# What, exactly, is "graduate school"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-graduate-school/391460>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 9, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-graduate-school/391460 "2007-02-09T04:54:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-graduate-school/391460/61 "2007-03-06T04:06:45Z")

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[QUOTE=pool]  
I had a question although I know this thread has been dead a few days. Can people get a Master’s Degree even if it differs from their Bachelor’s? Like can someone with a degree in Finance go back and get a Master’s in Electrical Engineering, though I would think they would have to have some prerequisites done first.  
[/QUOTE]

Sure, if the EE department would take them. Like **Colibri** says it would be pretty tough in that situation, but it’s not uncommon between closer fields. We’ve got a first-year right now in the math Ph.D. program who’s coming in from a physics bachelor’s, for example.

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**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-graduate-school/391460/62 "2007-03-06T05:07:48Z")

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[QUOTE=Mathochist]  
Sure, if the EE department would take them. Like **Colibri** says it would be pretty tough in that situation, but it’s not uncommon between closer fields. We’ve got a first-year right now in the math Ph.D. program who’s coming in from a physics bachelor’s, for example.  
[/QUOTE]  
Similarly, one summer I worked for a chemist who had majored in physics as an undergrad.

I miss New Haven…☹

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**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-graduate-school/391460/63 "2007-03-06T05:15:42Z")

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[QUOTE=Ruken]  
I miss New Haven…☹  
[/QUOTE]

I guess I’ll miss it too, in its way. Not sure if I’ll miss the muggings or the fact that nobody has heard of rock salt in the winter more, though.

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