Where to Get a PhD
Where to Get a PhD
(OP)
In 5 years I'll be 59-1/2 and able to live off my IRA and 401K without tax penalties. At that time I plan to shut my business down and go get a PhD in ME (actually Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics). I don't know if I'll ever teach, but I just don't want to die without completing that task on my to-do list. I've planned pretty well financially for a retirement of leisure, but as it approaches it looks pretty dull.
I think I'll probably have the wherewithal to attend any English-speaking PhD program in the world (my language skills are non-existent). I'm having a really hard time deciding where I want to go. Does anyone have any suggestions of a really great engineering program in a fantastic location?
David
I think I'll probably have the wherewithal to attend any English-speaking PhD program in the world (my language skills are non-existent). I'm having a really hard time deciding where I want to go. Does anyone have any suggestions of a really great engineering program in a fantastic location?
David
David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
www.muleshoe-eng.com
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
I attended University of Southampton and I think it had a pretty good reputation. The aero department was in the top 5 in the country as I recall.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Having said that with your interest in machinery, University of Western Australia (Perth)has a nice machinery industrial machinery based ME program. Monash in Victoria Australia has a nice program as well with branch campuses in Malaysia and South Africa. (All english speaking).
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?" Oddball, "Kelly's Heros" 1970
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
With the experience you have, you probably have an idea of what you would like to do your thesis on. Do a small literature search (you'll have to do a full one anyway) to see which profs are doing research similar to what you are looking at. Shortlist the universities, look at the areas they are in and call up the profs/departments.
You'll get a better idea of who you want to work with talking directly with them than with listening to posters here (who may have completely different personality types).
RE: Where to Get a PhD
RE: Where to Get a PhD
I had the same thought. A good solution is to find a college hat does not require the GRE. One option is Washington state university at Pullman, Washington.
Also, it can also happen that the financial instrument that your 401K/ IRA is based on will wash out.
Good luck.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
I keep vacillating between looking for a "gee whiz" school (like MIT, CalTech, Oxford) and a school in a great place (something with a view of the Great Barrier Reef or the Rockies). I uncharacteristically just can't prioritize those things.
I'm arrogant enough to assume that I can satisfy the entry requirements of any school with 5 years to work on it. So this time the world really is my oyster (before I was mostly concerned about in-state tuition charges as the driving force in my decision).
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Take a deep breath and sip of coffee before jumping on board.....course if you're like me you'll do it anyway!
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
I don't know much about American universities but stumbled across a place that might be of interest:
http://www.me.hawaii.edu/graduateprogram.htm
RE: Where to Get a PhD
For Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, have you looked at University of Wisconsin? They have one of the best chemical engineering program in the world.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
My wife and I are in a "discussion" about whether Hawaii counts as a "really cool place". I think it is (I've been to the big island several times and like it), she's never been there and has no interest in going. I'll look into the campus you referenced.
Ashereng,
That's what I was looking for, a place I never would have thought of. I'll look into their program.
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
University of Wisconsin at Madison.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
If I were you I would head somewhere foreign, there are a lots of distant countries with English programs that are very good. The experience would be unbelievable and the research/thesis can be as good as you make it. I have a friend that is doing his MD in an English speaking school in Hungary and another that is a TA for Marine Biology (in English) in Qatar. The education and prestige of foreign schools may not be as good as MIT and Oxford, but from what I can tell you are not after the best schools but rather resources, subject matter and more than anything interest (both in where you are and what you are doing).
Good luck with your decision.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_universities especially the last paragraph of "Reputations"
"Southampton has a particularly strong showing in engineering where it is the only university in the country to hold the top (5*) RAE rating in all departments within its engineering faculty."
See, Southampton is as good as I said
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Where to Get a PhD
I reviewed some really good fluid mechanics work done at school in Surrey a few years ago, but I didn't have a clue where Surrey was (or even how to spell it), and I'm not sure what the name of the school was.
I've got a lot of research to do in the next few years.
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
David why not one of the London Universities? (well, apart from the expense and living in London)
Of the Australian unis in attractive warm places with a decent engineering rep, UWA, UNSW, UoQ and QUT spring to mind. Adelaide has a nice climate and soem decent engineering but it is a bit of a one horse town.
If you are prepared to live in the the sub-arctic then Melbourne's various universities are also decent engineering universities, but you get to live in Melbourne. ANU in Canberra is a university with a decent technical rep set in Woop woop.
For lifestyle in a colder climate again Hobart is terrific place to live, and has a university about which I know nothing.
Then there's New Zealand...
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
And otherwise, I would recommend that most glorious institution of higher learning, Texas Tech University.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Austrailia is one of the places that I'm most interested in. I was in Melborne in the '70s and froze in December, but I really liked it.
JStephen,
I actually visited Texas Tech with my younger son when he was trying to pick a school after High School. I'll pass on Lubbock for oh, so many reasons. I hadn't heard of previous experience expiring, I'll have to look into that (it will be about 12 years from finishing the Masters to starting the PhD).
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
For engineering at the research level, Imperial College is very hard to beat (in the UK at least). The main problem is accomodation. Unless you are VERY wealthy or are prepared to live in halls (nurse-maiding a load of 1st year students) then you'll end up living a long way from anywhere nice, commuting in by tube. Living in London is an interesting experience though.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
How are you going to do that? Do you already have the undergraduate coursework & GPA that many schools (including MIT, which you mentioned) will require? Or do you plan to take and ace undergraduate classes to establish a track record?
If you're scared of the GRE, then exam-based coursework may not be the way to go. The GRE is not hard.
Hg
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
You know, the more I think about it I'd recomend at least taking a look at southampton.
I had a friend who went on to do a degree in aerodynamics.
I think at the time I left the aerodynamics/thermodynamics was probably the strongest part of the aero department. Not to mention world leading ISVR if that's of interest.
h
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Hg
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
I can't say that I'm afraid of the GRE, it doesn't look nearly as hard as the PE exam and I've had pretty good success taking tests all my life. My undergraduate GPA was one "B" shy of 4.0, and my grades in graduate school were about the same. I figure the most likley stumbling block would be random pre-requisites that I might have missed along the way. With adequate time, pre-requisites can always be satisfied by someone with the motivation to try.
KENAT,
I can probably handle Santa Barbara prices, I was thinking you were talking about Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous pricing. I'm more interested in flow throgh a pipe than flow over a control surface. I took an Aero compressible flow class in Grad School and it was interesting, but I'm not sure it is for me. I looked at the web page and it looked interesting, thanks.
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Southampton does/did a lot of work on formula one aerodynamics.
Look not just at the aero department but also at ISVR which was originally a spin off of the aero department.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Before you can start an engineering PhD, you need to pass your comprehensive. It is an "open meeting" whereby your faculty, or anyone else for that matter, may ask you any and all questions related to your PhD field. If you don't pass, you don't start.
As to credits of previous course work and such, I don't think it should be a problem. You can always write the challenge.
The comprehensive is just that. If your field is CFD, you may have faculty from mech eng, chem eng, math, geo and etc at your comprehensive asking questions. There is a moderator that runs the comprehensive, and if the numbers get large, I would think that they would have to submit their questions (to get rid of duplicates) ahead of time, and have a schedule. The comprehensive usually lasts a day - although I have heard "war stories" of it going on much much longer.
Still, lots of people pass, so how hard could it possible be?
On the going back to school side. One of my undergrad professors got his PhD after a 30+ year career in the real world. It is probably more common than one would think.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
Hg
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
A student does not need a Master's degree to enter a PhD program. Many start in a Masters, and jump to the PhD without a Master's degree. This usually saves one or two years.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Regards,
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Qshake
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Ashereng mentioned UW Madison. I'm not in your field so I won't comment on the program, but will say Madison is a great place to live. Most of the benefits of a larger city without many of the downsides. Plenty of culture, good food, four beautiful seasons, etc.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
David
David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
www.muleshoe-eng.com
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
The harder I work, the luckier I seem
RE: Where to Get a PhD
I would be severely disappointed if the school's web site said all the wrong things!
Have you checked out their current and past faculties? They boast an impressive list of who's who of the CFD and Thermo world.
Let me/us know if you do decide to go!
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Where to Get a PhD
That would be a good point if there weren't so many of them that didn't say the right things. I've been to upwards of 100 grad school web pages and at least half have turned me right off (things like, PhD students are required to live in grad-school dorms the first year on one campus; or theses work is required, but doesn't count towards their 72 hour requirement, etc). There are a bunch of Universities out there that haven't entered the information age even to the point of having a useful web page. The range of information and information quality is pretty amazing.
I'll get to a short list of a half dozen schools sometime in the next couple of years, then I'll do the kind of research (probably including campus visits) that you're talking about. There are far too many possibilities to go very deep at this point.
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
There is of course all the buzz surrounding Big 10 athletics and if you're a boater you've got a lot of choices within about an hour's drive, including the two lakes on either side of the Capitol.
Oh yeah, I've heard it's a good school as well.....
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Phew! That was one of the things I just couldn't cope with in America.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Nottingham University in the UK has a very good reputation in Engineering, and the university itself is very nice (even if not all of Nottingham itself is). I believe there is also a branch of it in Malaysia, which could be an option.
Or my hometown of Cardiff has a good reputation in Engineering, and I can heartily recommend living there, although I doubt it could match the appeal of the likes of Hawaii!
Having said all that, if I was faced with the same problem I'd probably plump for Perth (in Western Australia, not Scotland) or Christchurch (New Zealand) as they are both places I'd love to live in.
RE: Where to Get a PhD
David
RE: Where to Get a PhD
One of the most important considerations in selecting a graduate program is finding a professor that you want to work with who is also willing and interested in helping you achieve your research goals. Classes are a necessary and important part of any graduate education, but the relationship that you form with your thesis advisor is critical to your success. Choose wisely, and you will love the experience of graduate school. Make the wrong choice, and it can be hell. Funny how it's like marriage in this respect.
Maui
RE: Where to Get a PhD
Finding a professor that you want to work with and who is willing to help you acheive your research goals is the key to graduate school. When considering graduate schools
1. Talk to the department's graduate studies coordinator. This may be different from the department chair. This guy knows which prof is doing what research and is very neutral in terms of department politics.
2. Arrange meetings with faculty who share similar research interests. These guys have had lots of experience in research and will help you advance in your research if your topic is interesting to them. They can put into practice concepts from academia that aren't even considered in "real world" engineering.
3. If given the choice, hand-pick your advisory committee. Be aware of rivalries within the department. It looks better if there are a few committee members from other departments. Most younger graduate students, particularly MS students, pick an advisor and the advisor's buddies are on the committee. This is a trick to get you through the program faster, but if you are going to do it the right way, pick people who are more familiar with your research. If you're doing fluids and thermo, don't have a solid mechanics, beam-bending, mohr's circle type guy on the committee.
Hope this helps you, and best wishes pursuing the PhD.
IAA
WVU '05