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Graduate Orientation

Getting Started...

Photo: A professor answers a question from a graduate student. A professor quantifies a graduate
student question about a reading.

Photo: A professor meeting with a student in his office Graduate faculty advisors meet often with students to mentor and monitor their progression towards the completion of their degree.

Photo: students using computer lab Students access engineering software available form the College of Engineering EOS computer environment.

Steps to a successful, rewarding graduate experience:

  1. Both the Graduate School and the department offer an orientation for new graduate students. If you can only attend one, make sure that it is the department orientation the graduate school orientation is given every year and you can take it on-line at. These programs will provide you with the basic information about graduate policies, procedures and deadlines, as well as present you with tools to help in your academic career. The departmental orientation is conducted at the beginning of every semester to provide students a basic overview of the department facilities and support personnel resources.
  2. Consult the Graduate Administrative Handbook and/or the Graduate School Web site for policies and deadlines. Review the Graduate Catalog and refer to the BAE Graduate Studies Manual often. Also, the Department Policy page highlights recent and important department policies.
  3. Schedule regular meetings with your Graduate Adviser, discussing your progress as well as your setbacks at each meeting. This is more important for MS and PhD students than for MBAE students, but it is important for all.
  4. Connect with your fellow graduate students. The contacts you make now could prove very helpful as your career develops because networking a reality.
  5. Stay in contact with us after graduation. In today's world, education is a lifelong process.

About choosing a major professor and graduate advisory committee
(MS and PhD only)

One of the most important decisions you will make in graduate school is the choice of an advisor. It is important to match your interests with the research needs of your advisor. Choose someone who you feel comfortable with, someone who can mentor you through the process and with whom you can develop a good working relationship. It is to your advantage to accomplish this as soon as possible and we recommend that you do it before you arrive. If the decision cannot be made before you arrive, you should have it narrowed to a very few faculty members. In any event, you should make the decision before the end of the first semester.

MS and PhD students will also need to choose a graduate committee. Your advisor can help, but it will depend in part upon your interests. At least one of your committee members must come from your minor subject area. Although not as important as the choice of an advisor, the choice of your committee members is a decision to be made with care.

Some general questions to ask a potential advisor:
  1. How often do you meet with your graduate students?
  2. Do you keep regular office hours for graduate students?
  3. How do you prefer to schedule meeting times?
  4. How long has it taken most of your students to graduate?
  5. What courses do you recommend I take?

For MS and PhD students

  1. How do I match my interests with you research projects?
  2. Are there any options for switching research projects if I reach a dead end in the project I initially choose?

Navigating the NCSU computing environment

Every business or institution has it own unique computing system. NCSU campus general computing services are operated under the Office of Information Technology or OIT. The College of Engineering Engineering Student Computing Service (EOS) is available to NCSU engineering students. It hosts computer labs and software applications which are specific to engineering practice. The EOS computing environment is invaluable to a well trained engineer.

To be successful now and in the future, adapting to new computing environments is vital so become familiar with the NCSU computing environment as soon as possible. BAE and NCSU are sensitive to student computing concerns and assistance is provided by the NCSU Help Desk , EOS Help Desk and the BAE department computer programmer.

Does Weaver Labs have wireless? Yes it does. Wireless computing is available throughout Weaver Labs. Students can also connect remotely to access lab software. NCSU is a technology oriented university and has been considered one of the most connected campus communities. You will find it has

Opportunities to grow...

An Alumni give a talk to graduate students about his experiences as a Biological and Agricultural Engineer.
Alumni guest speakers provide graduates
an opportunity to learn about their work
experiences and research endeavors.

In the final analysis, a graduate school experience is not just about courses and projects. It is about working with others to achieve a common goal; it is about information communication, both written and oral; it is about project management; and it's about thinking skills.

It is our goal to provide you with a program that will enhance your skills in each of these areas. Upon completing your program, you will be better prepared to tackle the demands of your profession, no matter what career path you choose.