<p>Hi, everyone
I am an undergrad civil engineering student (structural emphasis). I plan to go to the grad school right after graduation to get a MS. After small research I came up with 2 good choices - UC Berkeley and UT Austin. Both are well-respected schools for civil engineering (Berkeley is #2 in the nation, Austin is #5 Best</a> Civil Engineering Programs | Top Engineering Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools ) and as long as I don't screw up my GRE, I am pretty sure I will be admitted to both (4.0 gpa so far after 3 years, 3 internships).
If you compare them financially Austin seems like a no-brainer, tuition in UT is lower (both are out of state for me), as well as generall living costs are cheaper in Texas. However, I am not that big of a Texas fan, I can't stand hot weather. Austin is a pretty cool city, but no match for SF bay area. I don't mind spending couple years in Austin doing my masters, but I am afraid of being stuck there afterwards.
Will I have good chances of getting a decent entry-level job with MS from Texas university in California or should I spend more money and go to Berkeley? Or is California just not worth it from engineering job market perspective?</p>
<p>Well, I can tell you that a lot of UT students will be happy to hear that you don’t want to stick around Austin after you graduate, because most of them plan on staying there! It’s a wonderful city.</p>
<p>If you do well, it won’t matter which school you attend. I went to school in Texas and ended up in Maine. Structural engineers get hired all over the country.</p>
<p>I’d go with UC Berkeley. Your networking capabilities if you go to Berkeley will be much better if a job in California is your goal. It’d be easier to land those key connections for a potential job if you are already in the are.</p>
<p>I went to UC Berkeley for grad school in CEE. One potential benefit of the Berkeley Master’s in Structural is that you can finish it in 1 year (given you don’t TA). However, it is an intense one year of school. Have you visited the Bay Area? UCB is expensive for OOS students and if the cost difference is significant, I’d stay in Texas. A masters in CEE from UT Austin should open doors in California as well.</p>
<p>My brother is a CE and went to both, UCB undergrad and UT for his MS. Apply to both and see what they offer. They are both well respected nationally, so best price trumps any perceived difference in reputation.</p>
<p>Austin is the only city in TX that is not really “Texas” and it nearly became his permanent residence (now back in SF).</p>
<p>Are you planning to do PhD study? If so, PhD programs are likely to be funded with a tuition waiver and stipend.</p>
<p>If not, you may want to ask yourself whether getting a master’s degree (less likely to be funded) will be more helpful than getting a civil engineering job and starting work toward your Professional Engineer license.</p>