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Students - Graduate School Tips

Engineering Graduate School

This page created by Jeremy VanAntwerp Ph.D.
BS ChE Michigan State University 1994
MS ChE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1997
PhD ChE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1999

WHY GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL?

  • The kind of work you want to do (e.g. structural engineering or automotive engineering require at least a Master's degree)
  • More money [*] (See the August issue of Chemical Engineering Progress for the annual salary survey.)
  • You want a career in research and development
  • You want to teach engineering
  • Like being a student (learning, the schedule, etc)
  • Fame?
  • Can't get or don't want industry job now

[*] When controlling for other variables, Chemical Engineering Progress found that a Master's degree was worth 4% more than a Bachelor's, an MBA was worth 8% more and a PhD was worth 11% more. Chem. Eng. Prog., Aug 1998, pp. 109-112.

OPTIONS FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL

  • MS-CEP (Based on practical work experience. An uncommon degree)
  • MS (Can be thesis or non-thesis. Some companies will pay for this)
  • MBA (Usually requires work experience first. Some companies will pay for this)
  • PhD (Requires a dissertation)
  • MD/PhD (A very long program, but the PhD tuition waver usually pays for medical school)

WHICH GRAD SCHOOL?

  • Identify possible grad schools
    1. Rankings (See the National Research Council report. Go to "Download data Tables", and look at appendix P.)
    2. Research
    3. Other factors (e.g., location)
  • Get catalogs
  • Read catalogs
  • Narrow list
  • Apply
  • Where did you get accepted?
  • VISIT!

Q: HOW DO I GET ACCEPTED?

A: HAVE A GREAT APPLICATION!

Graduate school applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • GPA
  • GRE
  • Research experience
  • Letters of recommendation
  • List of honors and awards
  • Statement of purpose

TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE A GOOD APPLICATION!

ACCEPTANCE

  1. You typically will get an offer of $19,000-$25,000 per year plus tuition waver
  2. They will pay for you to visit the school

WHY APPLY FOR FELLOWSHIPS?

  1. External funding may favorably influence your choice of advisor at some schools
  2. Prestige (helpful when applying for jobs later on)
  3. Supplemental income. Most schools will provide an additional stipend if you have external funding.
  4. Some fellowships pay fees and/or travel expenses.

Here are some links to fellowship programs:

QUESTIONS FOR THE VISIT

  1. How does advisor selection work? How many students get their first choice?
  2. What are the job prospects for like for graduates? Describe the job placement/recruiting services. [this one is very important and often overlooked].
  3. Are you glad you came here?
  4. What is the one thing you wish you'd known before you came here?
  5. Do you like living here?
  6. How many students leave with an MS? Why?
  7. What is the department climate?
  8. What are the guarantees for support (stipend) after the first year?
  9. Is support automatically cut off after a certain number of years? How many students don't graduate by then?
  10. What is the average number of years to a Ph.D. (department-wide, and for the specific professors you might like to work for)?
  11. What are the requirements for the degree you are interested in? (M.S. required before Ph.D., language competency required for Ph.D., number of courses required, etc.)
  12. What are the registration fees students must pay out of pocket each semester/year?
  13. What is the timeline to graduation (when do you take qualifier, M.S., prelim, Ph.D., etc.)?
  14. How many students flunk qualifier each year? Is it routinely used to eliminate students?
  15. What are the requirements for T.A. duties?
  16. Are the grad students happy?
  17. What is the intensity level for studies?
  18. What outside interests/activities are pursued, both individually and collectively by grad students (department IM sports teams, meeting at the bar for happy hours, parties, etc.)?
  19. How do the grad students like their relationship with their advisors? Talk especially to students of professors that interest you.
  20. Is health insurance available? Approximate cost?
  21. What is the general cost of living (apartment rates, etc.)? Do most students live on or off campus? Is parking available, or a good bus system? For how much?
  22. What do you do for fun around here?
  23. Tell me about the local _________. [Bars, Churches, Movie theaters, Parks, Bowling alleys, Concerts, Travel, Etc.]

APPLICATION TIMELINE

  • Take the GRE early. Since it takes 4 to 6 weeks to get your scores back you want to allow plenty of time to retake the test if you need to. Practice!
  • Spring of Jr. year to Nov. Sr. year - choose schools to apply to.
  • September - start NSF application.
  • December 1 - some fellowship deadlines.
  • January 1 - have all of your applications in.
  • January to April - visit schools.
  • April 15 - make your decision.

THE GRAD SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

  • 1-2 years of classes
  • 1-2 years of TAing - variable
  • PhD qualifying exam - written, typically first year
  • Master's - second to fourth year (also depends on thesis)
  • PhD preliminary exam - oral, third to fifth year
  • PhD thesis defense - fifth year (usually, maybe more)