How to Select US Universities for MS : Part3

1. How to Select US Universities – Part 1
2. How to Select US Universities – Part 2
3. How to Select US Universities – Part 3 [this article]

7) Course Length

This is another important factor you have to consider while deciding the colleges. Some programs are very lengthy. Majority of the masters program in the graduate college will vary from 30 credits to 36 credits. Make sure, have have information about different courses offered in the college you are applying. If you want to major in Database, check if the college has courses offered in database field.

But, if you are transferring to different department, then you will be asked to take pre-requisites courses. For example, if you are moving from Mechanical Department to Computer Science to from Electrical to Computer Science, then for sure you will be asked to take undergraduate courses in Computer Science, before you can take masters course.

Sometimes you will be asked to take up to 7 pre-req courses (7 x 3 = 21 credits). That’s 3 semesters. So, you need 21 + 32 credits to finish Masters. That’s 3.5 years for M.S. If you don’t have aid, then students will have to pay for 3.5 years.

If no pre-requirements then HP = 10

No Pre-requirements and max of 36 credits then HP = 10

1 or 2 pre-requirements then HP = 7

3 or 4 pre-requirements, HP = 5

More than 5 pre-requirements, then HP = 3

8 ) Thesis/Non-Thesis

In Master’s program you will have 2-3 options to take course. In thesis, you will have to solve a problem and present a paper. Personally I don’t like to do research, when I’m not interested to do PhD, so I did Non-Thesis Option, which is just courses and graduate with Masters Degree.

If you are more interested to do thesis, then HP to 10

If you just want a degree to get good job and salary then HP = 10

To find this, read about the program in the department website and find what options you have and give HP to 10 if you are interested to do Thesis and the program has thesis option. If a particular school doesn’t have Non-thesis option and you are not interested to do Thesis, then put HP = 5

9) International Student Population

This has both advantages and disadvantages. You will fell at home with large number of Indian students around, but fewer chances to find part time jobs and scholarship. Some colleges have very less International Students, but I’m sure you will feel very lonely; you might have to stay with students from different county. So, weigh the advantages and dies-advantages and score HP.

I would prefer to stay in school with more International Students than college where there are very less number of students from your country. Anywhere from 100 to 200 students from your country is considered good.

10) Quality of Education

Let’s say you have admission from TAMUK, University of Alabama, Birmingham and NJIT. I would decide to go with UAB. Reason, it’s cheap, much better than TAMUK with more professors and more choice of courses and cheaper then NJIT with courses almost similar to NJIT.

So, weight HP of 10 for UAB, NJIT to 5 and TAMUK to 2

11) Climate/Location

Here, you have to weigh the options according to your preference. Good college vs. Cold Temperature. If you really good college admission in North, and ready to deal with the cold, then HP to 10, if not give less value for HP.

12) Current Student Satisfaction

To answer this, ask the current students to rate their college experience in the scale of 1 to 10 and make sure you ask at least some 5 students and take an average.

Now, you will have total value for all the university that has the maximum value gets the go ahead signal for Visa.

Hope above Happy Point Method helps to decide on the university. Also, I would like to highlight one more thing here. I know information about some schools and I can give that to you through Orkut Scrap or Comments or through email. But, majority of the colleges to which I don’t have information, I will follow the same method described above to get the information for you.