Stating interest in student/school clubs?

[bosun120]

Hi,

I'm applying for a MS mechanical engineering program that doesn't emphasize/require a thesis. I know that the statement should be mainly focused on research interests and how they best fit, but can you also put a few lines about student clubs/organizations (engineering-related)? One of the faculty seems like a major advisor for a student-run project group, and basically I would like to further my involvement in that such a project in my MS program that I might not have gotten in my undergrad (which I do have past experience in). Is it a good idea to express a few lines of interest and, possibly, tie it into a my interests. Also this a heavily engineering focused group (altho more hands-on than research focused), not one of those pseudo-social/business groups.

Thanks.

[runonsentence]

Not unless you can spin such organizations under something more scholarly, like service or professionalization. Adcoms don't really care much about extra-curriculars unless they fall under these categories, and then it's still only a peripheral concern.

[ktel]

Is the program course based then? Do you have to do a final project? I'm not sure what you mean by it doesn't emphasize/require a thesis

[bosun120]

Yes the program is mainly course-based, with the option at the end of a thesis or what they term independent study. Also the institution is not known as a major research field (they don't offer PhD) and more towards practical, focused programs.

This is specifically the program I'm talking about:

http://www.csupomona...b%20Catalog.pdf

Edited October 23, 2011 by bosun120

[ktel]

Well, does this student project group require FEA or other computational design tools? Since that looks like what you're in the program for. It could be worth mentioning if you can tie it in well.