Advice for a Prospective Online Master's Student
As an admissions counselor, I often work with students early in their graduate school application journey. I remind students to triple check application deadlines (as they often differ from program to program) and to be as specific as possible in their statements of purpose. But I was curious what our current students and faculty would say to students who are a little further along in their application journey. I wanted to know what advice they had for students who were deciding what program to choose – and whether an online program might be a good fit for them.
Hope Rogan (Master’s in Computer Science, Tufts ‘25) shared with me that a big part of her decision to enroll in Tufts’ Online MSCS program came after careful consideration of her goals: “There are resources all over the internet; you can teach yourself how to code, for example. But at the end of the day, you need to network, you need to talk to other people, you need to meet people. That's part of the reason I chose this program: for the opportunities to exchange ideas and challenge yourself in a way that you wouldn't have otherwise.”
Faculty member Ming Chow encourages prospective students to consider what’s important for them in an online program. He noted, “Most online programs are asynchronous, and there is no interaction. When you take a course at Tufts, you actually interact with a real professor.” Building opportunities to interact with faculty and peers was an intentional piece of the design of the online programs. “Once a week, minimum, youʼre in a room with everybody else in your class in a small section,ˮ explained Marty Allen, Teaching Professor and Director of Online Programs. “You engage in conversations. Our graduate students tend to have experience in the job market. When talking to one another, they can share perspectives from different industries and job roles, what you need to know to do a specific job, what it's actually like to do it.ˮ Marty continued, “When choosing a program, consider what you want to achieve, such as quality outcomes and job skills, and find a program that fits your needs. If interacting with instructors and peers is important, a Tufts program could be right for you. However, if you're self-directed and don't want much interaction, Tufts may not be ideal because we expect some engagement.”
My final piece of advice is to use your resources! As Lanie Kropp (Master’s in Data Science, Tufts ‘24) shared, “The best advice I have for someone thinking about the program is to reach out and talk to as many people associated with it as possible. Don't spend time speculating. Just ask, and youʼll get answers to determine whether itʼs the right fit for you.ˮ
The Office of Graduate Admissions is here to help you determine if our programs are the right fit for your needs and your professional goals. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask us questions! We’re more than happy to set up time to chat or connect you with a faculty member, program administrator, or current student who can answer your questions.