asif1253 Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 Hey guys, I am interested in doing an MS with concentration in: controls, robotics and artificial intelligence. So far, I have received MS offer from engineering programs at both UPenn and GATECH. However, I am a bit confused as to which program would be better for me. As far as I have searched, the GRASP lab at UPenn is pretty active but overall engineering portfolio and ranking of UPenn doesnt seem as great as GATECH. What do you guys think? It should be noted here that I am planning to pursue a PhD as well in one of the above mentioned fields and the probability is very high of that being at the same place where I do my MS. So, the place should be active in research in all the fields mentioned above.
khaled Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 In control theory, you'll be better off going to Gatech. This is my humble opinion. dat_nerd and asif1253 2
asif1253 Posted March 1, 2013 Author Posted March 1, 2013 Yeah, GATECH seems so far better off when it comes to control theory. But that said, the GRASP lab at UPenn is just too attractive when it comes to robotics and AI, otherwise Penn Engineering school is not that great. Although I am sure that controls is better at GATECH but what about robotics and AI? I dont know much about that program at GATECH. I want to leave the three windows open at this stage.
khaled Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) Yeah, GATECH seems so far better off when it comes to control theory. But that said, the GRASP lab at UPenn is just too attractive when it comes to robotics and AI, otherwise Penn Engineering school is not that great. Although I am sure that controls is better at GATECH but what about robotics and AI? I dont know much about that program at GATECH. I want to leave the three windows open at this stage. I remember when I was looking at the faculty/labs at GATECH there were people working on robotics, and it seems to me that they are concentrating on humanoid robots. Edited March 1, 2013 by khaled
asif1253 Posted March 1, 2013 Author Posted March 1, 2013 Yes there are people working in those areas at gatech. But my question is how good it is in these areas in comparison to UPenn. And thanks for the input
khaled Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 Yes there are people working in those areas at gatech. But my question is how good it is in these areas in comparison to UPenn. And thanks for the input I don't know. I can only judge when it comes to control theory. Let's wait for someone else to answer (I'm interested to know)
JimmyK4542 Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 If you can, you should try to visit both Georgia Tech and UPenn and decide afterwards. Even if you can't visit, you should make sure the GRASP lab and/or any other labs your interested in can and are willing to take you before committing to one school or another. asif1253 1
asif1253 Posted March 3, 2013 Author Posted March 3, 2013 wont be possible to go there physically. but yes you have a point there! it is highly probable that grasp lab might not take me in for phd even if i go there for masters. In this scenario, gatech seems a better option because it has a much bigger and varied program and hence the chances of finding a phd funding later on would be higher than upenn. the robotics group at upenn is amazing but is quite small to guarantee a phd accomodation. Any input on that thought is welcome!
khaled Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 wont be possible to go there physically. but yes you have a point there! it is highly probable that grasp lab might not take me in for phd even if i go there for masters. In this scenario, gatech seems a better option because it has a much bigger and varied program and hence the chances of finding a phd funding later on would be higher than upenn. the robotics group at upenn is amazing but is quite small to guarantee a phd accomodation. Any input on that thought is welcome! Also Gatech is generally stronger in EE so you'll have more faculty/choices/projects...etc
aero9 Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 Have you asked for your advisor's opinion? He/she would have a good idea of the quality at both departments.
ParanoidAndro1d3 Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 My opinion: UPenn is better if you want to study distributed, multi-agent systems. They have several labs (GRASP, TerraSwarm, PRECISE) with active research on the topic - spanning from the mechanics of groups to the theoretical and computational components of their control. Also, UPenn is better if you are interested in pursuing an academic career, or pursuing studies that are broadly interdisciplinary. GaTech seems better if you want to end up in industry. As far as funding is concerned, Penn's PhD funding (supposedly) is not distributed strictly by lab association (a professor I recently spoke to told me so). Whether or not they provide PhD funding seems to be more tied to your research interests being strongly aligned with theirs. That all being said, you probably won't go too far wrong with either school. If you really aren't certain where to end up for your PhD studies, it may make sense to go to the more geographically appealing or less expensive option. You can always transfer for your PhD studies, especially if your Master's is not being funded. Hope that helped. asif1253 1
asif1253 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Posted March 5, 2013 Hey thanks for your opinions. Will surely let me make a better decision
trueblue13 Posted March 24, 2013 Posted March 24, 2013 Have a look at: http://robotics.gatech.edu/. This houses all of Georgia Tech's robotics efforts. Hope that helps.
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