Funded MSCS Programs?

[scyrus]

So, I'm currently an undergrad at a top 10 university for Computer Science with a great gpa(4.0), great gre, decent research experience(2 years with an undergraduate research assistantship, will be doing an REU at Stanford this summer, and will be researching all of my final year as well and hopefully get a publication or two), a year of experience working abroad on an internship, and decent, but probably not incredible, letters of recommendation(mostly worked with grad students with little contact with professors).

I'm extremely interested in Brain-Computer Interfaces and AI related topics, and so next fall I'll be applying for my PhD in Computer Science or Neuroscience(depending on which program fits me better in a particular university). However, I understand just by browsing the boards this year that lately grad admissions have been ultra competitive - to the point where my profile hardly guarantees me admission into any of the top programs I want to go. So, in addition to the PhD applications, I was thinking it might be wise to apply to a few master's programs, just in case I get rejected to all my PhD choices.

Therein lies my dilemma - I do not want to go into too much debt for a master's, but do not want to drop too far in rankings from my current institution to find funding either. The Master's will purely be a stepping stone for me to get into top choice PhD programs later, so I'd rather not put myself in a situation where my undergrad institution is significantly more prestigious than my Master's institution. So, I wonder if there are any Master's programs in HCI or AI at the top 10-15 schools that are funded, at least partially? Is it simply a matter of apply and you might get funded or do certain programs offer funding and certain programs definitely don't no matter what?

Also, does the academic incest stigma apply to those who only get a Master's from the same university as his or her undergrad, or is it only for the PhD?

[BKMD]

To be honest, with your record it sounds like you should be able to get into at least 1 top school if you apply to enough places.

Another thing I'd like to add is that you shouldn't worry too much about rankings, but rather which schools have professors who are well-known for your particular interests. For example, I was admitted to a school ranked a little bit above my undergrad institution as well as one ranked quite a bit lower, and I decided to accept the lower-ranked, less-competitive school because after visiting both, I felt like the faculty there were stronger (at least the ones in my area). (remember: the best faculty don't always end up at the best schools - it really just depends on which positions were available when they happened to apply for jobs, and other factors...)

Anyway, to answer your questions: I think it is rare for MS programs to guarantee funding, but it seems that a lot of students are able to find some in the first semester. This was my impression at CMU at least. I think the best way to find out the situation at certain schools is to email current masters students who are advised by professors you might want to work with and ask them if they were able to find funding.

As for doing an MS at your current institution: I think this is common, and I wouldn't worry about having any stigma attached. If you think this is a viable back-up plan, then go for it (I considered doing this as well, but only as a last resort).

[metasyntactic]

 Like BKMD said, it seems to me that you could just apply to PhD schools and be fine. On the other hand, if you really want to apply to MSc programs, you might consider Canadian universities. Many of them are more likely to fund MSc students competitively than US schools in general. This is true for at least UBC (~18.5k for MSc) and McGill (~15k). Perhaps less so for Toronto, which I heard is restructuring their grad. program to be direct-to-PhD. There are several strong programs in AI or HCI in Canada as well. 

Edited April 4, 2010 by metasyntactic

[scyrus]

Another thing I'd like to add is that you shouldn't worry too much about rankings, but rather which schools have professors who are well-known for your particular interests. For example, I was admitted to a school ranked a little bit above my undergrad institution as well as one ranked quite a bit lower, and I decided to accept the lower-ranked, less-competitive school because after visiting both, I felt like the faculty there were stronger (at least the ones in my area). (remember: the best faculty don't always end up at the best schools - it really just depends on which positions were available when they happened to apply for jobs, and other factors...)

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I really shouldn't be too caught up in rankings . Unfortunately, for my particular interests(being odd as they are), the only schools I've found with strong matches in research are actually the top ranked schools in either CS or NS, which somewhat limits my options.

Anyway, to answer your questions: I think it is rare for MS programs to guarantee funding, but it seems that a lot of students are able to find some in the first semester. This was my impression at CMU at least. I think the best way to find out the situation at certain schools is to email current masters students who are advised by professors you might want to work with and ask them if they were able to find funding.

I see...so you're saying even if there's no formal guarantee of aid, it is still possible/likely to get Research/Teaching Assistantships(depending on the school etc.)? I'm guessing the aid comes in the form of tuition remission?

Like BKMD said, it seems to me that you could just apply to PhD schools and be fine. On the other hand, if you really want to apply to MSc programs, you might consider Canadian universities. Many of them are more likely to fund MSc students competitively than US schools in general. This is true for at least UBC (~18.5k for MSc) and McGill (~15k). Perhaps less so for Toronto, which I heard is restructuring their grad. program to be direct-to-PhD. There are several strong programs in AI or HCI in Canada as well.

I actually was considering Canadian universities for the MS =). I hear Toronto and Waterloo, in particular, are regarded highly. Thanks for the info about UBC and McGill - i'll definitely check them out and see if they're good fits!

[BKMD]

I see...so you're saying even if there's no formal guarantee of aid, it is still possible/likely to get Research/Teaching Assistantships(depending on the school etc.)? I'm guessing the aid comes in the form of tuition remission?

Yeah, I think this is often the case, and this is how it was at CMU when I visited, since a lot of people who apply to the PhD program end up getting offered MS admission instead (with no guaranteed funding, but it seemed like most of the MS students were able to get funding anyway, in the form of tuition+stipend). (And by the way, I'll mention that CMU has a great AI+neuroscience program, since you said that's what you're interested in.) It seems schools will generally have enough TA/RA positions to guarantee that each PhD student can get funding through these, and then if there are extra positions available after that, then it's open to MS students. But it depends on the school and I think the best way to find this out is to talk to the students who have been in that situation.