<p>i'm looking into go for my PhD in EE within the signal processing track (i'm sure many ppl would know, signal processing is more applied math than EE)..so without further ado here are some stats and key points</p>
<ol>
<li><p>undergrad..graduated from Rensselaer (RPI) with a 3.2 GPA in 2008</p></li>
<li><p>after RPI, i found a job at a power company, where i worked from Sept 2008 until March 2013 (just got laid off two months ago)</p></li>
<li><p>i just finished my MS in electrical and computer engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) with a GPA of 3.3, and a concentration in signal processing..i started my MS in August 2011, and pretty much plowed through while working FT..i feel like my GPA would've definitely been slightly higher if i didn't work FT (to make it worse, the commute was about 50 miles)</p></li>
<li><p>i didn't do an actual published thesis...BUT, i did a Directed Research project with a faculty member in biomedical signal processing..it actually started off as a compendum thesis with a PhD student, but his part got so hard that he had to start over..and i was at a point where i was almost done with my MS, so i had to sorta "cut my losses" and just have my portion count as a 6 credit research project instead of 9 credit published thesis</p></li>
<li><p>my GREs..i got an 800 in the math, and i think 490 in english</p></li>
</ol>
<p>on a personal note, i might mention that i hated my power job so much, that it motivated me to do grad school, and made me realize that i wanna go as far as possible with that, and end up with an R&D type of job, instead of just entering stuff into Excel and doing paperwork (which pretty much sums up the job i had in power)</p>
<p>The answer is, it depends on the school. Your quantitative GRE is good and the verbal is a bit low but should be OK for many schools. Your work experience is a plus for engineering and the fact that you already have a M.S. and some research experience is a plus. The biggest problem is your GPA which is not very strong for highly selective programs. This can be mitigated by the fact that you were working full time and having a very strong letter of reference from your research advisor.</p>
<p>I would suggest some mid-range schools which have a focus on signal processing in their EE department. You can find a bit more information at the <a href=“http://phds.org%5B/url%5D”>http://phds.org</a> site even though the data is a bit old, it can tell you which programs support a large fraction of their Ph.D. students. Also ask your research advisor for suggestions, he/she should know and give you good schools to apply to.</p>
<p>i’m not really worried about selectivity or ranking of school…as long as i find any school that offers a PhD in EE, has signal processing faculty (biosignals being a plus), and offers me stipend, i’m good…</p>
<p>with that being said, is pursuing a PhD with stipend even possible for me? or is it outta question?..i’m not cool with paying for a PhD…once you’ve lived out in the real world, some type of salary to pay your bills (and not relying on anyone for that) is very important…and besides, i already have school loans to pay…</p>
<p>If you’re willing to go more or less anywhere, then you most likely will find somebody willing to take you, and many of these are quite likely to pay a stipend (for teaching and/or research assistantships, of course; grants may be unlikely given lower stats). Just cast the net wide and be prepared to relocate, even if the location or program isn’t as desirable as you’d have hoped.</p>
<p>RA and TA positions offer stipend right?..what’s the difference btwn that type of stipend and a grant?</p>
<p>(1) Yes, RA and TA positions will typically offer a stipend and tuition/fees, depending on the hours worked. These count as jobs, though, and there will be an expectation that you fulfill your end of the bargain.</p>
<p>(2) Grants are free money awarded to students based on merit and/or need. There is no requirement that the student work or pay back the money (it’s not a loan).</p>
<p>(3) Loans don’t require work or great stats, but you’ll have to repay them someday.</p>
<p>For a PhD in EE - or any STEM field, for that matter - you should under no circumstances ever use (3) to pay for anything related to school. Don’t do it. If you have a rich uncle or won the lottery, paying out of pocket is an option, but if you’re honestly flexible about where you go to school you should definitely be able to swing (1): if you get admitted somewhere but they won’t give you (1), then you’re not valued and probably won’t do well there anyway (in my experience, getting in somewhere and not getting (1) has always been a bad sign). Getting (2) is always nice but never a sure thing anywhere for anybody.</p>
<p>i would never go for (3)…like i said, at 27 years old, having worked in the real world for 4.5 years, paying bills, being a self-sufficient adult, and not really coming from a rich family, my own values wouldn’t let me depend on money like that…</p>
<p>thanks for the reply!..so you’re saying as long as i’m flexible, i should be able to get in somewhere and get (1) with it too?</p>
<p>Most likely, yes. Many (most?) schools that accept students for a PhD in STEM wouldn’t do so unless they were willing and able to cover expenses for and pay a stipend to a student willing and able to work.</p>
<p>@aegrisomnia is absolutely correct. Only go for a Ph.D. if you get funding the whole time. The fact that you have a Masters degree already will likely cut a year or so off expected time to degree. If you are willing to consider schools anywhere in the country then you will find one that will accept you and offer support in the form of full tuition and a stipend. I ran the Graduate Admissions office at my institution, Illinois Institute of Technology, for 3 years and I see how many U.S. students apply for Ph.D.s in STEM. It is not a lot and they are highly prized as TAs because of the language skills. Since your B.S. degree is from RPI, that is also a well-known quantity as is your M.S. from WPI. In Illinois you would be competitive for UIC and IIT for certain.</p>