Graduate Student Socialization

Graduate student socialization is a broad term for the processes by which individuals enrolled in a postbaccalaureate certificate, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree program develop the knowledge, skills, and appreciations needed for success both in the academic program within which they enroll and in their careers in the postsecondary, corporate, not-for-profit, or government sectors. Some consider graduate student socialization as unidirectional—primarily a means of assimilating graduate students to a postsecondary institution. However, many people now recognize socialization as recursive—a process by which graduate students are at once assimilated and yet bring new perspectives, values, and ideas to a graduate program and ultimately a broader profession and discipline.

This entry begins by describing why the quality of graduate student socialization processes is so critical for student success. ...