Funding and Costs for Grad students

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I'm mechanical engineering major currently considering pursuing a MS after I graduate. I'm on a 6-month co-op now, but I'll be a senior when I return in January. I'd like to focus on the biomechanical engineering field. It seems to me like this is a field that you really need some grad degree to get into (but I could be wrong).</p>

<p>I know every school is different, but I was wondering if someone could tell me about funding opportunities for MS students. If you're reading this post, I'm sure you're aware that they are supposedly not as prevalent as PhD funding opportunities- at least according to most school's sites- but is that really true? I (very fortunately) won't have any debt when I graduate, so I have some leniency tuition-wise, but I also don't want to pay $30-60k for something I'm doing more for my own pleasure than out of necessity. It is possible, that after I do the MS, I would stay for a PhD, but that is not something I am willing to commit to right off the bat, I don't think.</p>

<p>So, do most MS students just pay out of pocket for their tuition, or do they get some sort of assistantship or funding? Is getting funding really as grim as the University websites make it seem, or do they make it seem worse than it is?</p>

<p>Some schools that I am considering are Washington University, Boston University, Northeastern, and Michigan State. My current university has very small selection of research fields. My grades are 3.1 GPA (really trying hard to get to a 3.2 or 3.3 by graduation), GREs of 163/159/4.5 Q/V/W, and a pretty good chunk of experience for the ol' resume.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>PS- if someone could tell me about the job market for the biomechanical field, whether or not a grad degree really is required, and where these jobs are (I'd really like to move to an urban area), that'd be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Have you taken any of these questions to the career center at your own college/university, or to your academic department there? The career center should know where people are getting jobs and what their starting pay is. The department should know where people have been admitted to grad school and whether or not they received any funding.</p>

3

<p>I have not because I’m not in school at the moment.</p>

<p>I would ask them, but in my experience they aren’t that great, so I’d rather wait until I get back to school then try to deal with them over the phone.</p>

4

<p>Another question-</p>

<p>Generally speaking, would one find out if they were receiving an assisantship before or after they accept an admissions offer?</p>

5

<p>Generally you’ll know if you’re being offered funding before you need to accept an admissions offer. </p>

<p>If you want a research assistantship, many programs will expect you to contact professors directly once you’ve applied/been accepted to find out who has funding available and may be willing to support you.</p>

6

<p>Many engineering MS students who are not on the PhD path attend with funding from their employers, often part time. The universities and other usual sources of funding are generally a lot more interested in PhD students.</p>