<p>I just got turned down for a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program, and seeing as I'm a Junior, time is starting to run out for research opportunities before I graduate with a BS in Chemical Engineering. I've been under the impression that undergraduate research is a sine qua non for admission to a "good" graduate engineering program. </p>
<p>My question: is undergraduate research a perquisite for a good graduate engineering program? If it's really important, would working for a while after graduating make up for it? Currently, I have a 3.7 GPA, and I expect it to go up. I don't currently go to a top school or anything.</p>
<p>I would love some opinions on what kind of position I'm in.</p>
<p>Are you going for a Ph.D or thesis-based M.S? Then it’s almost a must. You can try to work as a research assistant after graduation.
It’s not required though, because I know someone who got into a Ph.D Chemistry program without any research experience. But he dropped out after a few semesters lmao.
If you’re going for non-thesis M.S or M.E then probably not. In that case try to get an industry job and ask your employer for a tuition reimbursement.</p>
<p>Nothing is ever absolutely necessary, but a complete lack of research experience is a problem that most people could not overcome in “top” grad admissions. The problem is that many people who excel in classwork fail at (or hate) research, and if you have no experience at it neither you nor they can be sure how you will handle it. You can overcome that by being far superior in other areas compared to the rest of the candidates, but that generally takes you out of the top programs - you would have to apply to a mid-range program (at best) to have a chance to so overshadow your competition.</p>
<p>However, REU is not the only research option. Check with professors in your department about work available in their labs - with a 3.70 gpa you should be an attractive candidate. They might not have funding to pay you (but you can hope!), but you’ll get experience. For that matter, a year working under a professor part-time during the school year may be a better resume boost than a single summer in an REU.</p>
<p>Thank you both, your answers were extremely helpful.</p>
<p>yg7s7 - You bring up a very good point. I guess I should consider a non-thesis-based MS or M.Eng, as I’m not sure I want to pursue a Ph.D. In that case, I suppose it wouldn’t matter so much.</p>
<p>cosmicfish - I like your advice. I’ll chat up the professors around here and see if they could use me in the lab. I heard that they like you to have independent funding (from a scholarship, etc.), but I don’t need any sort of stipend, so perhaps they’ll make an exception.</p>
<p>As long as they don’t have to pay for you it shouldn’t matter a whole lot if you’re on a scholarship or not. Definitely hit up professors at your own department and see if any of them would take you for the summer.</p>
<p>Also, if you only applied to one REU that’s probably a reason you didn’t win. I remember my junior year I applied to 10+ as a competitive candidate from a top engineering school with research experience and > 3.5 GPA, and I was only accepted to one program (at a school I had never even heard of prior to hunting down REUs in my field). They’re really competitive, and extremely difficult to get if you’re not a minority or from a smaller university.</p>
<p>Funk, I hate to be the grammar police, but since you threw some latin on us, you kinda earned it. It’s prerequisite, not perquisite. The latter is a special privilege or benefit of a job (“perks”).</p>
<p>Back to the discussion. I have also wondered about the importance of undergrad research. As we tour with our HS kid, all the schools seem to make a big deal of it. Posters seem to agree it’s important for grad school admission, but what about employability? Is undergrad research important for someone who doesn’t intend to go to grad school?</p>
As a rule, no. Most engineers in industry do not perform research, so experience in research is not directly a big asset - most companies would more highly value a co-op or internship that put them in the workplace. There is, however, an indirect benefit of research - research generally requires a higher level of knowledge, and performing undergraduate research is a great way to cement the material for the student and produce a higher degree of understanding. While this is unlikely to help you get a job, it can really help down the road with job performance.</p>
<p>I guess this depends on the programs you’ve been involved with. I know the one I was at only had a handful of white males, and the people that have been part of them in my lab have typically been minorities. Certainly not all minority for either, but definitely a disproportionate amount compared to the general makeup of the field.</p>
<p>I disagree. For those who haven’t interned, and only have research experience, it can help them get a job. Also, what if said job is in a field that the individual was performing research in as an undergrad? While the research itself may not be valuable, the experience IS. It may not be as valuable as an internship/co-op, but companies like to see students with experience working outside of the classroom.</p>
I agree that it helps, but I think it is a comparatively small factor and that most people aiming for industry should NOT do undergrad research - the time is better spent doing co-ops, internships, and getting good grades.</p>
<p>It’s hard to find good industrial internships during academic years anyway so I would recommend doing research in your Professor’s lab during academic years and doing internship during a summer.</p>
<p>DS interviewed for a summer job in an industrial chemical synthesis lab but didn’t get far because they wanted research experience. So, I think research experience can help in landing some jobs. He also applied for two REUs and was offered both although he is not a URM. He does have a 3.9 though.</p>
Was a typo, I meant to use prerequisite. But good thing I didn’t, I’ve learned a new word!</p>