South African Looking to do Masters in Engineering Management

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am a South African female who is currently studying an Industrial Engineering degree at the University of Stellenbosch. I am looking to do my post graduate overseas either in the UK or the US. I am interested in doing a Masters in Engineering Management. I have calculated my proposed GPA on a foreign credits calculator and have come out with a 3.0 GPA. I am a well rounded candidate who has work experience, I am an athlete and I hold positions of leadership at university. What are my chances of doing this masters at one of the top (ivy or good engineering) universities, to make me globally competitive?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>Or universities you could recommend?</p>

3

<p>3.0 GPA is often the minimum to apply to many graduate programs (but the lowest accepted applicants are often higher than that). Extracurriculars don’t matter. Since Eng. Management will likely be an M.Eng rather than an MS, the low GPA likely won’t matter as much though, and the work experience might also give a slight boost.</p>

<p>You also need to take the GRE. Ace the Quant section, and you’ll greatly improve your chances.</p>

4

<p>Please forgive my ignorance, I dont know the US system that well, if I am interested in a M.Eng, is it easier to get into than a M.Sc?</p>

<p>Thank you for your responce, you have been very helpful.</p>

5

<p>Here are a couple of programs in the Silicon Valley of California that should be within your reach. One is at San Jose State University, and the other is at Santa Clara University.</p>

<p>[General</a> Engineering | Engineering Management Specialization | San Jose State University](<a href=“http://generalengineering.sjsu.edu/engineering_management/]General”>http://generalengineering.sjsu.edu/engineering_management/)</p>

<p>[Santa</a> Clara University - Engineering Management and Leadership - Master of Science Program](<a href=“http://www.scu.edu/engineering/emgt/grad/progms.cfm]Santa”>http://www.scu.edu/engineering/emgt/grad/progms.cfm)</p>

<p>Although these are not considered “top” schools, they are still very good schools with competitive programs, and they pride themselves on the number of students that come out with job offers from prominent Silicon Valley employers.</p>

6

<p>Thank you, I will look into those programs.</p>

<p>I also wanted to ask, I scored a 4.0 GPA from high school, does that count at all now applying for graduate school?</p>

7

<p>No. Graduate schools only care about your undergrad years – especially your last two years. If your GPA during those years is higher than your GPA of your earlier years, it helps you.</p>

8

<p>Thank you so much, you have been very helpful.</p>

9

<p>I also need to add one more thing. The two schools I mentioned do not generally have assistantship funding for Masters students (I know SJSU for sure doesn’t, SCU may under certain circumstances). Most Masters students pay out of pocket for their education at those schools.</p>

<p>The good news, however, is that most of their Masters-level classes are taught in the evening. So, if you choose to go this route, you might consider looking for a part-time Engineering job in the Silicon Valley to help you along. That way, you work in the morning, study in the afternoon, and do classes in the evening. This will build your resume in more ways than just continuing school for a Masters degree.</p>