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Preparing for Graduate School |
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As CSE students approach the end of their undergraduate degree program, many face the tough decision between entering the work force and continuing on in school to earn their Ph.D. or Masters. While students generally have a good idea of what employment entails, the concept of graduate school is less clear, and, perhaps, a bit scary. Whether you have definitely decided to pursue a graduate degree, or are even considering the possibility, it's important to know that applying will take time, research, and planning. This page is designed to give UW CSE students a better understanding of how to choose a CSE graduate program, develop a timeline (start early!), prepare to apply, get through the application process successfully, and make the final decision.
If you have additional questions after reading this page, feel
free to contact the CSE graduate advisor, Lindsay
Michimoto. Another valuable source of information is the yearly Graduate
School Panel. At the beginning of autumn quarter, the department hosts a panel
on graduate school to give CSE undergraduates a chance to ask questions of current
graduate students, faculty, and staff advisors. While this panel is beneficial
for seniors preparing to apply to school for the upcoming year, it is even more
appropriate for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are considering graduate
school as part of their future. Look for email and posters advertising this
event as autumn quarter gets underway.
Preparing to apply
How does graduate school work?
General timeline for applications
Participating in research as an undergrad - Very Important!!
Choosing schools
Funding opportunities
The Application Process
Organizing your application materials
Taking the GRE
Writing your Statement of Purpose
Obtaining letters of recommendation
Making Decisions
Understanding the notification process
Visiting Schools
Making THE decision
Preparing to Apply
What Happens in Graduate School?
Before describing what a Ph.D. program entails, we think it's important to clear up a few common misconceptions about graduate school. One mistaken belief is that becoming a graduate student means several more years of coursework in order to earn your degree. Not true. At most schools, you will continue to take courses the first year or two, but the primary focus in a Ph.D. program is research. Some programs don't even have coursework as a requirement. Another common misconception is that you must earn a master's degree before applying to pursue a Ph.D. Again, this is most often not the case. Many programs admit directly into the Ph.D. program, and students complete a master's along the way. Finally, students worry that going to grad school will be a big financial burden. While it is true that many schools do not offer support to students in a master's-only program, most offer support to their Ph.D. students. If you plan on applying to a Ph.D. program eventually, it will be in your best interest to go ahead and apply to a Ph.D. program from the start. If you decide later on that a Ph.D. is not for you, you have the option of leaving after you earn the master's. More information on finances will be discussed later on in the Funding your Graduate Education section.
The purpose of this section is to give you a a sense of what to expect in a Ph.D. program in the United States, and we will follow that with an example of master's-only program for comparison. It's important to note that there are many types of master's programs that span the range from the master's in the Ph.D. to pure professional development. You will want to do some investigating to find the one that best fits your goals. Another important point is that graduate programs outside the U.S. may have different requirements, and you should familiarize yourself with these if you hope to attend school abroad. Finally, CSE undergraduates at UW should also be prepared to receive strong encouragement from faculty to pursue a graduate education at another institution. Grad school is a time to enrich your learning in computer science and engineering, and each school offers a different approach to research in these fields. By going somewhere else, you will gain the preparation to become an independent researcher.
On average, a Ph.D. takes 5-6 years to complete and generally consists of three phases: 1) getting a broader view of computer science 2) obtaining an in-depth background in a specific area (e.g. AI), and 3) conducting original research in order to write a dissertation. Departments have various ways of organizing this; we'll use the UW CSE program as an example.
The first phase takes one to two years while students explore the broad scope of computer science. Typically, this involves taking several classes to show mastery in different areas. Simultaneously, you will work on developing a guided Qualifying (Quals) research project with your faculty advisor. This is an opportunity for you to get your feet wet in research. When the project is complete, you will write a paper (~10 pages) and give a short presentation (~30 minutes) on your work to your advisor, another faculty member, and anyone else interested in attending the talk. Then, the faculty discuss your case to determine whether or not you have passed Quals and earned your master's degree. Although the formats may differ, most Ph.D.programs have some kind of qualifying evaluation that could include comprehensive exams and coursework.
In the second phase, the goal is for you to obtain additional background in your specific area of research through an in-depth study on a current problem, as defined by you and your faculty advisor. This project prepares you to take the General Exam, which measures your ability to look carefully at other research and then synthesize it. In the General exam, you submit a written report on the problem to your Ph.D. supervisory committee and make a public presentation on your work. Another possible format is to read several papers on an area and then pass an oral exam. At this point, you are ready to move on to an independent research project of your own.
The final hurdle is writing the dissertation. You will spend your final two years or so on independent research and writing your dissertation. In order to earn the Ph.D., your supervisory committee must accept your dissertation, and then you will present and defend your dissertation in a public presentation as your final exam.
UW CSE's Professional Master's Program (PMP)
An example of a master's-only
degree is the CSE Professional Master's Program (PMP). This is a part-time,
classroom-based program for professionals working in industry who would like
to pursue a master's degree while continuing full-time employment. While CSE
faculty instruct courses in both programs, the emphasis in the PMP is on
instructors bringing their research to the classroom so the students can apply
it to their work projects and products. This contrasts to the full-time Ph.D.
program's goal to provide enough breadth and depth to allow students to join
faculty in research and ultimately follow in their footsteps if they so choose.
It is assumed that PMP students, who are mostly Software Developers and Software
Engineers, will continue on their technical path. Students in this program fund
their own education or receive tuition assistance from their employers. CSE
undergraduate students may find this program an ideal option after working in
the field for a few years after graduation.
The timeline below is a general calendar to help you remember the various steps you need to take before applying to a Ph.D. program. Each item on the timeline is described in further detail in the various sections on this page.
Participating in Research as an Undergraduate
Participating in a research project as an undergraduate is a critical component of a graduate application. Not only will research help prepare you for graduate school and help you decide if it is right for you, it will also give you the opportunity to develop relationships with faculty who you will later ask to write letters of recommendation. Applications for graduate programs are typically due in December or January for the following autumn. Waiting until fall quarter of your senior year to start a research project will be too late if you wish to begin a graduate program the following year. You need to allow yourself enough time to become an active participant in a project and work closely with a faculty member. The best time to start a project is during spring or summer of your junior year, so you will have a quarter or two of research completed at the time you apply for graduate school. Of course, we recommend participating in research even earlier if you have the opportunity.
Undergraduates in CSE seek out research projects in various ways. Occassionally, faculty will post opportunities to the newsgroups, but students most often need to be very proactive. Talking with faculty who taught courses that you particularly enjoyed is one good way to show interest and make connections. Other undergraduate working in your area of interest will most likely have helpful advice and may know of ways for you to get involved. Throughout the year, the ACM organizes Research/Cafe Nights for faculty and graduate students to talk with undergrads about current projects and opportunities. We also encourage students to review the departmental page for undergraduate research to understand how the process works before they get started.
Active participation in the classroom is another important way to establish connections with faculty. Since you will need at least three letters of recommendation, and you typically won't work with three different faculty on research projects, your performance in the classroom and on assignments gives instructors a better sense of who you are and what you are capable of accomplishing. Utilize office hours--not only when you're having trouble in the class but when things are going well--to establish connections with faculty. Remember that professors will write even stronger letters if they have more to say about you than how well you did in their classes.
Choosing which schools to apply to can be a daunting prospect, and because the application fee for applying to each school is approximately $50, you'll want to make informed decisions on where to apply. Factors to consider are:
You should plan to spend a significant amount of time looking at different schools. Initially, you may wish to gather general information using resources such as:
Advice
for undergraduates considering graduate school, by Phil Agre
Peterson's Education
Center
http://gradschools.com
U.S.
News & World Report
For more detailed information on the schools that pique your interest, you'll want to investigate departmental websites. One helpful tool in searching for sites is the CRA database of Ph.D.-granting departments.
And, remember, TALK to people who have been through this before - faculty and current CSE grad students. Since applying to every school out there won't be your best financial strategy, applying to a range of schools is a good idea. You'll want to submit applications to one or two safety schools (likelihood of acceptance is strong), a few that are reasonable (you'll probably be admitted to one or more of these), and a few reach schools (acceptance less likely, but you want to give it shot anyway). A faculty member who is familiar with the programs at other schools will be able to give you a realistic perspective on your best chances for acceptance.
The good news is that going to graduate school won't break your bank, but how do the finances work? Funding for graduate students typically includes tuition, a monthly stipend, and health benefits. Students in computer science Ph.D. programs are usually guaranteed funding for the first 1-3 years in the program. However, active graduate students making reasonable progress toward their degrees are almost always funded throughout their entire graduate education. The financial support comes in the form of teaching or research assistantships, departmental fellowships, external fellowships, or some combination of these. The benefit of a fellowship is that the student does not have to work as a TA or RA to receive this money. Fellowships give students the freedom to select any research project that interests them, rather than being limited to projects where funding is available.
External fellowship applications are usually due before graduate school applications, so it's important to start working on these early as well. Former CSE graduate student, Rachel Pottinger, has a very informative section that outlines the fellowship application process on her page Choosing a Graduate Program in Computer Science.
This web page has a list of fellowships available to graduate students. Please note that while some awards are for current Ph.D. students only, there are awards, such as the NSF, for pursing graduate study.
Organizing your Application Materials
Many CSE graduate programs now have online application forms or downloadable forms, so requesting hard-copy applications will not be necessary. However, look into this early just in case you need to have something sent to you. Most schools provide an email address to send information requests if you are not finding the forms online.
In general, your application will include:
Be aware that some schools will have specific requirements for the way materials are submitted. While there are schools that will be fine with you sending in parts of your application materials separately, other schools will require that everything be submitted together. Since the application deadlines are typically during winter break, you will need to have your transcripts and letters of recommendations in hand before the end of autumn quarter.
While most schools will require scores for the general GRE exam, the CS Subject Test may only be recommended or not required at all. Information on test dates and test center locations for both the General and Subject GRE can be found on the GRE site. The computer-based GRE is offered year-round at various locations, and scheduling to take the exam is usually not difficult. However, the GRE Subject Test has very limitd offerings, so you will want
Writing the Statement of Purpose
Writing the statement of purpose is a time-consuming process, and you may find that you will write several drafts before your statement is finished. Make sure that you read the information the school is looking for carefully and cover those topics in your statement. In general, admissions committees will be interested in hearing why you are interested in attending graduate school, what area(s) of research interest you, and they look for an expressed interest in research. If there are no guidelines on the length of the statement of purpose, you should plan on the document being no longer than two pages of double-spaced text.
It's always a good idea to have people read your essay and give you feedback. While faculty and current graduate students are excellent resources for you, it may be a good idea to sit down with other seniors who are applying to graduate school and read each other's statements.
Obtaining Letters of Recommendation
Since your primary focus in a Ph.D. program is research, your strongest letters will be from faculty you have worked with on research within computer science. Letters from well-known faculty will be especially effective. As with everything else, do not wait until the last minute to ask faculty for letters of recommendation. When approaching faculty to request a letter, you should provide them with:
Take the extra time to make it easy for professors to write you a recommendation,
so they can spend their time saying good things about you!
Making Decisions
Again, please see Rachel's site for a detailed description of the notification process, visit days, and decision making.
Schools will typically notify students of their acceptance by a faculty telephone call, email, and/or snail mail. How and when you will receive notification will vary depending on the school, but you should expect to hear anytime between early February and mid-March.
Many, if not all, of the schools you are admitted to will invite you to visit the department. Visit days are a recruitment opportunity for the schools and an opportunity for you to get a taste of what graduate school will be like at different institutions. In most cases, a school will pay all or part of the costs for you to visit for a day or two. Planned activities include research presentations and demos, meetings with faculty, activities with graduate students, and time for you to hang out and explore the area. This is your chance to assess which place will be the best fit as a place for graduate study and to live.
Making THE Decision
The deadline to accept offers of admission with financial assistance is April 15th. If you accept an offer after that date, it's possible that you will lose your funding. That being said, do not feel pressured to make a decision before April 15th! You should take as much time as you need before the deadline to consider your options. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions of faculty, staff, or graduate students to help you in this process. Since you may find that more than one school meets your research and academic interests, other factors to consider are the community and environment within a department and the city/area where you'll be living (remember, you'll be there for 5-6 years). Keep in mind that there is probably more than one school that will be a good fit for you, so try not to think of the decision in terms of right or wrong.
Good luck!
Advice
for undergraduates considering graduate school, Phil Agre
Graduate School Information
Brochure
Books (the CSE advisors have a limited number of copies for loan)
"The Ph.D. Process: A Student's Guide to Graduate School in the Sciences" by Dale F. Bloom
"A Ph.D. Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science" by Peter J. Feibelman
"Tomorrow's Professor : Preparing for Careers in Science and Engineering" by Richard M. Reis
"Getting What You Came For : The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D." by Robert Peters
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