The UK Graduate School welcomes local colleges, universities for inaugural ‘Grad Day at UK’
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 27, 2024) — “Is graduate school for me?”
“What is it like being a graduate student at UK?”
“What can I do with a master’s degree?”
The University of Kentucky Graduate School set out to help answer these questions by hosting the inaugural “Grad School Day at UK” regional event. Undergraduate students from six area Kentucky colleges and universities, curious about attending UK to earn a graduate degree, were welcomed on campus by UK staff, faculty and students.
Transylvania University, Centre College, Georgetown College, Simmons College of Kentucky and Midway University attended the event Oct. 19, and Morehead University was welcomed earlier that week. By intentionally partnering with Kentucky’s universities and colleges, graduate opportunities are being showcased to a wider audience of undergraduates around Kentucky.
Visiting students from around the Commonwealth were engaged and inquisitive while taking advantage of all that UK had to offer. They spent much of the day learning from current UK graduate students and faculty and touring programs’ facilities. Current UK graduate students, many of whom also hailed from similar backgrounds, helped to shed light on what it’s like to come to UK from a smaller college or university.
“I really enjoyed my tour of the IBS [Integrated Biomedical Sciences] program,” said one of the visiting students. “I have not been on UK’s campus much, and I think I got a great glimpse into what life as a graduate student could look like.”
Students received information not only about their field or program of interest, but also learned about ways to fund graduate school, what graduate education is like, how to make the most of their senior year, tips on making their graduate school applications stand out, as well as what the UK experience is like.
Grad School Day offered a full-day program that included graduate student panels, information sessions, and a tabling exhibit showcasing the various colleges and programs UK has to offer. Staff and faculty from the various programs stood ready to answer any questions the students brought to them and to distribute materials about particular fields of study.
Panel discussions featuring current UK graduate students covered topics such as “Research 101: What are the expectations?”, “Making the Transition” and “Living in Lexington: How different is it?”
One of the UK panelists recounted, “They were very engaged, appreciative and smiling. It was really fun, and our panel was excellent at going down the line answering each query and connecting our experiences throughout to identify helpful themes.”
The Graduate School now plans for this annual event to grow each year, increasing access by attracting additional colleges and universities and continuing to educate college students around the Commonwealth about graduate school and life at UK.
“The University of Kentucky’s mission is to offer opportunities to students across the Commonwealth,” said Padraic Kenney, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School. “I am excited about opening doors for students from our Kentucky neighbors and making that voyage of discovery possible.”
About the Graduate School
The University of Kentucky Graduate School is a thriving community of scholars, researchers and students, all dedicated to improving lives through excellence in education, research, leadership, creative work, service and health care. Offering advanced graduate degrees in 90 program areas, doctoral degrees in 55 fields, master’s degrees in 85 fields and graduate certificates in 52 focus areas, U.S. News & World Report ranks several of UK’s graduate programs among the nation’s best. The Graduate School is comprised of several offices committed to supporting graduate students and the staff and faculty of its graduate programs. Services of the Graduate School include: career advising, teaching and research support, community building, health and wellness resources, funding opportunities, admissions assistance, recruitment support and academic services.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.