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GRADUATE STUDENTORIENTATION

FALL 2015

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WELCOME TO ECE

George F. Riley, Professor

Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs

Steven W. McLaughlin, Professor

Steve W. Chaddick School Chair

Guest Speakers for ECE

Campus Police – Brian Bonus

Career Svcs - Robbie Ouzts

Co-op Office - Kenneth Little

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PhD Students in ECE

PhD Candidate - Marissa Norko

PhD Candidate - Michelle Collins

PhD Candidate - Zach Fleetwood

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ORIENTATION AGENDA

Overview Registration MS Degree Requirements PhD Degree Requirements Financial Aspects Other Opportunities

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Orientation Agenda

Overview

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GRADUATE OFFICE

Dr. George F. Riley - Assoc Chair for Graduate Affairs

Dr. David R. Hertling - Assoc Chair Emeritus

Dr. Daniela Staiculescu – Academic Professional

Ms. Jacqueline D. Trappier – Academic Advisor

Ms. Tasha M. Torrence – Admissions Coordinator

Mr. Tristin R. Carmichael – Admissions Coordinator

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OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Make admission recommendations Maintain student records Review and approve coursework plans Provide administrative support for students fulfilling degree

requirements Monitor student degree completion progress Schedule and publicly announce degree-related exams and

presentations Process program of study/degree petitions Manage GTA/GRA appointments and waivers Process immigration paperwork Provide advising and counseling

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YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Become familiar with and follow GT and ECE policies, procedures, and regulations

Refer to the GT General Catalog, ECE Graduate and Assistantship Handbooks

Maintain good academic standing Make good degree progress Plan ahead and observe all ECE and GT deadlines

Submit your degree requirement materials (such as coursework plans, program of study, etc.) in a timely manner

Register early and properly Maintain accurate contact information Check your GT email daily Seek assistance from appropriate sources, do not rely on fellow

students for program advice

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FACULTY

Over 100 ECE faculty located in 11 buildings on the Atlanta campus

Research interests are divided into 11 technical interest groups or TIG’s

“TIG” refers to a faculty and student group “TIA” refers to a “Technical Interest Area”—

the classes offered by the TIG

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Technical Interest Areas

Bioengineering (BioE) Computer Systems & Software (CSS) Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Electrical Energy (EE) Electromagnetics (Emag) Electronic Design & Applications (EDA) Microelectronics (Micro) Modern Optics (Opt) Systems & Controls (S&C) Telecommunications (Telecom) VLSI Systems & Digital Design (VSDD)

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FACULTY LOCATIONS

Van Leer ECE Bldg Electrical Energy Electromagnetics Systems & Controls Optics & Photonics

U.A. Whitaker/BME Bioengineering

Molecular Sci & Tech Bldg Microsystems Optics & Photonics

Bunger-Henry Optics/Micro

NEETRAC Electrical Energy Testing

TSRB EDA/Emag/Controls/Micro Optics

Centergy Telecom DSP

MiRC (J.M. Pettit) Microsystems &

Microelectronics MaRC

Applied Controls and Packaging

Klaus Computer Engineering Computer Systems & Software VLSI Systems & Digital Design

Marcus Nanotechnology Nanoelectronics

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ECE WEB SITE

http://www.ece.gatech.edu ECE website has:

ECE Graduate Handbook ECE Assistantship Handbook GTA Handbook PhD Prelim Exam Study Guide Important Dates and Deadlines Posting of Exams and Seminars Graduate Forms & Files

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SEEKING ASSISTANCE Graduate Affairs Office

Academic advisement, advisor selection/problems, procedural problems, guidance with decision about dropping classes, etc.

FAQ Electronic Inquiries: use “Contact Graduate Office” interface In-person: Graduate Office W208;

Front desk staffed 8:00am - 4:30pm (closed 12:00-1:30). Staff office hours posted on door Dr. Riley will see students if available –(recommend schedule appt)

Registrar Academic records, registration, graduation information, official school

calendar www.registrar.gatech.edu

Graduate Studies Institute policies on graduate students, thesis and dissertations

www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu Dean of Students

Counseling, ADAPTS (accommodations), academic honor code Seek help at first sign of academic/personal problems

www.deanofstudents.gatech.edu

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SEEKING ASSISTANCE (appeals)

ECE Graduate Committee Submit petitions to be considered for possible exceptions for

ECE rules Institute Graduate Committee

Submit petitions for possible exceptions to GT rules (Registrar website)

Ombudsman Independent conflict resolution (Provost’s Office)

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OFFICIAL GT E-MAIL POLICY

E-mail is the official means of communication at Tech

Students must be sure to activate and maintain the official GT email account

Failure of mail forwarded to another account, broken computer, etc. is not a valid reason for not responding to notices from the Bursar, Registrar, ECE or other GT entities.

ECE Accounts Link to website

http://www.ece-help.gatech.edu/accounts/index.html Request process

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ECE STUDENT EMAIL CONTACTS

grads@ece – Academic information only (registration, deadlines, etc.) Goes to all registered ECE graduate students

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) maintains a list serve website at https://lists.gatech.edu/sympa. Multiple lists are served at this site, you may manage the lists you access at this site as well. One such list is: “news_grads@ece” – non-academic

information (employment opportunities, fellowship info, social events, etc.)

Must join this list to receive messages Subscribe at: 

https://www.ece.gatech.edu/mailman/listinfo/news_grads Enter your Georgia Tech email address

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Orientation Agenda

Registration

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FALL SEMESTER

Classes start on Monday, August 17 Registration Ends August 21 at 4:00pm After this time, you will no longer be able to

Add classes to your schedule Increase or decrease the hours of a variable hour class Change the grade basis of a class from letter grade to

audit Fee Payment Deadline – August 24 at 4:00pm

Other Fall Dates Drop Day: Drop a class or change course grade basis to

pass/fail (where available) – October 25 Withdraw from school – October 25 Spring 2016 Phase I registration - October 26 – November

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REGISTRATION

Accessing OSCAR (https://oscar.gatech.edu/, http://www/registrar.gatech.edu) FAQ’s Error Message Demos Adding and Deleting Classes Variable Hour Classes

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SECTION DESIGNATIONS

Classes may be offered at multiple campuses You must register for classes listed at the

campus at which you are based If you attempt to register for a class at a

campus other than the one at which you are based, you’ll get a campus restriction error.

Campus Designations: A = Atlanta, R = GT Lorraine (France),

Q = Online Program, RSZ = GT Shenzhen

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Registration Permits What is a Permit?

Prerequisite Class restricted to majors

Requesting Permits For ECE Classes (

http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/graduate/internal/index.html

For Non-ECE Classes Information on Registrar’s website at

(http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/registration/permitoverload.php)

Comprehensive contact list at http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/registration/oprequest.php

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Requesting Overloads

What is an Overload? ECE’s Class Full Procedure

Class enrollment monitored throughout registration period

When possible, we relocate classes to larger rooms Keep checking for openings to occur If a faculty member gives you permission to overload

into their class, they must inform the ECE Graduate Affairs Office so that we can issue an overload

Our office will not issue overloads without faculty notification

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REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

FULL-TIME GTAs/GRAs, fellowship students, and international students are

required to be registered for full time Minimum 12 semester hours (at most 3 audit hours) Maximum 21 semester hours (16 in summer) You MUST register properly to maintain your full-time status!!

The following students should sign up for 21 hours (16 in summer)

MS Thesis students register for ECE7000 PhD students who have an advisor and passed prelim exam register for

ECE9000 Students who are not eligible for ECE7000/9000 and are doing research

under an advisor should register for ECE8900 Students studying for the prelim should register for ECE7999 Students who are seeking and advisor or research topic should sign up for

ECE 8999 – must obtain permit from grad office Students without an MS degree must register for a minimum of 9

hours of degree-related credit.

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Registration Requirements (cont.)

GTAs and GRAs Minimum of 12 hours (at most 3 audit hours) Assistantship marker course

GTAs register for ECE 8997 – (3 hours) GRAs register for ECE 8998 – (1 hour)

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Registration Requirements (cont.) Research Hours

Variable hours used to document research efforts 1 hour of credit for 3 hours per week of research work

MS Thesis Research Hours (ECE 7000) Select Thesis Research Advisor Submit Advisor Selection Form May need a section set up

PhD Dissertation Research Hours (ECE 9000) Pass the PhD Prelim Exam Submit Advisor Selection Form

ECE 8900 Undertaking faculty supervised research Pass/Fail Hours Count toward full-time requirement Do not count toward degree requirements

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Registration Requirements (cont.)

Special Problem Hours (8901, 8902, 8903) Faculty supervised research effort Letter grade hours, can be used toward Group IV (Elective)

area of program No more than 3 hours of special problem per semester No more than 6 hours of special problem can be used toward a

graduate degree Work done for Special Problem Hours must be distinct from

work done for any other credit hours (including thesis hours) and GRA hours

Permit needed in order to register Cover sheet and one page description of problem required

Problem to be undertaken Method Expected results

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Registration Requirements (cont.)

Part-Time Enrollment Minimum of 3 hours 1 hour rule

Can only be used in graduating term Applies to MS thesis and PhD students Can only be used one time for each degree

Must be in graduating term

Inactive Student Status Not enrolled in two consecutive terms Summer is considered a term Must submit “Application for Readmission” to become

active again $30.00 reactivation fee is required

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Registration Requirements (cont.)

Withdrawal from School Full-time students who withdraw from school must

remain out in the following term as well Can submit Petition to the Faculty for a waiver of rule Part-time students who withdraw may enroll in

following term

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GRADE BASIS CHANGES

Students have the option to change the grade basis of classes that are offered with multiple grade options (letter grade, pass/fail, audit).

Change to “audit” basis available only through the last day of final registration (August 21 for Fall 2015).

Change to “pass/fail” basis available through drop day each term (October 25 for Fall 2015). More information is available at http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/

ECE classes and marker courses do not have multiple grade options from which to choose

If you change the grade option on a class from letter grade to pass/fail or audit, and it no longer meets ECE requirements, you won’t be able to use the class in fulfillment of degree requirements.

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DROP/WITHDRAW PROCEDURE

ECE’s graduate program is large and most of our students have to meet full-time requirements to fulfill funding or visa requirements

Students must be cleared through the ECE Graduate Affairs Office to drop classes or withdraw from school after the close of registration

If you are cleared to drop and your hours end up less than the 12 hours required for full-time status, you should expect to lose your GRA/GTA waiver and/or your funding.

International students who are not full-time enrolled can jeopardize their visa status as well

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ATTENDANCE

All active students are to be at their designated campuses on the first day of classes each term

Absences in seminar classes (ECE 8001, 8022, etc.) during the first week of the term may count against the absences allotted

Students leaving campus during a term are expected to file an “Absence Request” which is available in the ECE Academic Affairs Office (W208, Van Leer) or on-line at: http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/internal/graduate/forms/Absence_Notice.pdf

Absences exceeding two weeks during a term will not be approved.

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Orientation Agenda

MS Degree Requirements

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THE MASTER of SCIENCE DEGREE

ECE offers a designated MSECE degree

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THE MASTER OF SCIENCE (cont.)

Two MS Options Thesis Non-Thesis

GPA of 2.7 or higher Only classes receiving a C or better grade can be

used towards the MS degree

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MS NON-THESIS OPTION

30 Hours of Classes

Letter Grade Hours Pass Fail Hours (3)

18 hours ECE 6000 Group I Group II

6 Hours of Minor Single area Outside ECE

6 Hours Free Electives Technical vs Non-technical

hours ECE Seminars 8001, 8002,

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Georgia Tech requires a minimum GPA of 2.70 for the MS degree

ECE requires that all classes used toward the MS coursework requirement must have grades of “C” or above

MS non thesis option Three Semesters

Sample Non-Thesis Courseplans

Group I ECE6550 (S&C) ECE6551 (S&C) ECE6607 (Telecom)

Group II ECE6320 (Elec E) ECE6250 (DSP) ECE6380 (EM)

Minor (2 classes) General Electives

4000 level courses, ECE courses, degree-related but non-ECE courses

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Group I ECE6550 (S&C) ECE6551 (S&C) ECE6552 (S&C)

Group II ECE6553 (S&C) ECE6250 (DSP) ECE6380 (EM)

Minor (2 classes) General Electives

ECE6554 (S&C) ECE6555 (S&C)

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MS THESIS OPTION

18 Hours of Classes Letter Grade Hours Pass Fail Hours (0)

12 hours ECE 6000- Group I- Group II

6 Hours of Minor Single area Outside ECE

Free Electives Thesis Hours (12) Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Advisor Selection If you are pursuing the

thesis option, you should select an advisor as soon as possible, preferably in your first term and not later than the second term

Degree Completion Students opting to do the

MS thesis option are expected to complete that degree!

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MS THESIS OPTION (cont.)

MS Thesis Topic Approval Research Review Thesis Committee Thesis Topic Approval Form Responsible Conduct Research (RCR)

Thesis Submission Certificate of Thesis Approval Institute Deadlines

MS Thesis Option Four Semesters

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MINOR REQUIREMENTS

6 hours of classes for MS, 9 for PhD Single area, outside of ECE Fairly flexible with MS minor selections

Math, non-ECE engineering, science, CS, management, public policy on technology

PhD minors are expected to enhance, complement research topic

List of pre-approved Math and CS courses on website Other engineering fields and science are acceptable Any other field would need approval

No class that cannot be used by the majors of the school offering the class toward their degree can be used toward the ECE minor requirement

Specifically, ISYE 6739 cannot be used toward an ECE minor

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COURSEWORK PLANS

Complete a coursework plan this term (for your own planning purposes)

https://secure2.ece.gatech.edu/PHP/gradforms/main.php

Revisions can be made Final Coursework Plan should be submitted

with (program of study) application for graduation

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COURSEWORK PLANNING MATERIALS

Projected Course Offerings http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/graduat

e/course_schedule.pdf Cross-listed Courses

Minor Selections

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Orientation Agenda

PhD Degree Requirements

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PH.D. REQUIREMENTS

43 hours of coursework GT requires a minor for the PhD degree

Advisor Selection Comprehensive Examination

Preliminary Exam (Fall – October 12, 2015) Proposal Exam

Original research, writing, and presentation Dissertation Proposal Final Dissertation and Defense

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PHD COURSEWORK

43 hours of classes Letter Grade Hours Pass Fail Hours Required Classes

18 hours ECE 6000 Group I Group II

Minor 9 hours outside ECE Acceptable areas

Electives 3 Hours, Not-so-Free

ECE 8022, Professional Communications Seminar

RCR (PHIL 6000) 13 Hours, Free

Technical vs Non-Technical Hours

MS thesis Hours

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RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (RCR) All new PhD students who enroll after

Summer 2011 must Take and pass the online RCR CITI course

within 90 days of beginning their program http://www.rcr.gatech.edu/

Take the 1 credit hour course PHIL 6000 within 12 months of enrollment

We expect most students to complete this in Spring or Summer 2016, it is a 2-day course.

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ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS GPA of 3.0 All classes used toward the PhD coursework

requirement must have grades of “C” or above

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COURSEWORK PLANS

Complete a coursework plan this term (for your own planning purposes)

Coursework Plans due before or with submission of Proposal Exam

https://secure2.ece.gatech.edu/PHP/gradforms/main.php

Revisions can be made

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PHD STUDENT –MS DEGREE COMPLETED We do count appropriate graduate level courses towards

your PhD – up to 30 hours taken for an MS degree can be used towards the 43 hours for the PhD

Provide acceptable documentation (transcript, syllabi, etc.) along with your Coursework Plan Submit documentation to Graduate Office

Courses will need to be approved by the Graduate Office, so early submission of the request for approval is recommended

Approval of your coursework plan by ECE serves as an agreement to let you use classes from your MS toward our PhD degree. Your MS degree classes will not show on the GT

transcript.

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COURSEWORK PLANNING MATERIALS

Projected Course Offerings http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/

graduate/course_schedule.pdf Cross-listed Courses

Minor Selections

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PHD PRELIMINARY EXAM

Comprehensive written exam covering topics from all TIA’s Must work and submit 8 problems from a 22 total of

problems Test given in Fall and Spring Semesters (October

12, 2015) Work sample exams and register for audit classes Take each time that the test is offered All students will be permitted three opportunities to

take the exam while enrolled in the ECE graduate program at Georgia Tech.

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STUDENTS WITHOUT A BACKGROUND IN ECE Non-Engineering and/or Non-ECE

Engineering background students who want to pursue the PhD in ECE should meet with the ECE Graduate Program Associate Chair or PhD Advisor early in their studies to clarify any concerns/questions regarding the parameters for completing the PhD preliminary examination and coursework.

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HOW TO GO FROM M.S. TO PH.D.

PASS THE PHD PRELIMINARY EXAM Submit a completed and signed “Advisor

Selection” form. Located at: http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/internal/graduate/forms/Select_Advisor.pdf

Procedures to Change from MSECE to PhD-ECE found at: http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/internal/graduate/phd-degree.html

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DISSERTATION PROPOSAL EXAM

Proposal on what you plan to do for your PhD, includes literature review and preliminary work Written proposal and oral presentation

Usually taken about 1-2 years before degree completion (3rd or 4th year)

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DISSERTATION

Complete research Submit to Committee Schedule the Final Oral Defense Submit to the Institute Graduate Studies

Office

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COMPLETION OF DEGREE

PhD Preliminary Exam Students classified as PhD at the time of admission

must pass the PhD Preliminary Exam within their first four semesters

Coursework Entering w/ MS: within first four semesters Entering w/ BS: within first six semesters

Proposal Within two years of passing Prelim Exam or three

years of entering PhD program Dissertation Defense

Within 12 to 18 months (and no fewer than six months) of passing proposal exam

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Orientation Agenda

Financial Aspects

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Fellowships External Job Opportunities Assistantships

Seeking Assistantships International Students Getting Paid

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FELLOWSHIPS

Most national fellowships have application deadlines in fall & are available for students at or near the beginning of their studies

Fellowships Website: http://fellowships.gatech.edu/ Students in their first year who are interested in

earning a PhD should apply for an NSF Fellowship

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EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES

ECE Seminars – ECE 8001, 8002 Career Fairs (Sept, Feb) Division of Professional Practice

Graduate Co-op, Internships, Global Internship Program http://www.profpractice.gatech.edu/

student_information.php http://oie.gatech.edu/content/gip ECE co-op/internship policy

Georgia Tech Research Institute Assistantships, co-ops, etc. http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/careers/students

Career Services for full-time employment

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GRA Positions

GRAs - faculty with funded research Over $51M per year in funding for ECE Supported ~450-500 GRA’s

Faculty make their own hiring decisions Demand for funded positions is very high

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SEEKING A GRA POSITION?

Refer to faculty research information on the website before contacting faculty about working with them as a GRA.

Sign up for a class with the faculty member whose research interests you Distinguish yourself Talk to him/her about research and about funding

opportunities Be open to doing a “Special Problem” before the

faculty member commits to hiring you as a GRA Market yourself to faculty whose research interests

you. What skills do you have that they might need? How does their research interest you?

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GTA Positions

GTA offers are for contiguous terms GTA offers are based on ECE’s needs and

the fiscal year budget We normally have almost twice as many

applicants as positions Virtually all GTA offers for the current

academic year 2015-2016 have been made Faculty members do not make GTA offers,

only the ECE Grad Affairs Office makes those offers

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GETTING PAID

Direct Deposit Assistantship Stipends Refunds from GT

Pay Schedule – last working day of the month Tuition and Fees

Fee Waivers GRA/GTA Waivers Out-of-State Waivers

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Payroll Deduction

Information available at: http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/content/payment-options http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/content/gra-gta-payroll-

deduction Must be employed as

A Graduate Research or Teaching Assistant 1/3 to 1/2 time Paid monthly

Payroll deduction available in fall and spring semesters

Must arrange for payroll deduction before the close of fall registration: August 21 for Fall 2015

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INTERNATIONAL GTAs & GRAs

Must have an F1 or J1 visa Should apply for Social Security cards Social Security Administration Office Location:

Nearest office 401 West Peachtree, Suite 2860 (midtown Atlanta)

Other offices in area: http://www.ssa.gov Must have documentation of employment from OIE Must have copies of passport, I94 and I20 before

applying for card

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Orientation Agenda

Other Opportunities

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Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning Courses

GTA Development

CETL 8000 ECE for Fall Term

Teaching and Learning (students interested in careers in teaching)

Communication Skills (oral, written, presentation)

www.cetl.gatech.edu

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SATELLITE PROGRAMS

Georgia Tech – Lorraine (Metz, France) More info at: http://www.georgiatech-metz.fr/

Georgia Tech – Shenzhen (Shenzhen, China)

More info at: http://www.shenzhen.gatech.edu/

For non-Georgia residents, it is cheaper to attend these programs than attend the Atlanta campus program, some funding opportunities available

Bette Finn ECE Subject Librarian bette.finn@library.gatech.edu Phone: 404-894-1790

ECE Library Research Guide http://libguides.gatech.edu/ece

ECE Databases http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~bw21/eceindex.htm

ECE Services, such as interlibrary loan http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~bw21/eceser.htm

Classes taught every semester, customized for ECE graduate students

One-on-one in-depth and quick database search assistance and ECE library classes

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Professional and Social Opportunities

ECE Student/Faculty Committee Women in Electrical and Computer

Engineering ECESIS - ECE’s Creative Webzine Eta Kappa Nu IEEE Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club

http://www.ece.gatech.edu/academics/student-orgs.html

All GT student organizations (almost 400 to choose from) http://www.cyberbuzz.gatech.edu

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WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE!!