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A Successful Life Go to Graduate School

A Successful Life Go to Graduate School. Professor Martha Mecartney Graduate Advisor to the Materials Science and Engineering Degree Program Former UCI Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Why go to graduate school?. You want to teach in a college or university (need a Ph.D.)

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A Successful Life Go to Graduate School

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  1. A Successful LifeGo to Graduate School Professor Martha Mecartney Graduate Advisor to the Materials Science and Engineering Degree Program Former UCI Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Go to Graduate School

  2. Why go to graduate school? • You want to teach in a college or university (need a Ph.D.) • You want to conduct research at a university or in industry or at a government lab (need a Ph.D.) • You want to be a manager and move up the professional management track (need M.S. or M.B.A.) • You want to earn more than $100,000/year five years after finishing your Ph.D. Go to Graduate School

  3. What does a Masters of Science require? • http://www.editor.uci.edu/catalogue/ • Usually have two options for the M.S. • Coursework (12 courses) and comprehensive exam or project • Coursework and thesis (based on small research project) • One to two years to complete Go to Graduate School

  4. What does a Doctorate of Philosophy require? • Must complete same coursework as for M.S. • Research on an independent project providing a significant new contribution to science or engineering (dissertation) • Milestones: comprehensive preliminary exam, Ph.D. qualifying exam, defense of your Ph.D. dissertation • Time to degree, including M.S., is usually 5 years (this depends on YOU) Go to Graduate School

  5. What are the steps to admission? • Check out the on-line catalogue for each school and the on-line web application process for each school • Deadlines are usually December or January • Fill out your application (statement of interest will help us know about your research experience, research interests) • GRE scores • Transcripts • 3 letters of recommendation Go to Graduate School

  6. How do you pick a graduate school? • Ask faculty in your department to recommend schools (they know you best) • Think about the research areas you are interested in • Find a program that matches your research interests • Find research advisors that you like • Location • Your GPA (CSU has lower minimum GPA than UC) Go to Graduate School

  7. How we pick who gets in…. • GPA (For all UC programs, rare admission below 3.0) • GRE • Letters of recommendation (from faculty or Ph.D. recipients) • Statement of interest, research experience • Is everything in on time? • Do we know you? • Have you received an outside fellowship? Go to Graduate School

  8. Come for a Visit • Admission Letters sent usually in late February or early March • If a program wants you for the Ph.D., they usually will help pay for at least part of a visit (ask!) • Many programs have visitation days, weekend • Talk to faculty, talk to students, see the housing Go to Graduate School

  9. Now the best part…..You can get paid for going to graduate school! Go to Graduate School

  10. Financial Support • All qualified U.S. citizens or permanent residents should be offered financial support with Ph.D. admission • Financial support includes tuition/fees and a monthly living stipend • Some campuses, such as UC Irvine, offer guaranteed on campus housing • Some financial support for excellent M.S. students also Go to Graduate School

  11. Types of Financial Support • Fellowships • Research Assistantships • Teaching Assistantships • Summer Internships • All support is given competitively, and based on continuing good standing. • FAFSA must be filled out each year Go to Graduate School

  12. Fellowships • Fellowships are primarily given to first year Ph.D. students so they can focus on completing their coursework • Special fellowships and external fellowships may also be used in subsequent years • Students are expected to work on research full time after coursework is completed • Some programs offer research rotations the first year for new students, to help them select a research group Go to Graduate School

  13. Research Assistantships • Students conduct research on projects sponsored by the faculty • Expect 40 hours/week or more of time • 20 hours/week paid by Research Assistantship • 20-30 hours/week from course units (credit for research) • Can expect to be off when university is closed (completely) and perhaps 2 weeks/year additional Go to Graduate School

  14. Teaching Assistantships • TAs grade homework and tests, run demonstrations, hold office hours, lead discussions, maintain class websites, maintain records of grades, run labs, grade homework and tests • Excellent preparation for future faculty positions – fellowship opportunities • Students are selected based on faculty nominations, match with course material, instructor preference, past experience • All students who want to be a TA or grader should take TA training. Go to Graduate School

  15. Cool Programs to Check Out • National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowships, $30,000/year for 3 years (plus fees and tuition paid), deadline early November • NSF IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training), $30,000/year (plus fees and tuition paid) • Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowships, pays all tuition and fees, provides about $1700/month, guarantees 5 years of support for Ph.D. • NSF Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) encourages minority underrepresented students to continue for the Ph.D. Go to Graduate School

  16. NSF Graduate Fellowships • Need • Identify top choice institution • 3 letters of recommendation • Transcripts (GRE optional but recommended) • Proposed research project (give a copy to references) • Deadline near Nov. 1 • http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201 • Don’t forget to check out the NSF Graduate Teaching K-12 Fellowships • http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5472&org=DGE&from=home Go to Graduate School

  17. NSF IGERT Programs • The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program seeks to train PhD scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background and the technical, professional and personal skills needed to address the global questions of the future • http://www.igert.org/index.asp Go to Graduate School

  18. Dept. of Education GAANN Fellowships • Check out this link for a list of programs (3 year funding cycle) at various universities • Need based and merit based – so if have a trust fund, working spouse, may not qualify • http://www.ed.gov/programs/gaann/awards.html Go to Graduate School

  19. NSF AGEP • Program is focused on encouraging underrepresented minority students to continue to the Ph.D. • http://www.igert.org/agep.asp Go to Graduate School

  20. Any Questions? • Professor Martha Mecartney • Martham@uci.edu • 949-824-2919 • 744C Engineering Tower Go to Graduate School! Go to Graduate School

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