Civil/ Structural Engineering grad school advice needed

Graduate School
1

<p>I am about to start my senior year at UT Austin majoring in civil engineering. Up until a few months ago, I was unsure about what I wanted to do within civil engineering but now I have decided that I really want to get a M.S. in structural engineering. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>My undergrad is very strong and my GPA is currently a 3.37 - I know this is a little low, but I also don't think it's necessarily a deal breaker. I have 6 months of research experience in the concrete materials field and am currently doing a very good structural summer internship with a great forensic firm. (Working at this internship has really cemented, pardon the pun, the idea of getting a M.S. in structures in my head.)</p>

<p>I am taking the GRE in exactly one week and I hope to do well on that. The only thing that haunts me is that so far I have only taken two classes within the discipline of structures and I got a C in one of them and a B in the other. I think this is the main thing that will really hold me back, but I got difficult teachers for each class whose teaching styles did not necessarily complement my learning style. I will be taking 3 other structural classes in the fall and will do my best to get high grades, but most applications are due before those grades will be finalized.</p>

<p>Any good advice for me? If possible, I would love to hear any advice regarding rec letters, which schools I have a good shot at, and how to overcome my two less than stellar grades in my structural classes.</p>

<p>Additional info:
Member of Chi Epsilon, ASCE, and SWE
Treasurer of the UT Gymnastics Club
Minor in Spanish
Girl Scout Gold Award recipient</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>The first thing you need to figure out is why you want an M.S. Usually, an M.S. in Engineering is more of a professional degree even if there is some research involved (but research is not always part of the program). In general for engineering, it is best to get a few years of job experience and then decide what kind of graduate degree fits you best. Your company might even pay for the degree instead of you having to take out loans. Even if you are eventually interested in more of research career, it is common to have some work experience in engineering. That experience is highly valued by graduate programs.</p>

<p>One exception is if your university has a co-terminal degree program that you can complete in a total of 5 years with your B.S. usually you are able to retain your undergraduate financial aid package during this co-terminal period and that will save you some money.</p>

<p>Now, if you really want to proceed with an M.S., with your grades, you are probably going to have a hard time getting into top 20 programs with financial aid. You might look into the next 50 or so, depending on your GRE scores. If you apply to a professional Masters instead then you probably have a good chance at higher ranked programs but financial aid is not given to the the professional track. For letters of reference, you need to get them from the professors and employers who know you best and can write strong personal letters that might mitigate your performance in courses.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>