So I'm having a difficult time deciding where to get my Masters for Civil Engineering. I've had to stick with state schools because Berkeley, UIUC, and Davis couldn't provide funding. Here's the current situation: I'm a senior at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, Washington, which is in the middle of wheatfields in southeastern Washington near the Idaho border. There are two scenarios for my future:
1. Stay at WSU for another year or two and get my master's. I've been offered an RA position and wouldn't have to TA. In addition, they have definite sources of funding for a master's and PhD if I stay here.
2. Attend UW (University of Washington). In my mind, and a lot of other people's mind, UW is a better academic institution for research. However, they can only provide 2 quarters worth of funding for a TA position. So the last quarter would be a mystery. In addition, they have no idea what funding may come in the future.
But I have issues with each one of the above two options:
a. Isn't it frowned upon to receive your BS, MS, and PhD at the same academic institution? If it were Stanford, I think that'd be completely different. But WSU ...
b. I've always played is safe, going where the money is, however, the opportunity to live in Seattle (where UW is located) and get out of Pullman (college town) is very exciting. But the thought of not knowing if there's funding is scary.
c. Will it be more difficult to get a PhD once I've received my master's and BS from the same institution?
I know this is a lot, but I've been grappling with this for about a week now and still can't decide. Wonder what you guys think! I'd appreciate your thoughts!