Graduate School Admissions for Engineering Majors.

Graduate School
1

Hi everyone, I’m currently a Junior at Santa Clara University, which is located in San Francisco Bay area, majoring in Civil Engineering. I’m interested in attending graduate school for my masters in engineering, but I’m quite new to this whole process, which seems quite obscure compared to regular undergraduate admissions. So I’ve a few question regarding the whole process.

  1. Is it possible to get a masters in a different engineering field other than the one you majored in your undergraduate? (I'm might be interested in getting a masters in materials engineering coming from a civil engineering background)
  2. How is the GRE different or similar to the SAT?
  3. For admissions, how much weight is actually placed on GRE scores, GPA, and other things such as work experience?
  4. Would it be recommended to get in contact with a faculty member in department at the school you are wishing to apply to?
  5. What would be considered a good undergraduate GPA in engineering for grad. school admissions? (I already know most programs have a 3.0 minimum)
  6. Would taking any GRE subject test such as physics or math help with admissions?
  7. Is there an admissions essay that I've to write?

Thanks!

2

Partial answers to your questions. You can also search for these answers in other threads on this forum.

  1. Yes but you may have to do some extensive remedial work if your major is too far away. Civil to Materials will probably have some but it depends on the program.
  2. Not too different in style.
  3. It depends on the type of program and how may applicants they have. The GRE and GPA are often used to triage a large number of applicants. Once the application is fully reviewed, the personal statement and, above all, the letters of reference are very important. In my experience doing graduate admissions at Illinois Tech, GPA is more important than GRE. Work experience can be useful for a professional masters degree (coursework only) but research experience is more important for a research-based degree such as a Master of Science or a Ph.D..
  4. Yes, if you wish to do research with that faculty member it cannot hurt. Do your homework first though and read some of the publications so you can be specific when asking questions. A generic discussion is not very useful.
  5. A good GPA in engineering is above 3.5. You can get into professional programs with a lower GPA than for research-based programs. Also the school you apply to may have higher or lower standards depending on selectivity.
  6. No, these tests are for students majoring in those areas. The Physics GRE is often required by Physics programs. It is highly specific towards upper division physics courses sucha s quantum mechanics and advanced electrodynamics. Not at all useful for engineers.
  7. yes, a personal statement and in this regard, you have to make a decision as to how to pitch it. When I read such an essay, I want to know how the student prepared for our program and why they are interested in our program. I am not so interested in grand philosophical remarks like "I have always been fascinated by physics since I was a child and asked my parent why the sky is blue..."