Graduate school Definition and 517 Threads

Hello, I'm a math and physics double major with a minor in computer science. I'm a junior now (starting in the fall). After graduating, I plan to go to graduate school for math (hopefully UCLA, and then I will take a few physics courses during the first two years of the program as well) when I...

Hey guys, so here's the deal. I'm a Math and Computer Science major, about to enter my senior year. I'm pretty sure I want to go to grad school and I just started looking for schools I might want to apply to. The thing is, I'm not completely sure if I'd like to pursue a PhD in mathematics or...

Hello everyone, I'm a first time poster and I just want to say this forum is great. Every time I have a question Physics Forums is the first site to answer it. So lately I have been really struggling in my Discrete Mathematics I course at my university. This is one of the few times in...

I'll be finishing my AA in December and transferring to a four year university in January. I currently work full time and will be doing so while working towards my Bachelor's (majoring in Physics and minoring in Computer Science). What I would like to know is if it is possible (feasible) to...

I will be starting a PhD (if all goes well) at the age of 26. I know this is not much older than the average, but how much do graduate admissions (particularly at top programs) see students that did not have the standard "4 year bachelors out of high school to PhD" route? For some reason I...

Hi all, I am majoring in electrical engineering as an undergrad student and minoring in economics. I want to go to graduate school to study economics. During my undergrads shall I write papers/do research in economics or will that in engineering be fine too considering graduate admissions in...

What is a good graduate school for physics?

It just so happens that my school does not offer an engineering major or even a physics major (I have to take physics classes at a nearby school). I'm currently majoring in math and chemistry. I have wondered whether or not I should transfer to a great ChemE school so I could pursue my...

Graduate School: Can I get in? -- Thinking about going back to Math Hi, I have been pondering some kind of PhD program in mathematics, and I have a couple questions. So, first, knowing my background might be nice. I graduated from a small, mid-level liberal arts college with a major in...

I was diagnosed with moderate/severe ADD when I was a child but due to health concerns my parents chose not to put me on medication. They also erroneously believed that ADD was something that could be overcome with willpower, something I learned is not true. I attended the University of...

Due to switching majors during sophomore year, my Physics curriculum was pushed back and I am forced to have one more semester beyond my senior year to take 2 more Physics classes to finish my degree. Right now, I have a 3.21 overall GPA with a Physics GPA hovering dangerously above a 3.0. The...

Hello, this is my first time to post to ask for some advice. I will try to describe as neat as possible, so that I can some good info or advice. I graduated 2 years ago with bachelor of science in biology as major and applied physics as minor. Now I'm hoping to get into graduate school in...

I am just curious as to why people drop out of graduate school.

I would like to pursue a graduate degree, and I am set to graduate in Fall 2012. I would love if someone could give me a little advice tailored towards my current situation and goals. Please and thank you! Here's my story... I'm a computer engineering student entering my fifth year at...

It seems common that people say you shouldn't pay for graduate school. Besides the financial burden, are there any other reasons why this is the case? I am just curious. Thank you!

I know that undergraduate research is extremely helpful for graduate school, but how about research that was done in a field not directly related to what you're hoping to go to graduate school for? I'm looking at applying to PhD programs in Material Science/Materials Engineering this fall and...

I just graduated last week with a Math/CS degree, and I'm going to graduate school this fall at a different school for CS, working on CS theory and scientific computation (as far as I can tell). The program is really interdisciplinary so I assume I won't be kept locked up in my CS department...

If I did theoretical research in a certain area of physics but applied to graduate school indicating interest in another area of theory, will that affect my chances?

Hi all. This is strange question. Is publication of poetry during UGRADs helpful or will it hurt if I mention it while applying to graduate school in engineering, especially in extremely competitive programs like MIT? Thank You.

Hello all, I am a 33 year old pre-junior mechanical engineering major. This is my second degree and I am doing extremely well. Current GPA 3.88. Coming into the program I figured I would get my bachelors and that would be it, but since I have been doing so well and truly appreciate the...

I'm in a rather weird scenario. My first four years of college, I wasn't interested in studying or macadamia in general. I was a finance major and realized that I was learning an extraordinary larger amount at work then I was in class. I'd go to work and learn how to analyze investments using...

I went to school for physics as an undergradute. I did well in my upper level physics courses, all A's and B's but I messed up very poorly in a math course and didn't put much effort into elective courses and the result is a GPA around 3.0. This combined with the fact that I bombed the...

Hello all, I am currently an undergraduate in physics and have a significant amount of room in my schedule for classes. This is because I took mostly maths and general classes my freshman year, when deciding my major, and now will have to stay an extra half or full year to complete the core...

I am finishing up my third year as an EECS major of a five year program at a highly reputable public university and I am strongly considering applying to doctoral programs in EECS (I figure I can leave with a terminal masters should I discover research at that level is not my cup of T). By...

Dear fellows, my undergrad was not in maths, but I have quite a chance of getting into a master's program in pure maths, later this year. Long story, not particularly interesting. My question is due to the fact that I am quite prepared to the examination (basic real analysis and linear...

Hello, I am a physics student of sophomore standing and I have been having average, sub-par grades during it. I have been very stressed the last few years of my life, due to loss of parents and taking care of a sibling, but thankfully financial aid has been helpful through it. Due to my poor...

I haven't taken my graduate admission exam, but I'm not that worried about it. I really think I have the overall skills to do well. I was just curious: how hard it is to get into the grad schools for business after being a mathematics major with my emphasis in operations research? To be...

Hello. While I am not heading off to graduate school for a little bit, I am interested in persuing a phd in pure mathematics (Geometry is a broad interest of mine). I would also be interested in taking one or two mathematically inclined graduate courses from the Physics department (String...

I have been lurking on PF for a while, so I have done a bit of research on the subject but figure I should get some specific advice from those knowledgeable about my dilemma. Currently, I am a junior Economics major at a Big 10 school, recently admitted into the honors program for my subject...

When you're going for a master's/phd and you're choosing a thesis, does your adviser's research field have to be the same as the field you're studying, or does he/she just have to be familiar with it? Say you're aiming to go to a university but the professors there are unfamiliar with your...

hello everyone. I'm trying to plan my courses for next year, and I figured that I have room to take a foreign class (plus it's a requirement for me to graduate). now, I'm trying to decide to which one to take. i really want to learn mandarin, if nothing else matters, that is what I would...

Due to unforeseen circumstances (burnout, depression), I recently had to withdraw from all of my courses (5 courses) and this brings my total number of W's up to 11. Am I doomed? Even if I went back to school and continue to excel, would my graduate school application ever be given serious...

Hi, are there any pitfalls of switching subject area like this? I'm doing as much as I can to interact with engineers at the moment (such as student projects within the engineering dept. and generally trying to focus my physics towards what I understand to be engineering related as opposed to...

Hello everyone, Long long ago, I thought of being a physics major. When I came into into college, I had no experience with physics, problem sets, mathematics higher than trigonometry(very little trig), or much science(my school didn't really offer good science classes). I discovered physics...

To elaborate on said situation - I went to a top 50 US public university for a few years majoring in math and during this period of time I had no significant interest or motivation in school, much less any graduate school aspirations. I didn't do *horrible*, but my gpa was about a 3.1. I took...

So as the title stated, what kind of summer work would be good to put on one's resume, for helping an undergraduate to get into a good physics graduate program? It feels like awards such as REU and NSERC are usually rewarded to the top standing students, and hence are not overly easy to get, by...

Some of my TA are like 23 year old people who are graduate students. One of them said that when they applied for graduate school he had a hard time getting in because they were looking for foreign students but he got in. He said they gave him money just for like going to graduate school or...

I am interested in nuclear theory, and I was accepted to both Duke and Yale. I really like the research at Duke, and my best friend was admitted to the Duke law program. I also know that Yale has an excellent nuclear physics program and is generally regarded as the better institution. Am I crazy...

I am hoping of going to graduate school to do discrete mathematics for which my university is fairly strong in. The only problem is that I failed second year discrete math. I did not fail it because it was too hard, in fact, it was quite easy. I failed it because I misread the timetable and...

Hello all, I'm currently a semester away from wrapping up an undergraduate degree and am in the process of applying to a few graduate schools mostly with the intention of obtaining a master's degree in Electrical Engineering (though I have applied to a graduate program in systems engineering...

Hello, I'm undergrad in physics and am seeking prospective graduate (PhD) schools that have a very good program for studying GR and basically everything I can learn about gravity. I'm not overly concerned with schools being "ivy" league - I just want a school that specializes in my focus and...

I've seen and heard some scary things when it comes to graduate school applications and for all I know, these could be complete rubbish. On the off chance that these claims are indeed correct, I'd like to know. In general, when a physics/math department is looking at applicant profiles, how...

Hi, I am a student in Europe. I have been reading through the posts on Graduate schools and the essays like the one by Zapper on how to become a physicist. I am now in the stage of searching for a PhD position. 1. I would like to know what you guys think about the scope of Quantum...

To help understand my dilema I'll give a little background about my bachelor studies: I decided to do my bachelors degree in Germany, and was totally unprepared for the level of rigour demanded of me. Even during the first year Lectures were typically on the graduate level (landau-lifschits...

Hi there, I am planning on going back to graduate school to get a PhD in Physics. I plan on applying during the fall of next year, and then going back the year after. However, I still need letters of recommendations, and its already been a while since I've last communicated with any of my...

With graduate school applications due soon, I'm looking for some advice on where to apply and what to do after I graduate. I have a strong academic background with a high GPA from a good school. I am a bit light on research and work experience, but my professors seem to think that this won't...

Hi all, I am currently applying to a few PhD programs in mathematics, and I was wondering what your opinion is regarding my chances of being admitted to any of these schools? Below is a very brief description of my background: Institution: Small, not known for math GPA: Overall: 3.94, Math...

Hi, I could use some help in evaluating my choices for a phd program in physics. Below is my background and I was wondering what you thought of my chances at the schools listed below or if you have any suggestions for other schools. I want to study atomic, molecular, optical physics for my...

Hi, I got my BS in Physics/Math in May, but left on a 1-2 year bike trip that is delaying my applying to graduate schools. I plan on applying next fall for admittance fall 2013. My question is: how necessary is it to have specific research interests when applying to graduate school? I am...

Long story short, I am currently a junior mathematics major, and I plan on going to graduate school for physics. My college offers but two, non-calculus based physics courses covering classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism. Correct me if I'm wrong (please!), but I believe that if I do...