Personal Background -

•  What types of people do you enjoy being around?
•  What type of environment do you work best in?
•  Do you have a serious boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife?
•  Will both of you be able to find a position/education in the area where the school is located? Is living near family and friends important?
•  Do you prefer big cities or small communities?

Faculty -

•  How many faculty members does the program have?
•  What are the faculty's research interests and publications?
•  What is the philosophy, goals, values, etc of the department and faculty members?
•  What is the student to teacher ratio?
•  How available are the faculty to students?
•  Are students assigned advisors or do they choose one?
•  How much time do the faculty members spend away on research, conferences, etc?

Type and Quality of Program - The type and quality of a program may determine how well prepared you feel to enter your field later, may give insight into the kind of environment you will be working in, and can provide information on whether or not that program will meet your needs in terms of your personal and professional goals.

•  How much emphasis is put on research, teaching, or professional experience?
•  Is the program licensed by accrediting bodies in their field? What is the curriculum?
•  What is the estimated time to complete the program?
•  Can you go part-time/full-time?
•  Are there research or internship requirements?
•  Are there professors who are willing to back your research interests?
•  What are the standards and requirements for admission?

Students - The same questions that were asked of the faculty should be asked of the students. You want to know how the students feel about the program and professors in order to get an accurate picture of how faculty and staff work together and/or support students.

•  How many students/faculty does the program have?
•  How available is your advisor/professors?
•  How well prepared do you feel for major exams/prelims?
•  How long have you been in the program?
•  What do you wish you would have known before entering the program?
•  What kind of flexibility in scheduling is there?
•  Are there assistantships available?
•  How does the department prepare you to become a teaching assistant/research assistant?
•  What is the workload associated with the department's assistantships?
•  What is your impression of the faculty's commitment to mentoring students?

Housing - To learn about housing you may want to talk with students or the housing department on campus.

•  Is there graduate student housing on/off campus?
•  What does it cost/include?
•  Where is on campus housing located?
•  What kind of transportation is available (housing may not be close enough to walk)?

Funding/Costs - Again to find information on funding you may want to talk with the department, students, or financial aide in order to answer some of the following questions.

•  Does the department provide assistantships, fellowships, or grants?
•  What is the department's history with funding its students throughout their graduate studies?
•  Is funding available year round?
•  What other sources of funding are available on campus?
•  What is the cost of the program?
•  What are the hidden costs (insurance, conferences, membership requirements, etc)?
•  What is the cost of living in that area?
•  Has tuition risen in the recent past or is it expected to rise in the foreseeable future?

Facilities -

•  What facilities are available to help you in terms of doing research or participating in internships throughout your graduate experience?
•  Are there research facilities, computers, libraries, or internship opportunities on sight?

Attrition/Dropout - These questions may give insight into the quality of the program, the workload given, and how much attention professors give to the students. If a department cannot answer these questions satisfactorily, the level of involvement between professors and students might not be adequate.

•  What is the attrition rate?
•  Why do students leave the program?

Employment Prospective -

•  What kinds of employment are possible for students graduating from the programs you are considering?
•  Where are past students employed?
•  What is the rate of employment for graduates of each particular program?
•  Where do graduates tend to live/work geographically?