Survey Design
The gradSERU Survey is characterized by a modular design that allows institutions to administer a common core survey that is administered across institutions and a subset of modules that institutions can select from to administer based on interest or need.
Core Survey
The Core Survey employs a cross-sectional framework that explores the three distinct stages of graduate education: the Entry Stage, the Development Stage, and the Exit Stage.
The Entry Stage highlights the student’s transition from undergraduate to graduate education. Related sections explore how graduate/professional students seek to build new relationships in the academic and social communities of the research university.
The Development Stage underscores the period where graduate/professional students acquire the knowledge and competencies needed to engage in research or pass certification/licensure exams. Sections associated with this stage consider how students integrate with the different academic and social systems of the university and begin to develop and cultivate a professional persona.
The Exit Stage emphasizes the graduate/professional student’s transition from graduate/professional education into academic and professional careers.
Topical modules
Affiliated sections explore how students reflect on their graduate/professional education experience and what they plan to do in the future. Modules offered:
Health and Wellbeing Module
Professional Development Module
International Student Module
The Health and Wellbeing Module is designed to highlight the physical, psychological, and emotional wellness of students and assess how personal and educational factors may relate to student’s feelings of depression and levels of stress.
The Professional Development Module, based on Stanford University’s Graduate Professional Development Framework, is designed to help assess whether today’s graduate/professional students believe they are developing the requisite skills crucial necessary to succeed in the high-skilled labor market, including skills in areas such as communication, teaching, leadership and management, personal development, and career development.
The International Student Module is designed to help explore issues unique to the graduate/professional education of students studying abroad.