How to contact prof for RA/TA?

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>Just wondering what people's opinions are on contacting profs (after admission) for research positions in their group? Is a brief email with CV attached acceptable? Also, should I not mention anything about getting an RA position in the initial email, and just express my interest and see their reactions? Also, I applied for a MS in EE, so they might treat it differently than PhD students because I've heard that some professors don't like taking on MS students because they're around for a shorter amount of time.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help.</p>

<p>Are you in any position where you could physically go to the campuses and talk with the professors directly? If so, call and make an appointment to meet with them to talk about their research. By the way, professors love to talk about their research, regardless of whether you’re an MS or Ph.D. student. My experience is that professors in the “less prestigious” schools are more likely to take on an MS student, so you might have a better chance at UCSB than UCLA. I’ve been wrong before, however.</p>

<p>I am currently in Northern California, so it would be 6-7 hour drive at least to either SB or LA. I know going to talk to them in person would probably be most ideal, but I guess I just want some assurance ahead of time it won’t be all for nothing.</p>

<p>Just out of curiosity: is it customary in EE that all graduate students of a professor are supported on research grants? In math (my field) only a fraction of grad students have RAs and professors would most certainly not make a commitment to fund students that they barely know.</p>

<p>No, it is not always the case that a student is supported by research grants. I have known some (rare) students, even at GT, who have been unsupported for semesters while doing their Ph.D in ECE.</p>

<p>@pccht 6-7 hours on the road each way is too far, unless you are on spring break. If it is completely infeasible, maybe try a phone call. It’s better than nothing.</p>

<p>By the way, how did UCD turn out?</p>

<p>gthopeful, thanks. The OP seems to use the phrases “joining a research group” and “being supported as an RA” interchangeably, which got me wondering how true that is in EE.</p>

<p>Yeah, sorry for the confusion, I was using “joining a research group” and “being supported as an RA” interchangeably. I was thinking more just on how to get my foot in the door, to have a better chance for RA later.</p>

<p>@hesdjjim, UCD’s cool, I liked it. In the EE department, there are some good professors in the analog dept. I’m doing an RF/microwaves emphasis, and Prof Branner is a great guy for it. But he’s probably going to retire in the next few years, and once he leaves the RF dept will probably take a big hit.</p>

<p>I think for now I’ll just send them a short email expressing my interest in their research, listing relevant courses/experience I have, attach my CV and hope they’ll read the message haha. Perhaps I’ll also ask them about visiting opportunities, in case I’m free for a weekend sometimes or something.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help</p>