Applying to Graduate Schools

Subodh Bhandari
Associate Professor
Aerospace Engineering Department

November 19, 2009

 OVERVIEW

ƒPath to Graduate Degrees

ƒGraduate Assistantships
ƒGRE Preparation
ƒChoosing a School
ƒChoosing an Advisor
ƒCSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program
ƒUndergraduate Research at Cal Poly Pomona
 Path to Graduate Degrees
ƒ Employer sponsored
– Get a job
– Depending on the employer, you may get a
chance to do a Master’s degree
– Employer pays the tuition
– Part-time
 Path to Graduate Degrees Contd.

ƒ Pursuance of Studies for Master’s and PhD

Degrees
– It may be right after you finish your
undergraduate degree or any time thereafter
– Chances to get tuition waiver and monthly
stipend
– Full-time study
– Graduate Assistantships
 Graduate Assistantships
ƒ Tuition waived/paid
ƒ Monthly stipend
ƒ Health insurance may be paid
ƒ 20 hours/week during academic year;
opportunities to work full-time during summer
ƒ Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
– Research Assistants work with a professor on project (s)
in the area of his/her expertise
– Monthly salary: $1000-$2000 during academic year
– Master’s and PhD degrees
– Usually the project work leads to Master’s or Doctoral
thesis
 Graduate Assistantships Cond.
ƒ Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
– Help faculty member in teaching
– Grading, student evaluations, lab teaching
– Master’s and PhD degrees
– Monthly stipend: $1000-$1500
ƒ Graduate Service Assistantships (GSA)
– Help faculty member in administrative duties
– Academic program development
– Generally Master’s degrees
 GRE Preparation
ƒ Most of the Graduate Programs (except your
undergraduate institute) require GRE score
ƒ Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing
sections
ƒ Start preparing for GRE early on your
undergraduate career; at least from Junior Year
ƒ Verbal section: 50 Word Lists, 3500 words
ƒ Barron’s GRE book is a good resource
ƒ Plan to take the exam during summer before the
Senior Year
 Choosing a School
ƒ Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Schools
– Tuition and Fees
– Application fee
– GRE requirements
ƒ Quantitative and Verbal (Q&V) combined score
ƒ 1200, 1300, 1400, etc.
– GPA requirement
– Other admission criteria
– Selectivity of the Programs or the University: Non-
selective, less-selective, selective, more-selective,
highly-selective, etc.
 Choosing a School Contd.
ƒ Online Research
ƒ Search for the programs that are doing research in
the area of your interest
ƒ Click at the link for Current Research (Most
Departments have this link)
ƒ Department website may have information on
available assistantship positions (GRA/GTA/GSA)
ƒ The department website may have program
specific admission criteria as well
 Example
ƒ http://aero.tamu.edu

ƒ http://ae-www.usc.edu/
 Choosing an Advisor
ƒ Depending on departments and funding available,
you may get either of GRA, GTA, or GSA positions
ƒ If you are interested in research, click at the link
for Research
ƒ You may see number of research areas and
professors working in each of the areas
ƒ Select the area of your interest
ƒ Write to the professors working in the area of your
interest; he or she may already have funding (from
internal/external research grants) available for
your education and thesis
 Fellowships
ƒ NASA
ƒ Department of Defense (DoD)
ƒ National Science Foundation (NSF)
ƒ Department of Energy
ƒ http://aero.tamu.edu/people/hurtado/FellowshipSc
holarship%20Programs.htm
ƒ http://blogs.asee.org/fellowships/science-and-
engineering-fellowships-and-scholarships/
CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive
Program (CDIP)
ƒ Participants in the program can borrow up to
$10,000 per year to a total amount of $30,000
ƒ The loan may be repayed over 15-year period (5%
API)
ƒ If hired at one of CSU campuses as full-time
instructional faculty, the loan (including interest)
will be forgiven at the rate of 20% for each year of
full-time teaching at CSU
ƒ The loan can be borrowed even if the participants
have other sources of funding
CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive
Program (CDIP) Contd.
ƒ http://www.calstate.edu/hr/cdip/apply/index.s
html
 First Semester at Graduate School
ƒ You may not get assistantship right away
ƒ Very high chances of getting one (GTA/GRA/GSA)
during first semester of your graduate studies
ƒ Some students wait for little longer; and some may
not get
ƒ Keep in touch with professors; often times
professors and department chair come to you
ƒ If you’re admitted for PhD program, funding is
generally assured
Undergraduate Research at CPP
ƒ Many professors have ongoing research
ƒ If any of the research areas interest you, talk to
the professor involved
ƒ Professors may have research grants and may
hire research assistants
ƒ CCRAA Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship
opportunities
– Student finds an advisor
– Student writes a research proposal together with the
advisor
– Selection is based on merit and commitment to PhD
degrees
 Good News
ƒ Universities are in dire need of graduate
students particularly in STEM fields
ƒ Baby Boomers going to retire soon, those
with advanced degrees and training will
have better chances of getting a job
ƒ By doing this, you will also contribute to the
country’s needs
Questions ????