Lesson 2. Graduate School

ADMISSION GUIDELINES FOR GRADUATE APPLICANTS

The primary responsibility of graduate school is to offer doctoral programs. The amount of time required to complete the Ph.D can vary depending on whether or not the student holds a Master's degree at the time of enrollment, the nature of the dissertation project, and other factors. However, there are some general guidelines apply to all students who pursue a doctorate.

In addition to courses in their major discipline, students may take courses in foreign languages, statistics, computer languages, and other skills essential to research in a given discipline. Once the student has successfully completed course work, qualifying examinations and special requirements, he or she is certified as a candidate for the Ph.D. The final step is to write and defend the doctoral dissertation.

The journey to the Ph.D may take as little as three years, but most students finish it in four to six. Many students augment their student career with teaching assistantship, research assistantship, or adjunct teaching positions.

Students are actively involved in the planning of their doctoral programs. In many programs students help plan and participate in colloquia, national and international conferences, research projects, and other activities that supplement their studies.

Admission to doctoral programs is very competitive. The prospective student must hold a Bachelor's degree or its United States equivalent from a recognized college, university or other institution of higher learning. The student's record should be a strong one with an average grade of В (i.e. "very good") or better.

In addition to an earned bachelor's degree, applicants are normally required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Some professional programs (e.g. management and law) require specialized admission tests instead of, or as an option to, the GRE. They include the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

All international students are expected to submit a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) when their native language is not English. Students who intend to apply for a teaching assistantship also should take the Test of Spoken English (TSE).

Typically, a prospective student is to submit the following documents to the Graduate School:

1. an application form;

2. three letters of recommendation;

3. transcripts (an official document, enumerating the exams and courses taken and grades received, coming from the University with a University seal and signed by a University official);

4. record of scores on TOEFL, GRE, etc.;

5. financial information and documents;

6. a personal statements;

7. an application fee.

(from "American English for everyday and academic use ")

Ex. 1. Find factual information in the text to prove the following.

1. The amount of time required to complete the Ph.D. is different.

2. Students are actively involved in the planning of their doctoral programs.

3. Admission to doctoral programs is very competitive.

4. In addition to an earned bachelor degree, applicants are required to take some more examinations.

Ex. 2. Tell what you know about:

1. Master’s degree program; b) assistantship; c) GRE; GMAT; TOEFL; TSE; LSAT; d) Personal statement.

Ex. 3. Match the words with their definitions.

1. GRE; b) Graduate school; c) GMAT; d) transcript; e) Bachelor’s degree; f) TOEFL; g) teaching assistant; h) application fee; i) college; j) application form.

1. _______ is part of college or university entirely devoted to postgraduate school.

2. ______ earns part of his graduate support by helping a professor teach an undergraduate course.

3. ______ represents successful completion of four-year course at a college or university.

4. ______ is a test of skills and knowledge given to undergraduate students who want to enroll in graduate programs in arts and sciences.

5. _______ is a test given to undergraduate students who want to enroll in graduate programs in management.

6. _______ is a test of English for nonnative speakers of English.

7. _______ is an official document, enumerating the exams and courses taken and grades received.

8. _______ is a school offering specialized instruction in some profession.

9. _______ is if your printed or typewritten letter sent out in great numbers.

10. ______ is entrance money for an examination.

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the primary responsibility of graduate school? 2. What does the amount of time required to complete the Ph.D. depend on? 3. When is a student certified as a candidate for the Ph.D.? 4. What is the final step in course work? 5. How long does it take to earn the Ph.D.? 6. With what do students augment their student career? Who can qualify for admission to the Graduate school? 8. What kind of test should international students take? 9. What documents is a prospective student to submit to the Gradual School?

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Ex. 5. Speak on the following situation. Make use of Vocabulary List.

1. speak on admission requirements to the Graduate School.

Vocabulary List: to pass the admission tests; to get B. S. with honors; to feel a little nervous about this application business; to enter the Graduate School; to submit the documents to the Graduate School.

2. your study and research

Vocabulary List: to consider all the data; to be involved in the planning of doctoral programs; to apply for a teaching assistantship; to give a full analysis of the problem;

to finish course work and qualifying exams means to be approved as a candidate for a Ph.D.; to major in area of specialization; to defend the dissertation.

3. test taken by international students

Vocabulary List: to speak English well enough; to pass the TSE exam; to submit a satisfactory score; to be going to study abroad; your knowledge of the language is poor; to pay for education; to apply for financial aid to several foundation.

Lesson 3. People and Jobs.

Yourself And The "Market"

Among the most personally rewarding demonstrations of your communication power is your use of words to get the job you want.

Nowhere is this ability more important than in the application for a job. Here your skill in personal expression meets its toughest test: Can you get the job you need through your words alone?

To this test question no one can answer yes except you. You alone can properly tell the facts about yourself. No one else can do it successfully.

То apply successfully for employment requires research on the one hand; and creativity on the other.

Research involves your discovering or rediscovering information about (1) yourself as a prospective worker, (2) other people as prospective employers or co-workers, and (3) circumstances that are likely to associate you with those other people. Creativity, related to employment applications, involves your producing words and actions that represent your research finding so that you will effectively fulfill your purpose and get your job.

On the practical scale no kind of communication ranks higher for personal use than the job application message. Although many applicant have acceptable or even good educations, they have for some reason learned nothing whatever about how to apply for a job.

Your application represents you as it reaches your prospective employer's desk. Your skill and ability will be sold in competition. So prepare yourself to compete with other applicants who, just as earnestly as you, may want the same job. Like you, they will put their dependence on an application in which they picture themselves as well as they know how. Your task is to make yourself more skillful so that you may outperform the others.

Prospective employers want to "size up" applicants ahead of the interview. They want to determine in advance whether the applicants are worth further contact. The impression their applications make literally determine whether they are worth taking the time to see.

To introduce a product, you study it to find its superior qualities and uses. You then study your market to find who are your prospective buyers, where they live, what their buying habits are, what features and qualities they are looking for and what appeals will be strongest.

You follow the same process in winning a job. You study yourself to discover your personal qualities. You get ready to put into persuasive words a description of your training, your skill, your knowledge, and your ability. You study the services you can offer in order to be able to present them effectively.

Next you search out prospective employers who might have a need for the kind of ability you can offer. You find out where these employers work, when they do their interviewing, what opportunities are open, what qualifications are needed for handling these jobs. You then put yourself on the “examining stand” and decide whether the qualification you have are those the employer wants. You proceed to the third and final step, the application itself, only if your completed study of yourself and the job shows that your qualifications fit.

Thus you complete the preparatory study that gives your application the advantage over aggressive competition. For competition you will have! To meet it, you must make every preparatory step count.

Here is a summary:

The Product: yourself, your skills, your abilities.

The Market: prospective employers whose locations, job opportunities, and needs have been studied.

The Contact: your application itself.

Major classes of applications : (1) solicited, written in response to advertisements (usually “want ads”), and (2) unsolicited.

An unsolicited application is one written by an applicant who hopes that there may be an employment opening or who happens to hear of a vacancy. But more commonly it is written at the suggestion of a third person who may know the prospective employer or who may have knowledge of a definite job that is open. The “third person” may be a friend, an employment agency, or a representative of an appointment bureau.

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On the other hand, advertisements draw the greater number of applications. Because of the scores of applications that result, your message, if it is to obtain more than casual notice, must stimulate attention and interest through its expression, tone, and appearance.

Ex. 1. Look at the list of jobs and the adjectives characterizing them. Discuss the jobs using these adjectives.

Example: a firefighter – This work is really dangerous and stressful. It isn’t suited for me.

Jobs: an assistant to a bank manager; an interpreter for a politician; the salesman of a CD shop; a nurse; a firefighter; an accountant; a barman; a policeman.

Adjectives: - boring / routine / unstimulating

- nice / fun

- dangerous / frightening

- well paid

- popular / modern

- relaxing

- exciting / stressful

- suited for me / satisfying

- promising but challenging.

Ex. 2. Match the opposites.

1. hardworking a) dishonest, double-faced

2. sociable, easy-going b) apprehensive

3. attentive c) indecisive, hesitant

4. honest, truthful d) irresponsible

5. reliable, devoted e) unsociable, bossy, reserved

6. quick, witty f) unreliable

7. brave, courageous g) badly-organized, disorganized

8. responsible h) lazy

9. well-organized i) inattentive

10. careful, prudent j) careless, imprudent

11. decisive k) slow-witted.

Ex. 3. Name the opposites to the following adjectives.

active, energetic - ________; creative, imaginative - _________; friendly - ________; balanced, quiet - ____________; helpful - ___________; patient - ___________.

Ex. 4. Look at the list of professions below. Use the adjectives to describe specific features for each of them. Give reasons.

Example: A salesman should be a hard-working, well-organized person who is also honest. A job like this needs a person who gets on well with people at work, who is friendly, patient and attentive.

A lawyer, a nurse, an architect, a receptionist, a journalist, an accountant, a cashier, a security guard, a mechanic.

Ex.5. Read the advertisement for a job.

The International Language Center

wants

a receptionist

Do you like working with people?

Can you speak two foreign languages?

Can you use a word processor?

Do you know Oxford well?

Write to Jane Watson, Director

The Oxford International Center

16 College Street, Oxford OX2 7PT

Ex. 6. Read the information about Ann. She is interested in the job. Fill in the gaps in her letter of application.

Name: Ann Barnes

Age: 26

Address: 7 Hope Road, Oxford OX6 %PT

Present job: tourist guide

Last job: hotel receptionist

Skills: fluent French and Spanish, Microsoft Office, typing 80w.p.m.

Qualities: sociable, creative, responsible.

7 Hope ______

Oxford OX6 5PT

10^th August 2007

Jane Watson

Director

The International Language Center

16 College ________

Oxford OX2 7PT

Dear Ms. Watson,

I am interested in the job of _________ at the International Language Center. I am _______ years old and I ________ in Oxford. At the moment I work as a ______, but last year I __________ a hotel receptionist. I ________ working with people and I ________ Spanish and French. I can also ______ a word processor and type ______ w.p.m. I ______ born in Oxford, so I know it very well. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Ann Barnes

Ann Barnes.

Ex. 7. Look at the advertisement for another job. Write a letter of application.

The Legal Advice Center

is looking for

Legal Expert

for the Economic and Trade Law Team

Requirements:

• a degree in Law with a strong background in Economics

• fluent English (in addition to the native Ukrainian language)

• 30-35 years old and previous experience in a similar position

• good skills in word processing

• be responsible team-player, opened minded personality.

We offer: career growth opportunity, competitive salary

Please, send your application form (letter, CD) by e-mail:

prus@plac. kyiv. ua

Ex. 8. Answer these questions. Discuss.

What do you need to send to an employer before a job interview?

What information about you does an employer need to have?

past/present jobs, certificates, list of illness, parent’s job, hobbies, details of qualification, age, foreign languages, marital status, plans of having children.

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