On many campuses, graduate students are a prized resource, supporting faculty research and the undergraduate instructional mission. Yet attrition rates among master's and doctoral students are often alarmingly high. The 50th installment of The First-Year Experience Monograph Series describes the challenges associated with entry into graduate study and offers information about new initiatives and programs designed to ease their transition -- from unique orientations and mentoring structures to transition courses and graduate student centers. The monograph is written for educators concerned about master's or doctoral students and their road to success.
Transitions in Context: An Overview of U.S. Graduate Education
Theories Relating to the Transition Into Graduate Study
Transitional Needs of Master’s Students
Graduate Students of Color: Unique Challenges
International Graduate Students: Adjusting to Study in the United States
Orientation Programs for Graduate Students
The Transition Course: Supporting Graduate Students’ Adjustment
A New Context for Mentoring: Graduate Learning Communities
Graduate Student Centers: Locus for Services and Community
An Expanded Perspective on the Graduate Transition: Strategies for Supporting Students From Application to Completion of the First Year
Conclusion: Recommendations for Practice
About the Authors
“Graduate Students in Transition is an ambitious book that has much to offer the administrator charged with insuring student persistence and degree completion. It is especially helpful in regards to master’s level students—particularly in the professional fields—where the classic systems of mentoring and apprenticeship are not long-standing.”
- NACADA Journal
