grad school

[Longhorny630]

how important is your grad school? I recently got accepted to a decent school which is within commuting distance from where i live now, which is why i considered it in the first place. i have a bs in engr from UT, will be going for an ms in engr. the school does not have a phd program for engr, is accredited by ABET, but it's not a top school by any means which is why I, with my 2.8 bs gpa and no work experience, probably got in. im not planning on getting a phd, but as far as options go, what would getting my ms in engr from a lower ranked school (National University, Tier 2) do for me when it comes time to get a job or a phd?

 

[BevoMDCXVIII]

No idea about how school rank impacts engineering, but for an MBA and Law school, ranking is pretty much key. Then comes geographical preference (obviously if you want to work in a specific state it helps to go to a school in that state, or if you want to go international the top ranked schools have more pull) After that it is about networking and if you are in the top quartile of the class.

honestly a PhD with a 2.8 gpa is going to be a tough sell unless your test scores are very high and your work experience/connections/recommendations are good. If you think you can pull off a 3.5 or higher gpa in that MS program it might be a good stepping stone for a better PhD program.

*note* I just reread your post...unless your schools is absolutely awful it should have some connections to the major employers in the area. Go to the career services center (both general and major specific) and see who recruits the students. Also try talking to some of the students to see how recruiting works. Figure out what you want to do, make a list of companies you want to work for, and join professional organizations (outside of school). For example, if you want to do energy and you live in Houston, there is a young professionals in energy society that hosts socials - great networking.

 

[Longhorny630]

oh yah, i mean, i put very little effort into my undergrad, usually it was whatever i had to do to pass, and if it wasnt too much extra work i would get the B. i certainly wouldn't take that attitude into a masters program esp considering pretty much all of them require a minimum 3.0 to stay in good standing. this school has courses geared towards what i want to do so, i guess, if i cant get the job i want (or any job for that matter), i might as well spend 2 years improving my resume/waiting for a better economy.

 

[BuffaloBayouBevo]

I don't know about engineering specifically, but it seems like it would depend a whole lot on the cost and time involved in getting the degree.

Most of the "rankings" for grad schools in my opinion are silly. Everyone knows the top few schools in any field (Harvard, Stanford, etc). Beyond that "second tier" (or even lower first tier) versus "third tier" really doesn't mean much to most employers, unless they are unusually senstive to status issues.