Civil Engineering Grad Schools

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I am beginning the search for grad schools, and wanted the collective opinion of CC... what schools would you recommend for me?</p>

<p>I'm a civil engineering major, with research interests primarily in geotech and earthquake engineering, soil mechanics, and materials science / building materials. Heavy on the material behavior, light on the structural design. In other words, I'm not your standard structural engineer, but I'm definitely not an environmental engineer either. Most schools' programs are split between these two, and it's not clear where I'd fall.</p>

<p>Side considerations are:
-- whether or not I'd get in (I am not the most competitive of candidates)
-- whether or not they would offer enough aid (in the form of grant work, contract work, or assistantships) for me to attend</p>

<p>But really, I'd like to know where you'd recommend with or without those constraints. (And recommend for "fit," not prestige.) I'm willing to be anywhere in the continental US, geography doesn't matter.</p>

<p>Also curious if anyone knows of any professors working in the areas I mentioned, as half of grad school depends on whom your advisor is.</p>

2

<p>Are there no CivE's here?</p>

3

<p>wait untill aibarr gets back. shes a civil engineer grad student up at UIll - Champain.</p>

4

<p>Ooooh, thanks. That (Illinois) is one I'm curious about.</p>

5

<p>Fwee. Okay. Schools I'd recommend for you...</p>

<p>Geotech and earthquake engineering, material behavior, and, in general, theory, right? None of the practical engineering stuff.</p>

<p>Apply lots of places, say you want to get a PhD. You'll have a much better time of getting financial aid. Get strong recommendations, work on the GRE scores (shouldn't be difficult if you're at P-ton, they're just like the SATs... Don't worry about the verbal score when you get it back, though, they're perpetually horribly low), and start your statements, showing that you can write. The fact that you use correct punctuation and spelling in forums is a really good sign!</p>

<p>For good geotech, I'd look at UTexas. They have an excellent geotech program and a very large research department with many professors and very diverse interests.</p>

<p>For engineering mechanics, you can look at more theoretical places, like CalTech and MIT and Stanford.</p>

<p>Berkeley and UIUC are excellent for seismic, and are strong programs in general. For grad advisors, you've got Amr Elnashai and Dan Abrams and Bill Spencer at UIUC, who are very excellent seismic guys. Also, Anil Chopra at Berkeley. Not sure whether or not he's emeritus, though. Good seismic programs at UT, too. </p>

<p>In general, take a look at UT-Austin, UIUC, Berkeley, CalTech, MIT, Stanford, A&M, Cornell, and Georgia Tech. Given good recommendations, you'll surely be able to get into at least one of the top tens, find a good advisor, and get funding. The fact that you're more of a research guy than a practical guy helps a ton, too.</p>

<p>Best of luck! Let me know if you have any other questions.</p>

6

<p>What <em>are</em> the top 10? Anyone have a list...? Actually, if anybody knows, I'm curious about the top 25 or 30... just for reference.</p>

<p>My GRE (790m/740v/4.5w), recs, writing skills, and interview skills are relatively strong. I've had two "research experiences" that led to publication, albeit minor, and should hopefully have a third in my senior independent work. However, my GPA is a 2.9 and not budging... is that a deal-killer, or not as bad as I'm thinking? In addition to admission, I'm a little worried it might affect funding opportunities.</p>

<p>Speaking of which, how hard is it to get financial support? (I'm looking at research assistantships, I think... don't see myself as a TA.) I know it's more likely at institutions that have more contracts than grants, as it's more of a co-op and less of a gift from the school. Profs have told me that there is absolutely no reason anybody should have to pay for grad school... are they being wildly optimistic about the funding opportunities, or can I assume that I will probably get a decent aid offer at least at one of the schools I applied and should stop worrying over it? </p>

<p>I'm also looking for a grad school that won't burn me out -- a good school but one that doesn't have too much competitiveness, pressure, or constraints that make life difficult. I'm a little wary of the top 10 for that reason... I don't want to aim too low, but if at all possible, I would like to be less stressed in grad school than I have been for the past three years. Any thoughts there?</p>

<p>Heh, you noticed my pronounced dislike of 'net abbreviations... :-) I don't capitalize in IMs, but aside from that I like to keep it in English, plus or minus some interjections.</p>

<p>I'm more of a research girl, but -- forgiven. :-) And thank you, thank you, thank you for the information, it's really given me some things to think about.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
What <em>are</em> the top 10? Anyone have a list...? Actually, if anybody knows, I'm curious about the top 25 or 30... just for reference.

[/quote]

According to US News, the top 30 are:
1. University of California – Berkeley
University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
3. University of Texas – Austin
4. Stanford University
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Purdue University – West Lafayette
8. Cornell University
Northwestern University
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
11. California Institute of Technology
Virginia Tech
13. Texas A&M University – College Station
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
15. Carnegie Mellon University
16. University of California – Davis
University of California – San Diego
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin – Madison
20. Pennsylvania State University – University Park
University of Colorado – Boulder
22. Lehigh University
North Carolina State University
Princeton University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
26. Colorado State University
Johns Hopkins University
University of California - Los Angeles
University of Maryland - College Park
University of Southern California</p>

<p>
[quote]
My GRE (790m/740v/4.5w), recs, writing skills, and interview skills are relatively strong.

[/quote]

How strong are these recommendations? You pretty much need three world-famous guys to say that you walk on water to overcome that 2.9.

[quote]
my GPA is a 2.9 and not budging... is that a deal-killer, or not as bad as I'm thinking? In addition to admission, I'm a little worried it might affect funding opportunities.

[/quote]

This is very bad news, since most programs require a 3.0 just to apply, even the ones at the bottom of the rankings. Some programs only require a 3.0 in your last 2 years, so I hope you have an upward trend in grades.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Speaking of which, how hard is it to get financial support? (I'm looking at research assistantships, I think... don't see myself as a TA.)

[/quote]

Most people would rather not TA if they could help it, but they're easier to get than RA's.</p>

8

<p>It's over 3.0 departmental, with an upward trend, and there were medical issues. I'm aware of the general 3.0 cutoff, but a number of grad schools seem to offer provisional acceptances for those they want to admit. I've heard both wild optimism and wild pessimism, so I think the only way to find out how hard it's really going to be is to get those applications in the mail.</p>

<p>But... let me pose a new question: has anybody been in this situation before? Had less than a 3.0 going into grad school? How did it work out? Is it possible that I will get into no grad schools of any description? Or is that a gross exaggeration?</p>

9

<p>Say you want a PhD! Say you want a PhD! Say you want a PhD!</p>

<p>I can't say that enough times when it comes to getting funding for graduate school in civil engineering. It's key. Most programs accept masters students simply because they'd like a year or two to try to hook those grad students and drag them into their PhD programs, where they can have good lackeys for five to seven years. If you're a research GAL (can't believe I, of all people, made that mistake! gotta say, the odds are against us in this field the higher we get, though...) then that'll help you a lot.</p>

<p>I really think that you'll be okay. There <em>were</em> medical issues involved, your GPA is over 3.0 departmental, and there's an upward trend. Stuff happens, and people understand that. I don't think it's a deal-killer, certainly not for <em>all</em> the programs. Especially with good recommendations.</p>

<p>For the programs that you are admitted to, my guess is that it won't be difficult to get funding. Write specifically to some of the professors that you're interested in working with as you're applying.</p>

<p>In terms of ending up at a program that won't stress you out, pay attention to the general feel of the universities as you visit them. If you feel like you won't be happy there, don't go there! That'll go a long way towards helping you decide where you would be happiest and least stressed. Talk to current grad students and find out what they have to say. (Don't just talk to the ones who've volunteered to talk to prospectives! Go find someone who's shackled to a desk in a basement office and see what they have to say about the program!)</p>

<p>Talk to your current profs, too. They probably have the best recommendations of all. Good luck!</p>

10

<p>I have a similar question. I study civil engineering at Vanderbilt University and I want to go into the same type of research. I’m a junior with 3.85 GPA and a 760 in My GRE quantitative. Have been doing research for a year and a half now. I would like to know if it would be reasonable to look at top 5 schools in this field for grad school. and what my chances are for admission. I will appreciate any insight or advice on the subject.</p>

11

<p>00engineer00</p>

<p>You have a very good GPA and a good GRE Q section. I think you should would have a fighting chance of getting into grad school at a top 5.</p>

<p>I’ll put in a plug for my school, University of Michigan. The geotech department here is great, and has a lot of history attached to it. It’s not the field I’m interested in, but all the professors I’ve met in the geotech department have been great.</p>