Everything (?) You Wanted to Know About Graduate School…

October 8, 2018

Why pursue a graduate degree• Good reasons

• Ability to focus within a particular sub-discipline• More specialized than undergraduate degree

• New or enhanced career opportunities• Gain new knowledge and skills • Attain recognition/distinction in a particular area of focus• Prepare for career in academia or gov/industry research

• Primarily PhD but also MS – thesis• Personal growth

• Enjoy learning and want to delve deeper in a particular topic/focus area

• Not-so-good reasons• Not ready to work yet / not sure what you want to do• External pressure

Additional benefits• Greater opportunities for interaction with faculty• Your fellow gradate students may become lifelong colleagues who can help you

throughout your career• Experience in writing, presenting, and teaching can be extremely useful,

regardless of the type of position you seek• Grad school can be fun!*

• * Truth in advertising: it can also be hectic and, at times, stressful, as time management becomes crucial

Overview: Led Discussion and Q&A• Types of graduate degrees• FAQs re: graduate applications• Components of a good SOP• Balanced recommendations / referrals• Importance of Deadlines and their communication• Q &A w/faculty

Types of Graduate Degrees

• Master of Engineering (MEng)

• Coursework only degree

• 45 credits in courses that are generally 3 to 4 credits per course

• Possible to complete in 3 academic terms, but that can be a challenge

• A minimum of 4 academic terms, with 3 to 4 course per term is more realistic

• MEng students are not eligible for CCE Graduate Assistantships, however we are working to make some scholarship $$ available

Types of Graduate Degrees• Master of Science (MS)

• Thesis = Research (worth 9 to 12 credits) or Research Project (3 to 6 credits) remainder of credits are coursework (33 to 42 course credits) to meet the required 45 credits total

• MS Thesis is typically two academic years (6 terms), including one, maybe two summer terms of research; first year is mostly coursework and a start on research (starting full research during 3rd term), second year focused on research and minor coursework

• MS Project can be completed in four terms, this typically includes a summer term focused on research plus a low course load 4th term

• Frequently, the MS degree is funded using GTA-ships in the year one, and GRA-ships in year two.

Types of Graduate Degrees• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): The purpose of the courses in the PhD program of

study is to develop exceptional expertise in the major area. The PhD thesis shall make an original and significant contribution to engineering knowledge.

• Requires 108 credits to graduate; up to 45 credits from the MS degree can be included.

• A minimum of 18 coursework credits beyond the Master’s degree is required and 36-45 Thesis credits

• Duration: 3 years if MS degree already obtained, if not then ranges from 4-6 years (let’s call it 5)

• Most PhDs are funded on a combination of GTA-ships and GRA-ships; however, there are several CCE Fellowships available to PhD students

FAQs on the Graduate Application• Deadline? 15 December for full consideration of funding

• Chances of receiving financial support?CCE receives 300-400 graduate applications per year; 50% are admitted.

Financial support is offered to 30-40 of the new applicants.

2/3 of our current graduate students (100/150) are fully supported on either Assistantships or Fellowships (>90% of MS and PhD students)

• Timing of Decisions? Decisions are made on a rolling basis after Dec. 15th, the most competitive applicants receive decisions by the first week of February. The top domestic students are invited for a recruiting weekend that takes place in late February. Most funding decisions are made after the visit, and Assistantship offers and Fellowship nominations are made in March, signing deadline is April 15th.

• Admissions Fee? $75 domestic, $85 international

Review of Requirements for Graduate Applications• Transcripts (UG, MS if applicable, all transfers)

• GPA—School of Civil and Construction Engineering requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 (on a 4-point scale). The GPA is based on the last 90 graded quarter (60 semester) credit hours of the first baccalaureate degree plus all work completed thereafter. For international students, the GPA is based on the last 2 years of undergraduate courses.

• GREs—The School requires only the General GRE test; The general GRE is required for all graduate applicants. GRE scores cannot be more than five (5) years old at the time of application. The most competitive applicants score a minimum of 146 on the Verbal section and a combined score of 300 on the Verbal and Quantitative sections. A minimum score of 3.0 on the writing section is desirable.

• Statement of Purpose• Reference letters• TOEFL (if international)

Statement of Purpose/Objectives

• Statement of ObjectivesApplicants must include a description of their objectives in pursuing the advanced degree. This should be a brief (maximum of one page when printed) summary of the applicant's career goals, research interests, and pertinent experience. This information is submitted as part of the electronic admission form (see below).

• Be concise, clear, consistent, and use excellent spelling and grammar; poor spelling and grammar are RED FLAGS

• ENSURE that you have the correct name of the university that you are applying to.

• Describe your background, your current or short-term goals (the degree), and your long-term goals AND WHY. Be specific: examples include joining a consulting firm, getting licensed, becoming a principal of the firm, becoming a professor at a university, etc.

• For research focused degrees (MS and PhD), ensure that you describe specific areas within your subdiscipline that you have an interest in studying.

• Do your homework – see what professors are currently researching, and try to identify what interests you.

Recommendation / Referral Letters• Includes “ratings” and written portion

• Will rate: creativity, intellectual ability, mathematical skills, programming skills, experimental skills, maturity, self-motivation, work ethic, written English, and verbal English

• They will rate your performance by comparing to other students apply to graduate study (not all other UGs), and will select top 1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, and 50%.

• Written letter portion: A good referral will describe your character and personality, the quality of your work performance, ability to handle challenges, and speculation on your future

• Thus, pick a person who has been in a position to observe your performance as related to the application. Referrals can include a mix of professors and supervisors from internships or other jobs.

• People who can only speak to your character (e.g. family friends) or supervisors for unrelated work do not make for good references. Remember the recommendation you need is for graduate academics and research.

• Deadlines are critical. Pick reliable referees, communicate the deadline to your referee.

New! Accelerated Masters ProgramThe Accelerated Master's Platform allows current OSU undergraduate students to take graduate classes and apply those credits to their current undergraduate degree and transfer them to a participating graduate program. Up to 12 graduate credits will count towards a bachelor's degree and transfer to a graduate program.

Apply as a junior—requirements for admission are a minimum of 24 credit hours in civil engineering pro courses. A minimum of 3.25 GPA in civil engineering pro courses. Also required, identifying your faculty advisor.

With careful planning, students could complete a master’s degree within 1 year of finishing their bachelor's degree.

Am I eligible to receive a graduate assistantship while taking graduate courses under AMP?No. You will be eligible for consideration for a graduate assistantship once you have graduated with your OSU bachelor’s degree and start your master’s degree program.

Application DeadlineTuesday, May 15, 2019, for fall term 2019 admission.

Loose Ends• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program

• Invitations to visit schools: what to expect and how to respond

• Funding: how to attract it, how to keep it

• Your Questions….?

Overview of the GRE Test• The Quantitative Reasoning measure assesses basic mathematical concepts of arithmetic,

algebra, geometry and data analysis. The measure tests the ability to solve problems using mathematical models, and to understand, interpret and analyze quantitative information. There is an emphasis on quantitative reasoning skills.

• The Analytical Writing measure assesses the ability to articulate and support complex ideas, support ideas with relevant reasons and examples, and examine claims and accompanying evidence. The measure consists of two tasks which relate to a broad range of subjects from the fine arts and humanities to the social and physical sciences. The measure does not assess specific content knowledge and there is no single best way to respond.

• Important, but not the full focus

• Different preferences for different professors and degree levels