Interview from MS in HCI - Iowa State - Please Help !!

[CalmLogic]

The stipend is for the entire year of 12 months says the professor - I had asked him this question meself. Regarding the work in Iowa State, its basically programming.

Thanks for the info.

The opportunity cost is definitely something to consider !!

Maybe UCSC let's you walk away with an MS if you decide later on the PhD isn't your style? Though that's something they wouldn't advertise, that would be the ideal level of flexibility.

[Ancalagon The Black]

Well, one could technically walk away with a MS from UCSC since they offer the MS if you complete the requirements but I wouldn't consider it as I think of my relationship with any professor or advisor as a budding one and wouldn't want to nip it in the bud. It wouldn't be fair you think? What are the ethics involving this? Can we just say that we are no longer suited for a PhD and hence would want to just get a MS. Isn't this is a cheap shot? A below the belt approach? A betrayal of sorts?

Having said that, a senior from my university walked away with a MS from Duke after having got into PhD there.

[CalmLogic]

Oh, I agree, I'm just trying to think of your best interests.

Also:

From a Professor's perspective, this means that nearly two California resident students can be supported for the same cost as a foreign student. Supporting a foreign graduate student for an entire 4-6 year PhD program requires raising approximately USD $120k-$220k in grant money, depending on many factors, including whether the student receives summer support (increase), how quickly they advance to candidacy (decrease), and whether they already have a Master's degree (increase), and how quickly they finish. Admitting a graduate student is a significant financial commitment.

Advice for Foreign Students Wishing to Pursue Graduate Study in Computer Science at UCSC

Update: I think the professor meant to say decrease here rather than increase: "whether they already have a Master's degree (increase)"

[Schwan]

Last fall I used this forum extensively to prepare for the GREs. I thought I'd try and give back a little. I am currently a researcher in the HCI program at Iowa State. I just finished my undergraduate in Computer Engineering and am doing research full time until graduate school in the fall.

To answer some questions, I live 1 block away from the HCI building and pay $990/month split b/w 3 people. Ames is very affordable. However, there is not much for entertainment. Ames is a small town (under 50,000). It is a good place to get research done. The HCI program is somewhat new at Iowa State but there is a lot of interesting research going on. The professors in the department are very helpful. I was recently able to get into a number 1 program in computer science coming from Iowa State, so if you are looking at starting here and moving on there is plenty of opportunity.

If anyone has questions about Iowa State or Ames feel free to ask.

[CalmLogic]

Thanks for the info, Schwan!

[Ancalagon The Black]

Schwan: Great info buddy !! If I get admitted into Iowa State then I will use the MS in HCI as a stepping stone to get admitted into a top 5 similar interdisciplinary field like the Media Lab or something !!

CalmLogic:

Thanks for the info. Getting away with MS is actually a damn good idea. (I couldn't find an evil grin smiley !!) But this HCI program is also pretty tempting and might be a better bet for getting into the Media Lab rather than a TIM program at UCSC.

I see here on the other thread that the first poster on gradcafe didn't get any funding. We will have to wait and see if he posts his profile whether he is an international or non resident student. Maybe his professor couldn't raise enough funding. I have been hearing rumors that the California schools are becoming really stingy with funding with respect to non resident / international students. Any info or veracity in that?

[CalmLogic]

Regarding a point I mentioned earlier about the advantages of having a fellowship for the first year vs. having to be an RA the first year:

Graduate fellowships are very nice. They free the student from the constraints of RA funding in order to work exclusively on a dissertation topic. They also are noticed on resumes when it comes time to apply for a job.

HowToWorkWithFaculty.html

On the other hand, industry usually doesn't care about dissertations (unless the research specifically addresses a current problem that the employer is facing right now), and an RA position prodives additional job experience for one's resume.

[Ancalagon The Black]

Yeah, overall, the RA might just pip the fellowship to the post don't you think? As I think of it, if I do manage to get into this HCI program then it will be a tough choice, considering that I do not get any more admissions in to any other college which is substantially better.

[CalmLogic]

BTW, a cool quote about HCI I just read:

"The best way to understand human-computer interaction is to imagine something you couldn't have imagined," she said. "Really push yourself."

CPST, Professional Master's Deg, Sloan Foundation

[Ancalagon The Black]

Great quote there !!