Enquire to study in the UK 
Online engineering graduate programmes are available in nearly every Bagley College of Engineering (BCOE) department; in fact, some departments boast more than one. Engineers in all walks of life can find a programme to help meet their goals, but it all starts with the application process. With 50% of its graduate student population online, the college understands the needs of the distance learning student.
Timing is an important part of the application process. Whether it’s the department’s deadlines or gathering the application materials beforehand, potential students should take time to plan. While the application is online, there are many pieces they must submit. Sometimes, those pieces may take a little longer to complete.
Once students have begun their application, they must list all their previous collegiate academic endeavours. The application requires the names and dates of every college or university attended. Students will also need to submit official university transcripts from each institution. They should submit their degree certificates or diplomas showing degrees and dates awarded with transcripts and mark sheets. If applicants’ transcripts are not in English, translations are required. MSU’s Graduate School accepts World Education Services, or WES, as an official translation. Students should submit official transcripts through WES if a service is needed.
Another part of the application is writing the statement of purpose. This is an important part of the application because it is the students’ opportunity to tell the department about themselves. While the numbers, references, and transcripts give an idea of the student, it is the statement of purpose that admission committees can use to better understand the potential student.
A great statement of purpose is concise yet informative and typically narrowed down to three areas. Students should state who they are academically, their future plans, and how the degree they seek will help them achieve those plans. These statements should take between three and five paragraphs to make. A thesis- or dissertation-seeking student should also consider detailing their research interests and experience, explaining their fit within the programme, identifying a faculty member to guide their research, and outlining their research objectives.
Students wishing to complete a thesis or dissertation should identify an advisor who can handle an additional research student interested in that faculty’s research area. Students who want to complete a degree involving research should visit their department’s website and click on the “People” menu button to find faculty members whose research interests match their own. They should contact these faculty members before applying to see if they are available to take on new students. This will require emailing a faculty member with a modified statement of purpose. Sometimes, faculty members may not have the capacity within the time frame the student seeks, but they may be able to suggest another faculty member or let them know when they might be available. Department websites can be accessed by visiting the Bagley College of Engineering home page and selecting the appropriate department under the “Departments” tab. From there, faculty email addresses can be found on each department’s website under the “People” tab.
“Some departments like mechanical engineering may not want a research student to contact faculty ahead of time, but others like computer science encourage it,” says Kari Babski-Reeves, BCoE Associate Dean and Department Head of the Industrial and Systems Engineering department.
Once the student has identified, contacted, and confirmed a potential faculty member to direct their research, they should include in their statement of purpose which professor has agreed to work with them.
James Worth Bagley College of Engineering is home to eight academic programmes. Source: Mississippi State University
In addition to the statement of purpose, students will be asked to provide contact information for three references. The student will provide the contact information for each reference, and once the online portion of their application is complete, email notifications will be sent to those references. The references will receive a link to a web page asking them to comment on the potential student’s skill sets and offering the opportunity for the reference to provide a letter of recommendation.
“One piece of advice I typically give potential graduate students is to email their references as soon as they complete their application,” says Tamra Swann, the BCoE Distance Education Coordinator. “This alerts the reference to look for an email from an ‘@msstate.edu’ address and lets them know your application process is in motion.”
Beyond the statement of purpose and the transcripts, the application is relatively straightforward. There is a short application to complete online and an application fee to pay. Applications are only considered complete or sent to the department for consideration once all parts have been received. For this purpose, the details regarding the transcript, statement of purpose, and research should be prepared well in advance to ensure completion before the deadline.
While the university posts a set of deadlines for each semester, the BCoE has earlier dates, and some departments, such as civil engineering, are even earlier. Each department lists deadlines on its website.
The college typically holds several information sessions each month, and prospective students can register for upcoming dates and times at www.bagley.msstate.edu/online.
What happens after admission? Students admitted into an engineering programme will receive notification from Mississippi State University’s Graduate School and will work with a graduate coordinator for class registration. Most online engineering courses are offered along with on-campus classes, meaning on-campus classes are recorded for online students to watch later that day. Some computer science courses require synchronous attendance, but other programmes are typically asynchronous. Part-time online students usually take one to two courses in their first semesters to acclimate to the programme. It is advisable to start with foundational or core courses that align with academic interests and career goals. Additionally, students should take advantage of academic advising and online support services.
