Frequently Asked Questions - Graduate Students

Questions from currently-enrolled students,...

... and questions from prospective (incoming, not yet enrolled) students

Answers for currently-enrolled students...

Q1. Do you have money for new RAs?

A: No. Funding prospects for any new students are zero.

Q2: May I do an independent study project with you?

A: No. I'm not a fan of independent study projects. My experience is that most students considering an independent study (a) seriously underestimate how difficult research is, (b) overestimate how prepared they are to do research, and (c) do not budget enough time to do something worthwhile, original, and of good quality.

Q3. Will you be my MS Thesis advisor?

A: I assess a student's skill in my Embedded Systems (ECGR5101) course and Computer Engineering Research Techniques and Tools (ECGR6090).  If they are of exceptional skill, then I will consider adding them to my research team.

Q4: Will you be my PhD Thesis advisor?

A. See answer to Q3 above.

Q5: Will you be my (non-thesis) advisor?

A: Non-thesis students don't need an advisor, they just need a few questions answered. I will answer questions during office hours, whoever you are. Please don't bombard me with emails.

Q6: What courses should I take?

A: You'll have to meet me during office hours and tell me your goals and your background for me to help you.

Q7: Will you be on my committee?

A: Possibly. You'll have to check with me, preferably in a meeting in my office.

Q8: If you're on my committee, how involved do you want to be, and when should I contact you?

Typically committee members see students at their exams. In some cases, the committee member is actually helpful to the student in his/her work, in which case they meet as needed. "Pinging" your committee member, in person or by email, every 6 months just to let them know you are still alive and making progress is a good idea.

Q9: As my committee member, what instructions do you have on the preparation of my thesis, and preparation for my thesis defense?

A. See the UNC Charlotte Graduate School web page for more detailed information.

Q10: What are your research areas?

The research areas in which I am currently working are:

1. Embedded System (including sensors and wireless applications)
2. Robotics

Advisees are welcome to suggest new directions.

Q11: I'm a current PhD student looking for an advisor. May I sit in on your PhD group meetings to see who your students are and what their topics are?

You are welcome to come and listen.

Q12: How will you help me if I select you as an advisor?

A: For the most part, I share my research experience, give advice, and ask (and answer) questions. I rarely explicitly solve a technical problem; more likely I suggest a possible technique to investigate. Advisees have a lot of freedom to define what they work on and how they proceed. I try to redirect them if they are not making progress.

Q13: How do I know if I am suited for research?

A: You can only learn this by diving in and trying it. If you have a high degree of curiosity and self-confidence, have a strong work ethic, are self-motivated and willing to think for yourself, and have the patience to work on something that may take a year or two to bear fruit, those are good signs.

If you get impatient with research papers, think they are exercises in academic navel-gazing, want to work on something that will be finished in 3-6 months, ..., then my advice is to go to industry and be a gazillionaire. I don't think you will be happy doing research.

Q14: How do I get started on research (i.e., on what should I work)?

A: Another lengthy subject with its own page: Getting Started on Research . (Under Construction - will be added soon)

As Dr. Jon Doyle of NCSU says: "Identifying and defining the research problem is an essential part of the graduate experience, particularly at the PhD level."

Q15: What if I have my own ideas about what to work on for a thesis topic?

A: This is fantastic!

Q16: Where can I find information about the requirements for the degree, and about requirements / standards for the thesis?

See the UNC Charlotte Graduate School web page for more detailed information.

Q17: What are your requirements for a thesis?

A: thesis = publication . I will not advise theses whose only significant output is "I learned a lot". Expect to submit papers before you graduate.

For an MS thesis, I expect useable data/software, and/or a publication. For a Ph.D., I expect to gain new insights, new funding opportunities, and 5+ publications. That's a lot!

Because MS students typically don't really get "rolling" until a month or two before they graduate, I have been repeatedly frustrated by my inability to get MS advisees to publish. By this I don't mean they don't want to publish; rather, they run out of time to really finish the job and do something worthwhile.  Therefore, I do not allow a student to have their thesis defense until they have completed a paper.

Q18: What should I do when it comes time to schedule the defense?

A: Clear the date with your committee, get their signatures, send confirmation by email, and submit the required university form.

Contact the department to schedule the conference room / projector .

Also send a reminder to your committee the day before your exam about the time and place.

Talk with the graduate secretary in your department (ECE) about filling out all the necessary paperwork to graduate .

Q19: How long does it take to get a MS with thesis? to get a PhD?

A: Since there is no formula for degrees, I can only answer this in a general sense based on past experience (no lawsuits, please). A typical MS student takes 2 years overall, and should be working on a concrete thesis problem 9-12 months before they plan to graduate.

A typical PhD student (already having a MS) takes 4 years (the first year is mostly filled with class work). Here is my "recipe" for the PhD (already having a MS):

1. First 12 months: take courses, find an advisor, set your direction.
2. Next 6 months: undertake a small scale research project, end by passing your written qualifying exam. Submit for publication.
3. Next 18 months: define your thesis topic. Bite into it, hard! End by taking your in-depth qualifying exam. Submit 1 or 2 more publications.
4. Next 12 months: Wrap up your thesis research. End by writing the thesis and defending it. Submit 1 or 2 more publications. Find a job!

This is doable, but it doesn't happen automatically or easily. To make this schedule you need to stay on track every step of the way (if you slip 3 months on one stage it will be very hard to cut 3 months from the next stage).

Q20: Can I do a co-op or internship even if I'm working on or going to start a thesis?

A: Early in your research, yes. Having more experience, particularly in a research lab, is a plus both before and after graduation. Later in your research is probably not a good idea; you lose momentum and delay graduation (perhaps forever) in this case.

Q21: Is it OK if I start working and finish my thesis part-time while I work full-time?

A: I discourage this. Vastly better to complete the degree and then start the new job with your full attention and energy.

Q22: What are the ethics of using other people's work, and of publishing my own work in multiple places?

Please see the great statement about this topic by Professor Wes Snyder (used with permission).

Q23:  What communications skills do I need?

A:  Learn to write emails and papers with correct English grammar and spelling.  There is nothing worse than reading an email from a prospective student with sentences like, "i saw ur webpage, and i want to work with u."  If you can not even communicate with me using correct English, how can I trust you to write a paper or thesis in correct English!

...and answers for prospective students

Q24: What are my chances of admission, can the application fee be waived, do I really need GRE scores, ...?

A: These are all questions for the ECE graduate administrator, and most of them are answered on the department web pages for graduate students. I will simply ignore questions like these by email.

Q25: Will you support me?  I will come to UNC Charlotte if you do. 

A: No. I do not provide financial support (i.e., research assistantships) to first-year students.

Q26: How do I get support?

Funding decisions for first-year students are made by the admissions committees of my department; contact the department directly.

It's a pretty good bet that the top-quality (upper 15-20%) graduate students will get a research assistantship after their first year or two from some faculty member in the department. My best advice to brand new students is therefore to a) pick courses in areas in which you plan to specialize, and b) excel in your studies in your first year.

Q27: Will you be my research advisor (i.e., may I join your research group)?

First, get admitted to the department.  Second, enroll.  Third, interview potential advisors during your second semester of graduate study. I will not respond to this question by email from students not yet enrolled at UNC Charlotte.

Q28: What should I do to get off to a good start at UNC Charlotte?

A: See Q26 above.