Post grad in the US

reunion

Hey,

I was looking to do a masters in the US, does anyone know what the standard would be to get into a phd program? and any time of grants available?

Thanks in advance!

(if it helps i'm doing mech eng and i should get a first class honour)

Lockstep

AFAIK, masters in the US cost a bomb. PHD funding is easier to secure (most schools fund their PHD students) but my knowledge is limited to the humanities. But I'd imagine PHD funding for engineering is easier.

Killer Wench

Here is information from one school:

http://mechse.illinois.edu/content/for/prospective_students/graduate_students/how_to_apply.php

http://mechse.illinois.edu/content/for/prospective_students/graduate_students/financial_aid.php

I think each school will have more specific information as to requirements and funding, but using the above as a source, I am thinking that much of the funding will be covered through some form of financial aid. When I was an undergrad, most grad students were Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants. I imagine as an engineering student, you could be teaching freshman or sophomore math or science. You could also qualify for diversity/international scholarships.

gutenberg

Sorry if it's gone a little off-topic, but does anyone have any experience of how successful Irish students have been in applying for humanities PhD programmes at the likes of Yale & Harvard? I'm going into my final year in Trinity, on track for an overall first. The courses there involve 5 or 6 years and they fund you and everything, seems like almost too good to be true! There are some academics working there who I would LOVE to work with, if they were to accept me....

lonestargirl

I'm an Irish citizen and I'm starting a 5-year medical physics PhD here in Texas next month. I agree with what others have said, a Masters will be expensive and you will have to demonstrate that you have money to support yourself during it (you can't work off campus). On the contrary, many science/engineering PhDs are funded, I'm getting $26k per year + healthcare.

Applications for graduate programs usually close Nov/Dec of the previous year and in order to apply you will need.

• transcripts of your degree issued by your Uni (get loads as you may need them for all funding opportunities also)
• letters of recommendation (2-3)
• GRE score, my course published the minimum and average GRE scores on their website giving me some idea of how competitive I was. There is a general GRE and there may be an engineering specific one too.

I'd advise you to research any courses you are interested in and then contact the international admissions office to go through the details of what is required from you. For example, my course only funds one non-US citizen a year regardless of how competitive you are. Also check out Fulbright for funding opportunities as it will be easier to get in if you come with money.

El_Drago

lonestargirl wrote: »

I'm an Irish citizen and I'm starting a 5-year medical physics PhD here in Texas next month. I agree with what others have said, a Masters will be expensive and you will have to demonstrate that you have money to support yourself during it (you can't work off campus). On the contrary, many science/engineering PhDs are funded, I'm getting $26k per year + healthcare.

Applications for graduate programs usually close Nov/Dec of the previous year and in order to apply you will need.

• transcripts of your degree issued by your Uni (get loads as you may need them for all funding opportunities also)
• letters of recommendation (2-3)
• GRE score, my course published the minimum and average GRE scores on their website giving me some idea of how competitive I was. There is a general GRE and there may be an engineering specific one too.

I'd advise you to research any courses you are interested in and then contact the international admissions office to go through the details of what is required from you. For example, my course only funds one non-US citizen a year regardless of how competitive you are. Also check out Fulbright for funding opportunities as it will be easier to get in if you come with money.

Thanks a bunch,very helpful post!

CathalMc

lonestargirl wrote: »

For example, my course only funds one non-US citizen a year regardless of how competitive you are.

This is fairly rare, most engineering schools would sponsor partially or fully a lot of foreign students, especially PhD students. My department is probably 80% foreign students at the grad school level.

lonestargirl

CathalMc wrote: »

This is fairly rare, most engineering schools would sponsor partially or fully a lot of foreign students, especially PhD students. My department is probably 80% foreign students at the grad school level.

True, apparently it's because University of Texas is a state school so there are two pots of money one for citizens and one for non-citizens. My school only takes 6-10 students a year so it's not as bad as it looks. There are ways around it too, I was actually no.2 on the list but I live here and have previous research experience and I met and convinced some faculty members to pay me out of their own research grants.