No research experience, but lots of work experience.

[DRob]

So, here's my scenario... any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'll be graduating from an accredited online university with a degree in Information Technology fairly soon (Western Governors). I chose to go through Western Governors because I need to keep my full time job while getting my initial degree (responsibilities and all that good stuff). It's also allowed me to save up some money so I can pursue my PhD while not abandoning my responsibilities (which require a house, no dorm living or apartments). It'll likely be very tight, but it's doable.

Unfortunately with Western Governors I don't really get any research experience. They also grade with a pass/fail grading system (where a pass is a B or better).

I realize both of those issues, combined with the fact that it's an online only school probably will hurt my chances getting into a doctoral program. I'm determined to find a way to make this work though.

I do have extensive work experience, which I'm hoping will somewhat make up for the above issues. I've worked in I.T. for over 12 years, many of those as a Linux systems administrator for a fairly large company, and have honestly been working with computers since back in the early 90s in high school. It's been a passion of mine since I got my first computer.

I'm very concerned that the work experience I have will not help much to make up for the fact that I'm lacking research experience, and getting a degree from an online school. I do realize that IT work, while related, isn't going to be nearly as good on an application as actual computer science related research.

I'm looking for any advice or tips on what I can do to help my chances of getting into a good program, preferably one with either robotics or artificial intelligence as a research topic.

Thanks ahead of time for any information and advice!

Edited October 17, 2012 by DRob

[victor.s.andrei]

So, here's my scenario... any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'll be graduating from an accredited online university with a degree in Information Technology fairly soon (Western Governors). I chose to go through Western Governors because I need to keep my full time job while getting my initial degree (responsibilities and all that good stuff). It's also allowed me to save up some money so I can pursue my PhD while not abandoning my responsibilities (which require a house, no dorm living or apartments). It'll likely be very tight, but it's doable.

A PhD in what? Information Technology? Or Computer Science?

Unfortunately with Western Governors I don't really get any research experience.

Your bigger issue is that you also probably didn't get any academic LoRs. That...and, an IT curriculum is generally weaker than a CS/CpE/EE curriculum in that it generally does not include the intense advanced mathematics coursework.

I do have extensive work experience, which I'm hoping will somewhat make up for the above issues. I've worked in I.T. for over 12 years, many of those as a Linux systems administrator for a fairly large company, and have honestly been working with computers since back in the early 90s in high school. It's been a passion of mine since I got my first computer.

If you apply for a CS program, don't tell that to the adcom. You have only shown a passion for IT - the practitioner side of computing - but not the computer science side - which is effectively applied mathematics.

I'm very concerned that the work experience I have will not help much to make up for the fact that I'm lacking research experience, and getting a degree from an online school. I do realize that IT work, while related, isn't going to be nearly as good on an application as actual computer science related research.

Look for a job in the research and development side of a major corporation...or a major university. Then take a few computer science courses - the ones with the actual mathematical theory.

I'm looking for any advice or tips on what I can do to help my chances of getting into a good program, preferably one with either robotics or artificial intelligence as a research topic.

I'm really questioning why you want to pursue a Ph.D.

If you want to pursue really cool, cutting-edge work in either robotics or artificial intelligence, you're better off getting a cool R&D type job and then taking courses on the side (from a school like UW Seattle or UC Santa Cruz) in various programming languages, hardware design, and so forth.