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Information for prospective graduate students seeking funding
Many students beginning their graduate studies are looking for funding. If this is your case, here are some informal comments that you should read before going door to door asking for funding or sending mass email.
General Comments
- Please understand that professors get a lot of email from prospective students looking for funding. For lack of time, many professors choose not to answer them, especially when part of the email looks like it has been "cut and paste" from their own webpage. --Mboutin 13:19, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
- Except in rare circumstances, professors in the CNSIP area do not have "job" openings. What professors do have is funding to support students while they do the research that will become their thesis. If all you want is a job, then consider applying for a grader position or seek an internship with a local company. --Mboutin 13:19, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
Degree Specific Comments
- If you are a master's degree student
- Note that, in the CNSIP area, there are much fewer positions available to support the research of master's degree students than that of PhD students. One reason for this is that most projects are too long (at least 2-3 years) to be accomplished by a master's student during the course of his/her studies.
- If you are a PhD student
- Expect to find an advisor sometimes during your first year of graduate studies. It greatly helps to have successfully taken ECE600, as many research projects in CNSIP use that material. Smart students who have a good work ethics and good programming skills typically do not have any difficulty finding funding. --Mboutin 13:19, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
- Take the time to get to know the professor you would like to work with. We each have our own style and expectations. Choosing an advisor is not a decision to take lightly, as changing advisor can be problematic and can seriously delay getting your degree. Do not choose your advisor simply because he/she has money to fund you: make sure that this is the person that you want to get your PhD from. --Mboutin 13:19, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
- While not all PhD students receive funding from their advisor, a large number of them do. Most professors do their best to fund their students as long as they are in good standing. --Mboutin 13:19, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
