regarded...and you've gotten unvarnished and corroborating opinions from the people who matter most-- your future professional colleagues. Better yet, you say they were pretty blunt -- I think this suggests that the differences they're describing are basically no secret. I doubt you're going to find a more meaningful way of comparing the programs than this. So I'm with If only I had a penguin... in emphasizing that reputation is a whole lot of hearsay... but don't ever think reputation matters less than the stuff they could give you in some brochure or website with a checklist comparing the two programs.

If you're looking for more opinions, you might want to contact current students from both programs. If you ask tactfully and neutrally about how they would compare the two streams, I bet you'll learn that grad students love to gossip about their own programs! They'll probably feel more free to talk about it than the professors will. If the contact info for individual students isn't listed on the website, it would be entirely normal to ask the program to put you in touch with a couple current students to ask about their experiences.

One more comment..."easier to get into" sometimes translates not only to "less highly regarded" but also to "lower expectations". Not necessarily...but sometimes.
posted by ootandaboot at 7:07 PM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

The grad school bureaucracy is very different from anything you encountered in undergrad. There are rules of course, but administrators are much more flexible and willing to trust your own judgment as an adult, especially after you're admitted. I would be willing to bet that it's possible to transfer from the Med program to the Core program and vice versa, even if there's a written policy saying exactly the opposite.

If your department is anything like mine, there's an administrative assistant who works in the department office and will be totally candid about your chances for admission into each program, the type of students who choose each program, and the differences in the course work. You need to find that person and schedule an appointment!
posted by miyabo at 8:59 AM on September 10, 2010