Undergrad vs. Grad School: Differences, Courses & Requirements

Everyone knows about the transition from elementary school to middle school to high school, but higher education also has multiple levels. When students go to college, they will probably hear terms like undergraduate degree and graduate studies, but might not know the difference. Both levels of degree programs have similarities, but there are several key differences between the two.

Key Differences Between Undergraduate and Graduate School

There are several differences between graduate and undergraduate studies, even though both result in a college degree.

• Graduate degree programs are more in-depth than undergraduate studies.
• Most graduate-level degrees require an undergraduate degree first or concurrently to fulfill credit requirements, while an undergraduate degree can be earned independently.
• Undergraduate degrees include general education courses, while graduate programs are highly focused.
• Undergraduate degrees generally take longer than graduate courses, with most undergraduate degrees taking four years compared to 18 to 24 months for most master's degrees.

What Is Undergraduate School?

Undergraduate school is for students who haven't completed a four-year degree program. If you take an undergrad program, you'll be working toward an associate or a bachelor's.

Some students might complete an associate degree at a community college or other institution before transferring or continuing their education in their current school. Even though they might have completed their associate degree and graduated, pursuing a bachelor's degree immediately after won't count as graduate school.

What Is Graduate School?

Graduate school is for advanced degree programs, like master's and doctoral degrees. These programs are specific to the major and won't include elective or additional courses. Graduate school can be completed immediately after undergraduate school, but it is also commonly used by students going back to school to get a higher level degree for career changing or advancement.

Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Requirements

In addition to the differences between the courses and work at the two levels of higher education, there are many key differences between the two when it comes to enrollment and admission requirements.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Undergraduate degree programs will have varying requirements from school to school and even from program to program, but they are generally similar in what is required for graduation with an associate or bachelor's level degree.

Admission Application and Acceptance

Applying to an undergraduate program is often commonly done before high school graduation to continue education the following fall, but students of any age can apply. Depending on the school, the undergraduate application process generally follows a similar protocol.

Students are expected to have:

• a qualifying GPA (some schools have no minimum)
• standardized test scores (most commonly the ACT or SAT)
• high school transcripts
• proof of English proficiency for international students

Some schools also have submission documents like auditions, portfolios, and letters of recommendation from teachers, guidance counselors, or employers.

General Education Courses

One of the biggest differentiators between undergrad and grad students' course load is the inclusion of general education and electives. Undergraduate students will often take classes that are unrelated to their chosen field of study. For example, a business administration student might be required to take a science course.

Credit Hours

Undergraduate degrees come in two forms: associate and bachelor's. The credit hour requirements for these two different degree programs work out to about 15 credit hours per semester. This means an associate degree will have about 60 credit hours over two years while a bachelor's will often take 120 (or more for some majors) credit hours over four years.

Complete Coursework for the Specific Major

To graduate from an undergrad degree program there will be differing requirements for specific majors. Some programs will include requirements like internships and capstone projects to demonstrate how well skills and knowledge have been learned.

Graduate Degree Requirements

Because graduate degree programs are designed to be completed by people with previous knowledge earned through a previous degree and possibly even with work experience, the requirements for enrollment and actual coursework differ greatly from undergraduate programs.

Completion of a Bachelor's Degree

The biggest factor that will change enrollment in post-graduate education is the requirement of a bachelor's degree. Most graduate programs are viewed as an extension of the bachelor's program that was completed. The bachelor's degree is treated as the introduction to the subject, while the graduate program is the deep dive into the topic.

Qualifying Undergraduate GPA

Although some undergraduate programs have a requirement of a qualifying high school GPA, graduate programs almost always require an undergrad GPA of at least 3.0, but the requirement is sometimes higher depending on the school you're applying to.

Entrance Exam

There are several entrance exams that schools use for graduate programs, but the most common one is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). This exam is a standardized test that covers a variety of education topics to display the results of general education in undergraduate college.

However, more specialized graduate school programs might use different exams. For example, law schools use the LSAT and business schools often use the GMAT. Before scheduling an entrance exam session, make sure you confirm which test your desired grad program prefers.

Admission Application, Interview, and Acceptance

Admission to a graduate program isn't always about pure academics, sometimes there will be an interview or other review process to see how well a candidate will fit within the program.

Other application requirements for graduate programs might include:

• a statement of purpose
• demonstration of research experience or an internship
• letters of recommendation from undergraduate professors or your employer

Complete Required Coursework Depending on Specialization

Each graduate program is highly specialized, and the work required to complete a given program will be different. Law school, for example, will include mock trials and differing capstones compared to a graduate-level medical degree.

FAQs About Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs

Because of the differences between graduate and undergraduate classes, it's easy to have questions.

Is a Graduate Degree Better Than an Undergraduate Degree?

It will vary based on your chosen career, but graduate degrees are often preferred when it comes to executive or higher management positions. Some careers, like being a doctor or a lawyer require a graduate degree before you can begin work.

Is Grad School Easier Than Undergrad?

In terms of the depth of coursework, grad school is more difficult than undergrad courses. However, because graduate classes are more focused on a single topic, it might be viewed as easier for students who excel in a single subject.

Is It More Difficult To Be Accepted into a Graduate Degree Program Than an Undergraduate Degree Program?

Generally, it is harder to be accepted into a grad program than an undergrad program for a few reasons. Undergraduate programs often have suggested requirements for application and some schools have nearly 100% acceptance rates for undergraduate programs. Graduate programs at colleges and universities are often much stricter in terms of admission requirements due to more limited resources in these programs.