Programs Electrical Engineering PhD or Applied Physics PhD?

[Kirti_Vardhan_1]

Hello everyone.

I am from India and have a degree in computer applications and have also completed the over 50 percent of an electrical engineering degree in Germany. My financial background is very weak, and I had emigrated to Germany due to the subsidised fees, however was forced to start working part time to support myself and had to return to India following the pandemic, where I have been settled since in full time occupation. Unfortunately, I am 30 years old and would want to study theoretical electrical engineering and craft original research if possible. The fields I am most comfortable with are signals, controls, and electromagnetics, therefore I also looked up several applied physics programs but found them nearly impossible to catch up to due to the lack of formal physics background (the requirements are ability to pass graduate level courses in physics such as quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, condensed matter).

Subsequently, I have work experience and official experience as a teaching assistant there, and two letter of recommendations, one from a professor in Germany, and another from my Indian professor.

Obviously, I am not a citizen of any other country, hence I looked up US EE PhD and Applied Physics programs, over the months and have found that stipends are also unionised among select universities.

My GPA is 3.15, and I have 2 years of full time work experience.
The two colleges I found suitable were Worcestor Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and LeHigh University specifically PC Ross College Of Engineering, and also George Washington university. However I would have to go for BS entry to PhD.

I have emails confirming direct eligibility from the university in DC, however I am unable to proceed as my research (limited and anecdotal) indicates DC is very expensive to live in and afford, whereas unionised stipends afforded by select institutes offer security but are contingent upon RA, TA work. Unfortunately, I don'te believe I qualify for any fellowships and it is reportedly a massive waste of time and effort to apply to the Ivy leagues and fellowships, that requires me to navigate somewhat of a juggling act between gauranteed funding programs (funding gauranteed for five years), to one unionised program but no gaurantee of funding, and a university in DC with a low stipend and possible lack of accomodation.

My question is, what should I prioritise, and can anyone recommend me or possible advise me on what to do and how to proceed further? I am also preparing for the GATE (graduate aptitute test in engineering) and considering taking the FE (fundamentals of engineering) exam internationally.

The other aspect I would attempt to gauge some clarity on is life as a PhD student, I already have significant formal TA official experience, but not as an RA, where my research also indicated that RAs receive full funding for 12 months, while TAs are gauranteed for 9 months and exclude summers, unionised stipends override this and cover the annual year.

While the sections above covered the formalities, I am also keen on understanding and learning more about advancing my research, as I have already some decent research experience, and would wonder how this is actually committed to formally in the North American academic environments.

thanks.

 

[Kirti_Vardhan_1]

thanks.

As an addendum: I am adding an additional bump with a quote to my original post. I find myself in a slightly difficult position and would like to make the best out of my current set of circumstances, hence I am also considering a PhD in Information Technology at a university.

While the PhD in Information Technology is in a US university, it covers diverse tracks and is, very applied. Subsequently, as I am unable to secure a deeply theoretical EE PhD, I was also slightly put off by their graduate courses that I felt were very likely just taught at the top universities in Undergrad globally.

SO my reasoning and thought process was a PhD in IT would equip me with ability to prove I am skilled enough at IT and programming, as I did very well in Java, C, modules throughout even while I was enrolled in Germany, subsequently, I have gaps in theoretical EE knowledge that aren't easy to pass. Most of these programs for doctoral studies in EE require me to take courses then proceed to qualifiers and research.

As one can imagine, at the top universities the qualifiers/preliminary examinations are weed out and a very difficult set to attempt if one has a poor formal background. While the universities that are probably realistic for me, lack the theoretical depth but have nihe focus areas and solid ee fundamentals that one cannot deny. However there is no guarantee of admission anywhere, obviously and I have also been the target of disparaging remarks in many environments, but my employers and recommendation letters certainly indicate competence.

In engineering vs IT PhD, I feel if one cannot get the rigours theoretical background then the candidate must choose a niche and from my knowledge in electrical engineering, i was good at signals, matheamtics, programming and theory, but could not match the experience and knowlege of experts in analogue electronics and digital, highlighting my weaker areas. It was immediately obvious to me or perceived by me that people whom werent good at the theoretical parts really needed to focus on programming, IT, CS, and analogue electronics if possible, to offset their weaknesses...at least, this is how I perceived it, now if you like and are good at math and theory, but don't go to a top school for bachelors, then obviously its a problem as you do kind of waste valuable opportunity and limit your growth/potential, while analogue and practical sides of engineering are more or less, the same everywhere. Ultimately the best researchers and contributors, obviously went to the top schools had the best projects, experience, and mathematical, theoretical knowledge, so unfortunately I didnt have that and perhaps never can catch up anyway, however in a broad engineering sense one can still develop across multiple areas.

While I took Software Construction 1 an 2 (C, JAVA), and have programmed heavily in them, Im not sure a PhD in IT and its immediate, or long run value, and whether I can actually attempt novel work in the domain. I have to work like most people and have not had the best of experiences in work culture, environments, and feel technology/IT realms have a rougher and cruder work culture. I would really enjoy learning more about electrical engineering but am handicapped by not being able to enter the top graduate programs, while even with the GATE exam Im not sure I can make up for some deficiencies. However employment wise it seems doing a PhD in Information Technology leads to immediate employment, with a lower ceiling.

Ideally, I wante to be a control systems engineer, and secondly a digital signal processing engineer, and lastly a pure java programmer, or in embedded systems developer, now I know you must be thinking this is rather lofty and vague but I got offered a java internship by my professor while studying in Germany so i have the background however I am not sure about the US Job market, and have little resources to bring to maturity a lot of things currently.

In the most ideal sense I would have preferred to have done pure math or physics and work in academia, however I was not the best student and had constraints and limited resources. Now more or less my time is up out of these windows and I can only moves ahead.

In a principled sense I believe in STEM, automation, IT as being key to prosperity and security, morality as well. I am from a tragic and impoverished background as well, and feel I would like to propel advances that really secure better lives for others, but that is a wishful thinking at the current moment, as I have only come up with 2 or 3 novel solutions that I am able to recall in engineerring and math, but have a systematic approach to being able to leverage foundations and work of others somwhat.

I also have legitimate research experience in EE and lab experience, as stated previously, but get disheartened and require planning and smarter anticipation.

Thanks.

 

[Kirti_Vardhan_1]

Bump:
I have decide to continue working professionally for a few more years, and have some interviews lined up for Quality Testing engineer in software and technical writing currently. Unfortunately, PhD seems very difficult from employment perspective and is possibly only recommended if one can get in the elite top programs...prestige and content wise..maybe.

In the future I am considering a masters in applied and computational mathematics but have no funds for it, while I am focusing entirely on professional journey for stability and experience. In the past 3 months, I have given two legitimiate interviews and had secured one offer however it was in another city. Due to a modest background, most roles I work in tend to mirror it currently. I had solid exposure to testing and software life cycle development in two modules, and tended to enjoy it. Currently, the job market is either bad or my qualifications are mediocre and subpar. Thanks.

 

[berkeman]

I have decide to continue working professionally for a few more years, and have some interviews lined up for Quality Testing engineer in software

Have a look through this thread, where the role of System Test (Quality Testing in software) is discussed at length. There is a lot of value in that role.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...rs-entry-level-jobs-gone.1081707/post-7274779

While I took Software Construction 1 an 2 (C, JAVA), and have programmed heavily in them, Im not sure a PhD in IT and its immediate, or long run value, and whether I can actually attempt novel work in the domain.

I'm not even sure what a PhD in IT would entail. All of my contacts with IT have been very practical and hands-on, without any theoretical work that I could see. The one exception might be in network security, which has some very complicated and layered parts to it. But even with that, most of the IT people I know who work with advanced network security issues have BS degrees with lots of other certifications added on for specialized topics.

Ideally, I wante to be a control systems engineer, and secondly a digital signal processing engineer, and lastly a pure java programmer, or in embedded systems developer,

One path forward to maybe think about is working as a System Test engineer for now, but try to find a company that offers employee continuing education as a benefit. That will give you the opportunity to take extra classes on your own time (but with the company paying for them) to work toward advanced degrees that you are interested in. The company is most motivated to do this when it looks like the employee will stick around after earning the more advanced/different degree and will help the company in the long run with their extra skills.

Best of luck.