What does graduate school consist of?

Answer 1

Depending on what kind of graduate school (online versus in-person) the requirements and experience can vary greatly.

A short answer would be that graduate school generally consists of more intensive subject-specific coursework as well as a heavy emphasis on research and dissertation. The latter intended as a means of showcasing a student's expertise in a specific area of research. So while graduate school does fall in line with what is traditionally viewed as the "college experience" (various classes over the course of several semesters that leads to a certification of completion), it is generally going to involve more proactivity on the part of the student as they are expected to utilize the research skills they are taught to build a thesis/dissertation as the final project on their degree path.

This might not be the case in certain online Master's degree programs (where a degree can be earned simply by completing the required courses), but nearly all credible Ph.D. programs and a majority of Master's programs differentiate from Undergraduate programs through their emphasis on thesis/dissertation projects.