UCSB Vs. UBC for Mechanical Engineering

[2008apply]

Hi all,

I am compeletly confused guyZ. I have PhD offer from UCSB and MSc offer from UBC. I dont know which one to choose . Directly go to UCSB for a PhD or join UBC for masters and try get into a better school for PhD. My major is Fluid Dynamics and I am interested in CFD and Turbulence.

[canuck]

I think if you're unsure about whether doing a phd or doing a phd at UCSB is right for you then do the MASc. UBC has a great mech department particularly in fluids. Overall I think UCSB and UBC are roughly equal (according to ARWU). I know going straight to a PhD is common in the US but it is unheard of in engineering in Canada, usually MASc's are funded however.

[2008apply]

Actually I am sure I want to get a PhD. However my point is to get from UCSB or try again after getting a Masters from UBC so I might go to a better school

[canuck]

Alternatively you could do an MS and find out that you are an utterly ordinary researcher or worse. The point is that by assuming you could do an MS and get into a better school, you have to concede that there is an equal chance you will only get into worse schools. In the end, unless you had a disasterous application strategy, you are probably only about as good as the schools that accepted you.

[zhpqin]

If UCSB is very good in the areas you are interested in, then why not? Taking a MS in one school and a Ph. D in another will take you two more years then directly a Ph. D.