My daughter will be graduating this year with a bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering (biomechanics concentration) and would like to pursue a Masters in Mechanical Engineering biomechanics focus. From what she has seen at her school, although the two departments have some overlap, they approach the subject matter from different perspectives. She feels that this would give her a stronger mechanics foundation and make her more appealing to employers. She is interested in developing components for prostheses and is completing her senior project on an upper extremity device that more closely mimics the movement and forces of the human hand. She is on target to graduate with high distinction, a 3.8ish GPA, is a member of Tau Beta Pi and the BME honor society. After talking to her advisor, she applied to several Masters programs that were recommended to align with her interests. So far, she has been accepted at all she has heard from and is waiting to hear from a few more. Her are my questions:
1. Most of these programs said on their information page that some funding may be available. When receiving her notification of acceptance, most indicated that funding was reserved for PhD students and she was expected to pay the full price. She has received a small stipend to one program so far. Is there any way for her to seek other funding (grants, TA, etc) outside of what the university offers? Obviously there are loans, but she does not want to fund her entire masters program this way. (Disclaimer: I warned her about this before applying, but she insisted she was not interested in pursuing a PhD. i know that many schools use Masters programs as cash cows so I suggested that she contact schools before applying to discuss their funding policies).
2. Would it be better for her to work for a few years, save some money and then go to grad school? With this there is always the risk that life gets in the way. it's often easier to go right away while still in the education mode. She realizes that this route may be necessary, however, and is looking at employment opportunities.
3. Are there programs known for funding masters programs? If so, she may want to reapply to different schools next year.
Any insights are appreciated.
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