Grad School Information Night sponsored by HKN

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Grad School Information Nightsponsored by HKN

• David Salvia
• EE Undergraduate Program Coordinator

Part I Why Grad School?Some Pros and Cons
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Good reasons for going to grad school

• Want more in-depth knowledge
• You want to learn more about a particular
  sub-discipline of electrical engineering
• Advanced degree required for desired job
• Academia
• Research Development
• Personal motivation

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Bad reasons for going to grad school

• Money
• Salaries are higher with advanced degree
  (10k-15k per degree) but this shouldnt be your
  primary motivation
• Cant get a job
• Grad school is a major commitment, so your
  motivation has to be for the right reasons.

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How does grad school differ from an undergraduate
program?

• Course load is lighter
• Typically 6-12 credits/semester
• MS is approximately 30 credits beyond BS
• PhD is approximately 50 credits beyond BS
• Much more course flexibility
• Very few required classes (if any)
• You and your adviser select courses to fit your
  interests and research needs

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How does grad school differ from an undergraduate
program? (cont.)

• More independent work
• Research/thesis is a major part of your degree
• More projects and fewer exams
• Many exams are take home
• All courses will be technical
• Much higher international population
• Great chance to make friends from all over the
  world

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Now or Later?

• Advantages of going straight to graduate school
• Youre used to being poor
• Youre in a learning mode already and will more
  likely remember your undergraduate material
• You dont have to juggle work/school
• Less likely to have spouse/kids now

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Now or later?

• Advantages of waiting a few years to go to
  graduate school
• Company may pay for schooling or you can save
  enough money to pay for it yourself
• May have a better idea of research area
• Can avoid school burnout

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How do I pay my bills? (Listed in decreasing
order of desirability)

• Fellowship
• Tuition waiver monthly stipend
• Free money. No research/teaching obligation.
• Some schools offer 2k-5k top-up fellowships
  to supplement RA/TA appointments
• Research/Teaching Assistantship
• Tuition waiver monthly stipend (1500/mo.)
• Wage payroll jobs
• Grad salary is 9/hour at PSU
• External jobs Would you like fries with that?

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RA vs. TA

• Advantages of RA
• Can double dip research duties and thesis work
• Graduate quicker (on average)
• More prestigious
• Advantages of TA
• More freedom in choosing research area
• Good experience if youre looking to eventually
  get a job in academia
• Easier to obtain sight unseen

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How do I select a grad school?

• Find out about the top schools in your desired
  major and sub-discipline
• Ask faculty in your desired area
• Various surveys and on-line reports
• US News and World Report http//www.usnews.com/usn
  ews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php
• Petersons Guidewww.petersons.com
• PSUs Career Service Center (MBNA Building)
  www.sa.psu.edu/career/grad.shtml
• Look at where journal papers and textbooks come
  from

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How do I select a grad school? (cont.)

• Focus your interest based on GPA
• gt 3.5 top 5
• gt 3.2 top 25
• gt 2.8 be flexible
• Get information about schools
• Web
• Faculty/student contact
• Call/e-mail/FAX

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How do I select a grad school? (cont.)

• Most important part . . .
• VISIT!!!!!!!!
• Meet with prospective advisers
• Meet with current graduate students

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How do I select an adviser?

• Selecting a thesis adviser is often more
  important than selecting the school (although
  theyre related, obviously)
• Select someone who is professionally active
• If getting a PhD, be wary of untenured faculty,
  but dont discount completely
• Talk to the advisers current students
• Availability of support may affect your decision

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What is the ideal timeline?

• Spring of Junior year
• Make decision to attend grad school
• Choose Senior electives appropriately
• Summer before Senior year
• Narrow your search and visit prospective schools
• Summer Research
• Fall of Senior year
• GRE
• Apply
• Spring of Senior year
• Find out about applications status
• Negotiate
• Decide on a school, research area, and perhaps
  adviser

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GRE Information

• General Test vs. Subject Test
• Most schools just require general test
• General Test format
• all computer based now no paper test
• offered year-round in select PA locations
• Allentown, Clark Summit, Erie, Harrisburg,
  Indiana, Lancaster, North Wales, Philadelphia,
  Pittsburgh, York,
• but NO STATE COLLEGE ?
• 3 sections Verbal , Quantitative, Analytical
  writing essay (new)
• Cost is currently 115
• To apply 1-800-GRE-CALL
• More info (FAQ, sample questions, etc.)
  www.gre.org

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If Im a Junior, what can I do now to prepare?

• Undergraduate summer research
• EE Job listserv is filled with lots of
  opportunities in Feb-March for current Jrs.
• Teaching Intern program
• Senior year apply as Juniors
• Select appropriate classes
• Wide variety is better than single area
• Dont shy away from hard classes (STAT 418, EE
  459, etc.)

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Part II Grad School at PSU
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Research Areas

• Communications
• Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
• Networking
• Signal and Image Processing
• Control Systems
• Power Systems
• Electro-optics and non-linear optics
• Microwaves, Antennas, and Propagation
• Remote Sensing and Space Systems
• Circuits and Networks
• Electronic Materials and Devices
• VLSI

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Funding

• Teaching Assistantships
• Approx. 30/year
• Tuition Waiver (including summer)
• Monthly stipend of approx. 1500 (10 months)
• 20 hours/week typically
• Research Assistantships
• Approx. 120/year
• Arranged through professors
• Tuition Waiver and stipend
• Hours vary
• Applied Research Lab (citizens only)

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Funding (cont.)

• Internal Fellowships
• Numbers vary each year
• Stipend from 3000 - 20,000 / year
• Some awards are top-up supplements to existing
  assistantships others are stand-alone
  fellowships with tuition waivers
• External Fellowships or company-reimbursed tuition

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Applying to PSU

• To be considered for all forms of funding,
  applications should be in by the end of the Fall
  Semester of the year prior to admission.
• Application must include
• Transcript
• Application forms (General Department) with
  personal statement
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• GRE scores (General Test ONLY)
• TOEFL scores if you are an international student
• International students who did undergrad in the
  US dont need the TOEFL

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Applying to PSU (cont.)

• Decision for acceptance/funding based on
• Grades -- 3.0 GPA is minimum (typically)
• Other experience -- put in personal statement
• Technical interests -- some areas have large
  student demand, whereas others are desperate for
  students right now. Switching to a less popular
  (by student standards, not job standards) area
  can often increase your chances for funding.
• GRE scores

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M.S. Requirements

• Thesis Option
• 24 course credits (15 at 500 level)
• 2 colloquium credits
• 6 thesis credits
• Formal defense of thesis
• Paper Option
• 30 course credits (21 at 500 level)
• 2 colloquium credits
• 2 paper credits
• Presentation of paper

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Ph. D. Requirements

• 48 course credits beyond B.S.
• (at least 30 at 500 level)
• 2 colloquium credits
• Written and oral candidacy exam
• Ph.D. English proficiency exam
• Oral Comprehensive exam
• Formal Defense of thesis