Investigate to make sure the graduate school has proper accreditation. There are two accreditation types: institutional and program-specific. Individuals need to find out the requirements for the job they wish to pursue with the master's degree. Certain companies may not not recognize the degree and pay the salary typically paid to those holding a master's degree unless the degree is from a college with a specific type of accreditation. It is well worth the time to check into a school's accreditation.
Choose a graduate school after considering its career development and advancement services. Since many people are entering a new field or planning to advance their career, it is good to find a school with job-placement assistance. It is good to know where former graduates from the school are currently employed and to see if that is in line with the type of employment you personally want in the future as well. The best schools are going to have top-of-the-line job placement programs combined with their academics.
Consider the school's location. While this is not the only consideration, location is a large factor. It is imperative to be able to get to class in a timely manner and that it works easily with one's life schedule. Many graduate students must balance family, work, friends and more, and the time factor of getting back and forth to school must be taken into consideration.
Do the math. Cost and financial aid are two important things to think about in the grand scheme of furthering one's education. It is good to take the time to add all costs of tuition, books, technology fees, parking, housing and gas, for instance, to get the full picture of the overall program cost. There are often big differences in the tuition between public and private schools. Tuition must be considered, and the benefits of going to more expensive, prestigious schools must be weighed.
Weigh the diversity represented in the program. The program should have a good mixture of professors with diverse cultural backgrounds, and instructors should have the desire to keep multicultural awareness and sensitivity in the program. The group taking part in the program should be a group where you have a high level of comfort contributing and taking part in the learning.
Decide if the facilities meet your needs. Schools offer varying qualities of facilities. Take into consideration your personal interests, and if up-to-date technology is a must for you and your degree, the school should have state-of-the-art technology. For a person specializing in research or academics, there needs to be ample technology and training in research. Faculty interests should match student interests.