Choosing Graduate Schools
Choosing Graduate Schools
(OP)
Just received my acceptance letters from stanford, berkeley and UC Irvine's master of envioronmental engineering science. Unfortunately Stanford and berkeely did not offer me any finanical aid for the masters program. UC Irvine on the other hand has given me a fullride for the masters program. I'm having a difficult time choosing what school I should go for. Since I'm not pursuing my PhD, would it matter what school I went to for my masters? Does anyone know how much more employers are more likely to pay an stanford or berkeley graduate compared to other schools like UC Irvine? Is it worth it to pay $33,000 of tution a year at stanford, even though their environmental engineering program is ranked number one in the nation? Berkeley's tuition is considerable cheaper and they are ranked number 2 in the nation, right now, I'm leaning towards this institution.
Also, since I did not obtain my undergrad in engineering but in environmental science, does anyone know if I will be allowed to take my EITs after I finish my master's in environmental engineering?
Also, since I did not obtain my undergrad in engineering but in environmental science, does anyone know if I will be allowed to take my EITs after I finish my master's in environmental engineering?





RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/
http://www.ncees.org/exams/fundamentals/
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
The difference between schools that I have seen is that the recruiters will only go to the top schools for the top students, but will not go to the minors like UC Irvine. Somewhat similiar to the NFL draft. It is hard to get noticed at the small schools. The recruiters don't go there.
You will be able to take the EIT after you have the Master's.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
Here is a guideline for being able to qualify for the PE exam:
You must have an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree to enter the Masters of Engineering Program. Students without an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree can obtain the MS degree. Those students who wish to obtain the MS degree in Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering, must meet specific ABET requirements through a combination of their BS and MS degrees.
Check with the State Board of Licensing to confirm.
ABET does not accredit postgraduate programs.
ABET accredits graduate programs within applied science and engineering only. However, within engineering, institutions are restricted to accrediting only one program per discipline per level. Because graduation from an undergraduate program is generally considered adequate preparation for entry into the engineering profession, most institutions choose to accredit undergraduate programs only.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
Assume that you have a limited budget at your company for campus recruiting and the boss tells you that you can only recruit at one school. You alma mater is distant so you can't go there.
You have a choice between recruiting at Berkeley or UC Irvine. Where would you go?
I agree with CVG's point that you are not going to get much of a premium for going to a top school. However, you will have the first shot at getting your foot in the door.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
... so I switched to Transportation, only to find that the entire catalog of transportation courses offered were "swing" classes; in practice this meant me sitting in a class of seniors "learning" stuff I've known for ages due to 5 years of work experience in transportation before going to grad school.
The moral of the sad story is that it is not important what the school name is, it's what research actually goes on there and how it fits in with your aspirations. You are far more likely to be judged on the number and calibre of the publications you acquire out of your masters research than the name of the school you did it at, but really the most valuable and telling part of the education will be what you learned, and how it fits in with your career aspirations. If you learn a lot about what you want to know, that will best place you for success.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
That said, I'd strike Stanford; any value they might have over Berkeley isn't worth a significant increase in price.
If it were me making the decision for myself, I'd strike any place that didn't offer me funding(*). I don't believe in paying for grad school.
Hg
(*) Which, in 1997, was Berkeley. They told me in my phone interview that they didn't think someone from a lowly state school, 4.0 GPA notwithstanding, would do well at "Cal Berkeley". But I digress.
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
First, ABET does have an option for schools to accredit post graduate programs, though very few schools choose to do so since ABET only accredits either the graduate or postgraduate programs. So 99%+ of the schools in the USA go with the graudate accredidation, since that obviously makes the most economic sense.
The following link lists all accredited engineering programs in the USA....there are MANY masters programs that are ABET accredited....funny thing the very 1st program listed is the Air Force Institute of Technology and the ONLY ABET accredited program they have is an MS in Environmental Engineering and Science!!
http://www.abet.org/schoolareaeac.asp#C
Basic info on ABET and how they work.
http://www.abet.org/the_basics.shtml
"ABET accredits postsecondary degree-granting programs housed within regionally accredited institutions. ABET accredits programs only, not degrees, departments, colleges, or institutions."
Also:
As far as being able to sit for PE exams go, it's a state specific issue. For instance, getting an MS in Env/Civil Engineering plus a BS in a non engineering would NOT get you into the PE exam in California until you have 3 years of experience, sit for the EIT, pass it, then get another 6 years of experience. No experience credits are given to the BS or MS degrees if they are not ABET accredited. All experience must be gained while under a Cali licensed engineer. Do your own research I may be wrong about the specifics, but I did not see an easy route for you to follow in Cali: http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/a_faq-eng.pdf
There are other states such as Florida that will evaluate your MS in engineering (which must have the corresponding BS degree ABET Accredited) plus your BS in science as a whole to see if you can "articulate" the ABET requirements for the corresponding BS in engineering.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
All their ABET accredited programs are MS degrees which includes Environmental.
Sorry, I didn't write that correctly :)
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
Engineering
Applied Sciences
Computing
Technology
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
Way back, I worked for UPS, and they actually preferred 2nd tier schools for recruiting purposes-felt those students would match the UPS culture more than MIT grads.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
"(2) Post-Graduate Education
The Board may give a maximum of one year credit as qualifying experience for satisfactorily completed graduate work in an ABET-approved curriculum. No credit will be given for foreign graduate work or graduate work done in any non-ABET approved curriculum. Completed post-graduate work is work for which a degree has been received.
Effective January 1, 2007, applicants who possess a board-approved postgraduate degree in engineering will receive 5 years of experience credit toward the 6-year experience requirement regardless of the undergraduate degree. A board-approved postgraduate degree is one 5 where either the undergraduate or postgraduate curriculum is accredited
by ABET."
http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/a_faq-eng.pdf
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
For example, suppose you go to work for an organization, work diligently, advance up the ladder, 60 hours a week, yada, yada, yada.
Then the firm's treasurer bankrupts the firm by making bad investment decisions and everyone is out of a job and back on the streets.
That is bad luck and totally out of your control. Bus things like that happen in the real world.
It is also true that it matters more what the boss thinks you are doing, than what you are actually doing. Perception matters, and that is why you should take the best option available to you.
Sounds like there is some bias toward Berkley on this forum. I am not on the west coast and don't understand where that would come from. How can you argue against going to the top rated school in the professional that you want to work in?
"Berkeley's graduate program in civil engineering was ranked #1 for the seventh year in a row by U.S. News and World Report. Berkeley's undergraduate program (not stanford's) is ranked #1 in the nation for 2008."
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
http://w
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
"the high tuition cost creates it's own bias."
Actually, if you believe the information posted by the universities, the educational fees are much higher for UC Irvine, than for Berkeley.
http:/
http://www.editor.uci.edu/05-06/intro/intro.7.htm
Would you still recommend UC Irvine even though that university costs more than Berkeley and the education that you will receive is considered to be of less prestige than Berkeley's?
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
A bad department, doing research you find uninspiring, or even interesting can be a small version of hell.
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools
RE: Choosing Graduate Schools