Test Drives

Some graduate school programs seem to have the helpful feature that you can take a couple of courses as a non-degree student to dip your toe in the water before committing to the involved process of putting an application for a degree program together.

Here are links to some examples:

http://www.uncg.edu/grs/programs/visions.html

http://gradschool.binghamton.edu/ps/nondegree.asp

http://learnmore.duke.edu/academicstudies/graduate.htm

http://www.grads.vt.edu/academics/programs/non_degree.html

http://www.montclair.edu/graduate/prospective/non-deg.shtml

http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/starting/howtoapply.htm

More examples?

A link to an article on the subject:
http://www.back2college.com/gradschooltest.htm

It's nice to be able to test the waters without making a big deal out of it, especially since your new pursuit may still require a lot of negotiation and coordination with family and work. All that and it costs money, too! Even if your employer provides tuition support for your courses (more on that in another post), you will still have some out-of-pocket expense.

Warning: Most schools I've seen place limits on how many of these courses you can usefully take as a non-degree student. Many schools will only let you apply 6 semester hours (2 courses) taken while in a non-degree status to a degree. They may also require you to apply for a degree after two courses or leave. Some also have absolute limits on the courses you can take as a non-degree student.