Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Graduate School in Computer ScienceGraduate School in Computer Science
Dr. Daniel Ernst / Dr. Paul WagnerUWEC Department of
Computer Science
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
MessagesMessages
• Graduate school in CS is an option you should consider – there are many rewards for the work you do
• There are a variety of graduate programs fitting various needs and goals
• If you’re an A or B student who works hard, you can be very successful in graduate school
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
TopicsTopics• Reasons to consider graduate school in computer science• Types of graduate degrees• What graduate school is like / how it’s different than undergraduate• Moving on from courses to research• How to succeed in graduate school• Application procedures and deadlines• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)• Jobs in graduate school • Jobs after graduate school
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Reasons To Consider Reasons To Consider Graduate SchoolGraduate School
• Good– You want to study one or more areas of computer science in more depth– You’re interested in teaching computer science at the university level– You’re interested in research
• Medium– You want to increase your marketability in the work force
• May want to get some work experience first• Note: some employers pay for graduate study (more so for Masters,
area that helps in your job)
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Reasons Reasons NotNot To Consider To Consider Graduate SchoolGraduate School
• Several Variations on a Theme– You’re not ready for the real world– You want to postpone the decision about which job to take– You’re not sure what you want to do
• If Not Sure, Go to the Other Side of the Fence– Work for a while– Come back to graduate school later
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Types of Graduate DegreesTypes of Graduate Degrees• Masters
– Course-Only– Project– Thesis– Professional
• Ph.D.
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Masters – Coursework OnlyMasters – Coursework Only• Example
– U of M MSC degree• 31 credits of coursework
• Advantages– Can take advanced courses in new areas– Higher level work– Courses may fit for particular purposes (e.g. work)
• Disadvantages– No significant work outside of courses– Extension of undergraduate work
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Masters - ProjectMasters - Project• Example:
– U of M MS in CS, Plan B and Plan C• Plan B – 31 credits, 3 cr. project course• Plan C – 31 credits of coursework, includes 100 hours of
project work, including presentation• Advantages
– Project allows for application of courses– Project involves focused interest area
• Disadvantages– Project is not same as research
• May not be original idea, may not need to show benefits, etc.
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Masters - ThesisMasters - Thesis• Example
– U of M MS in CS, Plan A• 31 credits, including 10 thesis credits
• Advantages– More likely to do advanced research
• Disadvantages– Less coursework– Masters thesis may grow in scope to Ph.D. thesis
• Personal suggestion (PJW): save thesis for Ph.D.
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Masters - ProfessionalMasters - Professional• Example
– U of M MSSE• Must be an industry professional with >= 1 year of
experience• 2-3 courses for 4 semesters, all on Friday or Saturday• Capstone project (similar to Masters Plan B)
• Advantages– More applied program– Excellent fellow student body– Overall excellent degree for those in industry
• Disadvantages– Not a research degree
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Ph.D.Ph.D.• Example:
– U of M Ph.D. in CS• 43 credits of coursework (varies)• 24 credits of thesis
• Advantages– Good combination of coursework and research– Chance to work in depth with thesis advisor
• Disadvantages– Research is difficult, no guaranteed end point– Large time commitment (2-10 years)
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Ph.D. StepsPh.D. Steps• Breadth Requirement
– Usually satisfied by course work• Preliminary Written Examination
– Often on one major area, several minor areas– Given large reading list in advance
• Preliminary Oral Examination (committee)– Can be on all coursework or thesis proposal
• Thesis Proposal and work• Final Oral Examination (committee)
– Present and defend your thesis
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Advisor and CommitteesAdvisor and Committees• Choosing an Advisor
– Consider the instructors you get along with in the areas you’re interested in them
– Talk to them about their interests and yours– If fit is good, ask if you can work with them
• Committee Membership– Often several CS members, several outside (non-CS, but
related department) members– Work with your advisor to build a compatible group
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
ThesisThesis• Thesis definition
– A large written paper on an original topic– Smaller for Masters, less expectation of original work– Larger for Ph.D., must be original work
• Components– Identify topic area
• Something of interest to you and your advisor• An area where you can make a contribution
– Background research– Development of ideas– (Often) development of prototype system– Measure of contributions– Identification of issues, future work– Writing it up, presenting it
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Which Type To Apply For?Which Type To Apply For?• Ph.D programs generally offer more support
– Scholarships– TA and RA opportunities
• If any possibility of Ph.D., apply for this• Can always stop with Masters if don’t want to continue
– Many students sign up for Ph.D. program, get a Masters “along the way”– Many Masters programs can be viewed as roughly a subset of a Ph.D.
program
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
What is Graduate School Like?What is Graduate School Like?
• Students– Higher level – more even playing field– More diverse
• Courses– Often more theory, not as applied at UWEC CS– Assignments tend to be larger, less direction, but still manageable– Often use teaching assistants (advanced grad students)
• Instructors– Diverse– Focused on research, may be harder to access out of class
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Moving On Moving On From Courses To ResearchFrom Courses To Research
• Courses– Instructor-driven– Fixed schedule– Ends in fixed time
• Research– Student-driven– Open schedule– Won’t get done if you don’t do it
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
How To Succeed How To Succeed In Graduate SchoolIn Graduate School
• Realize that you’re not an imposter– You can do it!
• Get all work done– Need to multi-task, start early
• Talk to TAs and professors– Getting to know people makes it easier
• Keep up with reading• Network with other students
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
How To Succeed How To Succeed In A Ph.D. ProgramIn A Ph.D. Program
• Remember that there’s no fixed deadline– You need to try to set a schedule, keep making progress– Your advisor should help you with this
• Success stems from persistence, not brilliance– Keep at it
• You’ll have successes and failure along the way; keep moving
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
So you want to go to graduate school…So you want to go to graduate school…
How to choose a grad school, get admitted, and how to pay for it
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Evaluating SchoolsEvaluating Schools• Basic Information:
– Rankings• USNews annual graduate school rankings• http://phds.org/rankings
– Program information on each school’s website
• Specific Interests:– Look through research periodicals and proceedings– Ask people who know
• Faculty• Industry researchers
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Scouting a Specific SchoolScouting a Specific School• Two general levels to look at for a school
1. Department level:• What are the requirements for the degree?• What is the average time for a degree? (PhDs, mostly)• How are the graduate students funded? (what %?)
2. Program Strengths level:• Are there any faculty that work in an area that you’re interested in?• If you don’t have a specific interest – do they have good breadth?
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Getting Accepted by Graduate SchoolsGetting Accepted by Graduate Schools
• A typical graduate school application will ask for:– Undergraduate Transcripts– GRE Scores– Letters of recommendation (usually 3)– Statement of Purpose
• “My goal is to get a MS/PhD degree because…”– A basic interest survey (sometimes)– TOEFL scores (international applicants)
• There will typically be 2 deadlines for applications– The first is for admission and consideration for financial aid (assistantships)– The second is usually for admission only
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Getting Accepted by Graduate SchoolsGetting Accepted by Graduate Schools
• Example websites:
http://www.cs.umn.edu/admissions/graduate/index.phphttp://www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/graduate/cse/csehome.htmlhttps://gradapp.cs.wisc.edu/grad-app/
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
The GRE – Yes, another standardized testThe GRE – Yes, another standardized test
• All graduate programs will ask for you to take (and report the score) for the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
“The GRE® General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.”
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
The GRE – Yes, another standardized testThe GRE – Yes, another standardized test
• There are 3 categories on the GRE:– Verbal Reasoning (130-170)– Quantitative Reasoning (130-170)– Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing (0-6)
• These scales have changed multiple times in the last few years– 5 years ago: 3 categories, each 800 points each (a la SAT)– 3 years ago: 3 categories, two are 800 points, one is 0-6– This year: new scoring
• This may make it tricky to compare your scores to what departments are looking for – the percentiles may be a better indicator
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Preparing for the GREPreparing for the GRE
• You will be much more comfortable with the GRE if you do a little preparing before taking the exam
• Look at the samples and scoring criteria on the ETS website– http://www.ets.org/gre/
• Take a sample exam– http://www.uwec.edu/advising/testing/ets.htm
• The exam is taken through UWEC Testing Services– Call early to make an appointment!
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Inside the Graduate Admissions CommitteeInside the Graduate Admissions Committee
• What graduate schools are looking for:
1. Good students - GPA > 3.0 (at the lowest)– Good letters of recommendation!
2. PhD students
3. Interested (Motivated) Students
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Visiting CampusVisiting Campus• If you are admitted as a student, many campuses will coordinate official
visit weekends, or help you schedule a personal visit to campus
• You’ll get information about the:– Department structure– Course requirements for your degree– Financial Aid availability
• In addition, you will often be scheduled to meet with several faculty members who do research in your area of interest
– Learn about what projects there are– If you find something that’s interesting, say so!
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Affording Graduate SchoolAffording Graduate School
• The preferable ( if you can get it ) funding method is an assistantship– Funding for your education provided by NSF, DARPA, the college or department– Usually includes a tuition waver and a stipend (salary)– Along with this usually comes health insurance, etc.– Usually preference (for first years) to PhD students
• Working outside of graduate school is another option– Often done by Masters degree students ( generally “frowned upon” for PhDs )– Many companies will pay (or help pay) for graduate studies while you are working– Difficult to pursue the degree full-time
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
AssistantshipsAssistantships• Fellowship ( i.e. scholarship )
– Your funding comes from (usually) a 3rd party• The NSF, a company (Intel, IBM, etc), the graduate college, etc.
– Ideally, this would free you up to focus on your research– Reserved for top students (or very motivated ones!)
• Research Assistantship– Your funding comes from the resources of a faculty member– You are paid to work on a research project– This project may or may not be what you’re doing for your own thesis
• Teaching Assistantship– Your funding comes from the department– You are paid to teach (or TA) a department course
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Financial Aid “Package”Financial Aid “Package”
• Quite a few schools are now giving out a semi-guaranteed package of funding that comes with your admission
• i.e. “We guarantee that you will have an assistantship (of some type) for the first year”
– After that, its your problem (although if you do well, you should be ok)
• Some graduate schools are becoming aggressive in recruiting excellent students
– Have been known to offer up to 5 years of guaranteed funding
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Congratulations, you’ve got a Congratulations, you’ve got a graduate degree!graduate degree!
(Now what?)
Intellectual Freedom Rule-of-ThumbIntellectual Freedom Rule-of-Thumb• The “higher-level” your degree is, the more flexibility and freedom you will
have to decide the direction of your future work.
Degree Boss Work
B.S./B.A. A manager who has a BS and maybe an
MBA
Whatever project fire needs to get put out today. Handed down directly from
above.
M.S.M.S.Eng
A higher-level manager or PhD
researcher
Longer-term development projects.A role in architecting and designing
systems at a higher level.Still dictated by what the company wants
PhD Yourself or another PhD or a company
executive
You are the one setting the direction. Researching new ideas in the very long
term. Corporate direction is (sometimes) optional.
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Masters DegreeMasters Degree
• If you’ve been funded by a company, often they will have a new position in mind for you (that you’ve been “training” for in grad school).
– Depending on how much they supported you, this may or may not be binding
• Otherwise, finding a job can come from a variety of directions– The usual “career fair”-type resume/interview process– Through meeting people at conferences, meetings, or departmental speakers
• Often involves your research interests lining up with theirs– Through contacts your research advisor has
• Teaching options: If you want to teach in college you will be able to with a masters degree – but only at smaller colleges, and not in a tenure-track environment.
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
PhD DegreePhD DegreeOption 1
• Industry Research– Be part of a company’s research and development– These will usually be technology “bread and butter” firms
• (Directly involved in creating technology, not in using it)– May range from being in a research group at a major company lab …
• (IBM, Google, Intel, Microsoft)– …To starting a new company based on your research…
• Google & Yahoo, for example, were started by graduate students– …To leading the technical development direction of a company
• (with time)
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
PhD DegreePhD DegreeOption 2• Academia
– The “ultimate” in freedom for choosing your work• (Also the “ultimate” in self-motivation!)
• The “Research I” University– Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.– Your major job is to be a leader in research and mentor graduate students– You teach ~ 1 class per term, just to keep the taxpayers happy
• The Regional University– Teach ~2-3+ classes per term and focus on undergraduate students– Try to keep up in your research area
• Or do research about how to teach!
• Several levels in-between
Graduate School InformationUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Paul WagnerDr. Dan Ernst
Good Luck!Good Luck!