A few questions about research masters

nuig4

Hi, Im going into my final year in electronic engineering in september and im starting to think about doing a research masters and maybe phd. I just have a few questions.

1) Is much of your research as part of a team or is most of your time spent working on your own?

2) Should the supervisor be a big consideration when choosing a post grad?

3) How much control have you got on your time, Could you work late a few nights to take off a day? Could you go on a holiday during the year?

4) Does doing a masters specialise you to the extent that there will be only one area which you could work in after?

5) Im thinking about applying in NUIG, beacause i like the research interests of the department, i like Galway and partly because of the new engineering facilities they are building which should be open for my second year. Do you think these are good enough reasons to choose galway or should i focus on material and the supervisors?

6) In NUIG research positions are advertised as 3 years, would a masters really take that long or is that just covering themselves?

I realise that some of my questions are too general and differ between post-grads but i would appreciate any attempts to answer them.

Thanks

Sonderval

Hi,

I'll answer what I can, though this is from a PhD students perspective!

1) Is much of your research as part of a team or is most of your time spent working on your own?

Depends on the area - obviously your research is your own in that your the one doing it, but if you need to use specialised equipment/techniques you will be working with others. Basically, it depends.

2) Should the supervisor be a big consideration when choosing a post grad?

Yes, absolutely. Next to the research topic (indeed, perhaps even more importantly!) who you choose as your supervisor is critical. Someone you can approach and discuss problems with, and who takes an active interest in your work. Their experience and contacts are also vital. Trust me, this is a critical choice.

3) How much control have you got on your time, Could you work late a few nights to take off a day? Could you go on a holiday during the year?

It seems to vary from supervisor to supervisor from what I have observed, however I have free reign with my time. The catch being that I am also my own taskmaster and need to keep to a rough schedule. The result is that I don't slack off or take many days off at all - I've heard of other supervisors being alot more controlling of this aspect. Discuss it with him/her prior to starting.

4) Does doing a masters specialise you to the extent that there will be only one area which you could work in after?

Again, this one depends - at the very least you will have demonstrated an ability to conduct independant research which is no small feat at all. I am fortunate in that I have had exposure to a wide variety of techniques and some truly outlandish facilities (particle accelerators FTW!) and I have learned alot about stuff I didn't think I'd ever need to know. I used to think of PhD as a 'course' that you undertake where you will learn x, y and z. Its more akin to an apprenticeship - if your in the right place, you'll learn loads of handy skills that can be applied to all manner of jobs.

5) Im thinking about applying in NUIG, beacause i like the research interests of the department, i like Galway and partly because of the new engineering facilities they are building which should be open for my second year. Do you think these are good enough reasons to choose galway or should i focus on material and the supervisors?

I'd be inclined to stick with the material and the quality of the supervisor. Shiny buildings only stay shiny for a few years - the knowledge learned by a well run research position is for life!

I hope this is of some help. Feel free to ask follow-up q's!

nuig4

Thanks a million, that pretty much answers all my questions perfectly. Thanks