<p>Alrighty, I am a History major at UCLA. I am interested in attending UCLA Graduate school. Right now, the workload for my major is doable but still a lot. Pretend I got into UCLA grad school. How much harder is grad school compared to undergrad education? How about the workload?</p>
<p>you won’t get many responses on this board. I doubt there are many UCLA grad students (if any) here. Check with your department undergrad advisor.</p>
<p>Well I did. All the advisor said was that UCLA grad school will “challenge” you. I have no idea what he meant by that but the rest of the conversation led to talking about how you can get teaching experience if you go to grad school, how long dissertation take, etc.
So should I just assume it is going to be same ol’ business where there is a huge load of reading, and exams at the end of the semester?</p>
<p>There’s two tiers of grad school: M.S. by coursework and M.S./Ph.D. by thesis. M.S. by coursework is more common in the sciences; it’s just a higher level of specialization and flexibility in your classes (according to my Engr 183 TA who’s a CS major). 2-3 years of advanced classes and certifications and you’re scot-free. M.S./Ph.D. by thesis is actual unstructured study and you’ll have no time for anything but your specific field. 4-6 years of challenging research and dissertations and you might not get the Ph.D. degree you shot for. At UCLA, it’s serious business – that’s what will “challenge” you. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Yeah, talk to your TAs and here what they have to say about the subject. They’re going through the process right now! Check reading lists, as they might be good indications. You will probably be taking fewer classes, or who knows, maybe more, but you will have hundreds of more pages of reading per week.</p>
<p>if rexrun is going for grad school at UCLA, then it’ll probably be PhD track because i dont think UCLA offers master’s programs for most fields (but they do grant masters for those who drop out of the PhD program). </p>
<p>as such, you probably only have a few courses in the first few years, then afterwards, you’re doing mostly research, papers, your dissertation, etc. think of it as interning for a professor. you also get a stipend if you TA. i’ve heard the workload is pretty demanding. think of academia as your full-time job, that’s how one PhD candidate put it to me, and that also means no summer break cuz you’re ‘working full-time.’</p>
<p>i’m pretty sure UCLA grad school will be challenging cuz it’s really good, and most departments are top 10 in the nation. students from many top colleges will be applying for grad school at UCLA too.</p>
<p>kfc4u, it probably depends on the field and department, but I feel that you’re downplaying the amount of “coursework” one may take as a graduate student. The classes might be fewer, but the reading list is heavier, and you’re expected to know the material better. Also, many graduate students seem to “audit” courses, often to fill in knowledge-gaps in their field or related fields, or for fun. But again, I don’t really know the process that well, as I’ve never gone through it, and it probably varies from field to field.</p>
<p>sorry, i didnt mean to downplay the amount of work one may take as a grad student. my grad school friends also tell me there are fewer classes but more work in terms of research, papers, reading, etc., and i think one good analogy from one of my grad school friends is that it’s like working full-time.</p>
<p>Hmm. makes sense. Well, I did manage to get hold of a History major who is working on his dissertation. Well, he says the classes shouldn’t be the problem, even with the large workload (reading, constant research, etc). He says the dissertation is the thing that has been killing him.</p>
<p>Well, the dissertation doesn’t have to be dealt with for a few years after joining the program. Quals come first ;)</p>
<p>kfc4u, you don’t have to apologize, maybe I’m overestimating it. <em>shrug</em></p>
<p>The History department at UCLA is very large, and as such, presents a couple problems:</p>
<p>You may be one of many students with your prof as an advisor. This may make time scarce.
You may not receive the kind of personal attention that other departments may offer.
If you’re not a very self-motivated type of person (I’m not, for example) you may have trouble. UCLA’s history department, like its poli sci department, suffers from students not getting kicked in the rear enough. </p>
<p>Good points-</p>
<p>Largest department in the country, last I heard. That means resources, resources, resources.
Great faculty.</p>
<p>PhD tracks can be very very hard or relatively easy depending on the program. UCLA’s will be hard, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>just out of curiosity UCLAri, you stated, “PhD tracks can be very very hard or relatively easy depending on the program. UCLA’s will be hard, that’s for sure.” </p>
<p>I thought all PhD tracks were difficult, however, you said some are “relatively easy”. Which ones are? I can’t think of any that are easy…</p>
<p>Well, I’ve heard unflattering things about PhD programs in “fluffier” fields like some of the more…north campusy programs. “Relatively easy” just means compared to other programs, hence relative. I mean, a PhD in Chicano Studies (no offense) is not the same as a PhD in Physics.</p>
<p>I got into the grad school at UCLA for engineering probably with a fellowship and am seriously considering going there. I’m just concerned about how well respected UCLA is in the realm of engineering, EE in particular. Also, does anyone know what’s the best way to get to the campus from the airport?</p>
<p>Are you wondering how to get to UCLA by car? Or public transit? </p>
<p>Car- 105 East – 405 North – Exit Sunset, head east on Sunset, make right on Veteran.</p>
<p>Public Transit- try MTA.net for LA transit, and maybe even Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica). Or, you could take a shuttle, I’m guessing upwards of $20. </p>
<p>Hope that helps~</p>
<p>Thanks so much bfired2. I’d like to get to UCLA by public transit. How long does it take by public transit, say, MTA? Is taking a taxi going to be very expensive? Thanks again.</p>
<p>Public transit (Big Blue Bus or Culver City Bus) from LAX to UCLA takes 75 minutes. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>
you should be asking questions like this of the profs at your current school,not on a board catering primarily to undergrads. Or let me put it another way, I hope you’re not making crucial decisions like where to go to grad school based on what some anonymous person posts (good or bad) about some school. You have NO way of assessing the validity of their response.</p>
<p>hmm…I think that was just an statement, not really a question for the people on the board. Sorry for the confusion…</p>
<p>UCLA Electrical Engineering is the largest department in the SEAS, yet one of the most selective. We’re ranked 13th in the US News 2006 graduate rankings. :rolleyes:</p>