Anyone BTDT for master's level process?

[Joan in GE]

I'm wondering about the most basic steps needed for master's level studies applications.

 

Ds2 is thinking about going for his master's in the US (in engineering). Since we're so far away, it is hard to know what the process is.

 

When do they do the application process? Is it the fall, like for undergrad?

 

Do students typically visit various schools the summer before their last year of the bachelor's program to figure out where they want to go?

 

Is the GRE for master's or just for doctorate programs?

 

We don't have any relatives who are engineers...Is the master's level high enough in engineering or are most people doing doctorates?

 

Any other tips you can suggest for the whole process?

 

Thanks,

Joan

[Jane in NC]

Hi Joan,

 

I think the key difference between undergrad and graduate is the specific focus of a graduate program. Ideally, a prospective student is looking for a department that will have potential mentors. This, of course, is easier said than done because while most future grad students know their general course of study, they may not have fine tuned it sufficiently to know precisely what esoteric branch of a field they may wish to pursue.

 

That said, I would have your son start looking on the web at departments, something he may already be doing. There are the usual questions undergrads ask: larger or not so large, urban or not.

 

Some grad programs will accept grad students in January. Some prefer to bring in a new class of students in the fall. Some students visit the schools; others just show up in the fall. Many of the large schools have a grad dorm for those who land in unfamiliar turf before the term begins. My husband lived in the graduate dorm at UNC-CH for his first year before finding an apartment at the end of the school year. My friend's daughter who is attending law school in Boston found an apartment via Craig's List although I might have some trepidation doing this.

 

The GRE is a requirement for many post-secondary programs, either Masters or PhD. Often students earn a Masters on their way to the PhD--some skip the first step.

 

A doctorate will allow your son to join university faculty. A master's in engineering is often in demand by business. What are his goals?

 

Jane

[Joan in GE]

Jane I'm thankful for your help!

 

My son wants to be an inventor - not an easy program (or life) to pursue!

 

Since the bachelor's is only 3 years here and he's in his second year, I suddenly realized that maybe he should be doing something to figure out about the master's level work. (I've been preoccupied with ds3's high school program).

 

He was going to just continue in the same school, but I'm not sure it is really stretching him. He can do an exchange for a year. While they have affiliates all over the world, there are only 3 in the US and they are not schools that I think of as top engineering schools.

 

So I'm thinking maybe he should change schools for graduate work. He is interested himself, but we have almost no idea how to go about doing this. I never did graduate work. My husband did, but it is so long ago that eg he didn't have to do the GRE and didn't know anything about it. (We've been out of the US too long!).

 

I was starting to worry that we were already behind in the process if he needed to be looking at schools.

 

Thanks for the point about looking for a mentor. I'm going to send him your comments!

 

All the best,

Joan