Employment; Graduate School

Another Option: Graduate School

Things to think about when deciding on which graduate school to attend:

Admission Requirements. How competitive is the program? Each institution has their own requirement for admissions. In general, you will be required to have 2-3 letters of recommendation (usually at least one from a faculty member), transcripts, a personal statement and test scores. The general graduate school exam is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) although some engineering schools no longer require it; the test scores are valid for 5 years.
Curriculum. Can you choose a thesis program or a non-thesis program?
Reputation/Quality of Program. For more information, see US News' Online Report.
Job Placement.
Faculty.
Location/Size.
Cost/Financial Aid.

Most graduate schools in engineering offer financial incentives to students in the form of Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships for students with competitive GPA and GRE scores. Ask each school about financial aid information and deadlines when you request application information.

It is also possible to have an engineering job and earn your masters degree at the same time. Many engineering companies will pay college tuition for employees to earn their masters degree. Prospective graduate students may apply for fellowships (which are like scholarships). Most graduate schools have fellowship offices. At the University of Washington our fellowship office is:

Fellowship & Assistantship Division of the Graduate School
227 & 228 Gerberding Hall
(206) 543-7152
Web site: https://www.grad.washington.edu/fellow/fellow_area.htm

Continued...
Admission Exams
Preparing for Grad School

Helpful Links:
National Science Foundation grants and awards
National Research Council's Fellowship Program Unit
Research Funding Agencies
Office of Student Financial Aid
Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships
Engineering Coop Program