“Undergraduate and Graduate Education/Research and Choosing the

Right Program and Advisor”

Dr. Stephanie Luster-TeasleyDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Special Guest

Ms Brandi Robinson

Student

Johnson C. Smith University

How did you choose your Undergraduate School?

Location

Cost

Majors

Population

Campus Life

Family History/Tradition

What is Graduate School?

Goals:

To gain additional educational background in your major

To gain additional skills to complement your undergraduate education

To train in a specific area

What is Graduate School?

Goals:

To obtain licensure or increase credentials

To conduct RESEARCH in a specific area

What is Graduate School?

Graduate school comes in three varieties:

Professional schools Master's programs Doctoral programs

How long does it take to complete a professional school, MS, or PhD program?

Why Selecting the Right Graduate School and Graduate Advisor is Important

“Graduate school is quite

different from undergraduate

school. It takes longer, it

requires more focused and

sustained work, it involves

more intensive relationships with faculty and other students, and it makes considerably greater demands on your personal identity. “

Things to Consider

What do you want to do with your career?

Research area Is the department you are considering conducting research in the area you are interested in working?

Personal commitments

Financial Needs

Choose a program based on your interest and not just convenience

Determine what you are looking for in a program

Size of the University

Research Tier

Faculty Members – Pre-select a faculty advisor that you would like to work with during your graduate study

University Support Programs for Graduate Students

How to Select a Graduate School

Selecting Graduate School

Research the University, Department, and Faculty using the web

Look at the web pages for the faculty

Look at their research

Contact the Departmental Graduate Program Advisor

Selecting Graduate School

Visit the University and the Department

Talk to the faculty and graduate students

Especially talk to faculty that may serve as your research advisor Ask about the size of their research group

Find out if they plan to accept additional students into their research groups – is there a current project for a new student?

Talk to the faculty member’s students in research group

Look at the city and housing available

Find out about cost, financial aid, financial support (TAs, RAs, fellowships)

Find out about Medical and Dental Plans for Graduate Students if offered by the University

Selecting Graduate School

Find out about admission requirements

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH because selecting the right school and the right advisor can determine your successful navigation of graduate school… MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION

2 + 2 + 2 Application Plan

Apply to 1 - 2 Dream Schools

Apply to 1 – 2 Middle of the Road Schools

Apply to 1 – 2 schools where you know you will be admitted into their graduate program

You DID it!

You were accepted into your dream program

You have a TA position or fellowship

You are at your new university and in classes

Now… you have to select a research advisor

Research Advisor versus Graduate Advisor

Research Advisor is different from the Departmental Graduate Program Advisor

Graduate Program Advisor

The faculty that directly works with all in coming and current students; the expert in the courses you will need to take; responsible for actively recruiting students for the graduate program; probably your primary contact person through the process of applying for their graduate program

Research Advisor

The faculty member that

will help guide you through

the process of conducting

research for your MS or

PhD; will help you form your

thesis committee; will lead your

committee as you work for you

degree; your advocate in the

department and the University

Your research advisor will become one of the most important people in your graduate program

Things to look for

Research Capabilities – lab, funding

Leadership Style

Working with Students

Personality

Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Full Professor

Advisor Selection Process

Most graduate programs will have a seminar where all professors with open projects will present their research

It then becomes a competition for research positions – the faculty member will select the student(s) they will work with on their research projects

Good Relationships with Advisor

When things work well between you and your advisor, you are able to work together during difficult problems with your research or with your progress through the program

Good professional relationship

The person you can confide in and get advice when you need help

When the advisor relationship does not work well

You selection of an advisor may not always work

Tension, disagreement in thought or methodology, personal issues

Options: Talk to mentors

Work through the process and keep your advisor

Investigate the opportunity to work with co-advisors or to get a new advisor

Undergraduate Level Activities that can increase success

Undergraduate Research

Advisor Relationship

Starting early researching schools

Apply for fellowships/Scholarships

Statistics

Bachelor’s degrees Awarded in Science and Engineering 2001

StatisticsField Distribution of Science and Engineering Graduate Students 2003

Math Eng.  All S&E ScienceBiological sciences

Computer sciences

All PhD recipients 25,258 19,993 5,694 866 994 5,265

White 14,281 12,136 3,367 424 585 2,145

Asian a 6,569 4,184 1,442 296 263 2,385

Black 835 733 133 20 22 102

Hispanic 1,336 1,087 286 28 48 249

American Indian/Alaska Native 75 64 11 2 2 11

Field distribution of doctorate recipients in S&E : 2001

You can do it

You have the ability

You have the drive

What type of job?

Where would you like to be? 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 20 yrs

Resources

Books

On-line

Examples:

www.gradportal.org

www.graduateguide.com