Let’s Talk: Research Stream Graduate School

Research Stream Graduate School 101:

• Two Streams: Master of Science (MSc) or Doctorate (PhD) Degree

• Trainees conduct their own research towards answering a scientific question, under the supervision of a faculty member (principal investigator (PI))

• May include lab rotations before committing to one for the duration of the program

• Requires:

  • completion of a 4-year degree (i.e., your Bachelor of Science, if applying to a STEM program)

  • being accepted by the university/department and;

  • securing a PI

Note: Some universities/academic institutions may not offer research-stream MSCs

Note: Most students enter grad school after completing their BSc, but some may be entering from the workforce, or after completing a professional degree

Course-based vs. Research Programs

The following information is based on two programs offered by York University.

Note: The above information was sourced from the YorkU website, any may have been updated after this post was created.

Why apply to Research Stream Graduate Programs

Each person’s motivation and personal ambitions will be different, but a core factor is passion and interest in area of research you want to pursue at a higher level through graduate school. You may also have practical reasons, such as:

• Career aspirations that require an advanced degree; many careers in both academia and STEM industries value advanced degrees

• Overall enhancement of professional skills (critical thinking, oral and written communication); this can be major driver of students seeking further training since they may not have gained enough practical experience during their BSc

• Major lifelong skills development – coping with failure, finding inner strength, self-perseverance

• Improved admission transcript for a professional program (e.g., medical school)

The best test for knowing if you will enjoy a research-based graduate program is to gain some experience doing research as an undergraduate student.

Lab Courses:

• Gain a solid foundation in lab basics

• Wet/dry lab technical skillset proficiency

• Exposure to the scientific method, literature review, data analysis

Note: Lab courses are designed to ‘guarantee’ a specific result at the end and are not a 1:1 comparison for actual research. The goal with lab courses is mainly to upskill your technical abilities.

Summer research programs/placements:

• Offered by STEM departments within universities and research hospitals

• Usually are paid roles

• Can independently seek out a summer research job by contacting faculty members

Note: Make sure you are helping with actual experiments and not just doing ‘busy work’

3rd/4th Year thesis project:

• For credit course where you work in a research lab on your own project

• Usually paired with a senior graduate student who becomes your primary supervisor

• Final deliverables include a written report and a thesis presentation/exam

Note: This is the best pre-grad research opportunity: it allows you to experience all aspects of grad school – reviewing the literature, testing hypotheses, experimenting and re-experimenting when things fail, writing to convince an audience, and defending your results.

When applying to graduate school, prospective PIs will evaluate your level of experience with research before accepting you into their lab for your MSc or PhD. Make sure you take time during your BSc to provide yourself with a strong foundation in various lab competences, but also take the time to decide if you WANT to pursue research further.

What will I learn from research program?

The obvious things are your technical and professional competencies, but research-stream programs teach you lifelong skills.

Independence: Nothing teaches you independence like the responsibility of your own research project. You are leading and managing all aspects of your thesis: creating hypotheses and conducting experiments, developing and strengthening your critical and analytic skills; deciphering the impact and value of your findings. The personal growth that is attained through research is second to none.

Self-discipline: A key difference between undergrad and grad school is the lack of structure the latter can have. Though you take a small number of courses, the bulk of your time is spent conducting research (e.g., running experiments at the lab bench, working in the clinic, working with large data sets). Learning how to manage your time and tasks efficiently can be difficult at the beginning, but mastering this means implementing a consistent routine (accounting for delays and surprises). Moreover, it is up to you to stay determined and motivated during graduate school, despite the challenges and obstacles you encounter. At the end of the day, the degree you obtain will only be in your name – so own it.

Perseverance: Research-stream programs can be stressful. There may be days/weeks/months where experiments fail, which is mentally draining. This is when you need to dig deep, find your inner strength, and get back into ‘the lab’. This is also when having a solid support system (e.g., your PI, lab mates, family/friends) can help you finds ways to overcome these pain points. Imposter syndrome is also quite common in research. You may feel like you are never doing enough experiments, never winning the prized scholarship, never publishing the high-impact paper. Everyone has periods of struggle, and not all projects are as fruitful as others – this is just the reality of research. Learning how to trust your instincts, but also separating yourself from your research, are critical pieces of finding success in grad school.

Whether or not you decide to pursue research stream graduate school is only something you can determine for yourself. Many students find a way to thrive in this type of environment, but some much rather prefer the structure of course-based/professional programs.

Whichever path you choose, do what is best for you.