Best graduate school for robotics?

[T-1000]

Hello,

I'm interested in studying robotics at the graduate level. I'm curious to know what everyone’s opinions are, as per what is the BEST school to study robotics at the graduate level. I'm assuming the best school would be in Japan.

Cheers

[sdk32285]

Carnegie Mellon University
www.ri.cmu.edu

[AndrewM]

Carnegie Mellon University
www.ri.cmu.edu

Seconded

[Centaur]

Carnegie Mellon University
www.ri.cmu.edu

Seconded

Thirded?

[Admin]

Carnegie Mellon University
www.ri.cmu.edu

Seconded

Thirded?

fourthed

(this question has been asked several times already, just search the forum)

[Asellith]

So next question is how hard is it to get into CMU and do they do distance learning My GPA wasn't even a 3.0 and I have an unaccredited degree. So my chances are how do I say this hmm nonexistent is a nice word. But I am taking classes from Devry in Computer Information Systems. So I may have to work really hard to get good grades there and try after I finish my second accredited bachelors. I am confident that I can get a really high GPA in CIS classes over engineering. If I made it through Linear systems and communication I think I can handle some Java and C# programming without to much of a problem. But back to my question. Do I have a chance of getting into CMU without an accredited degree and low GPA? I scored really good on the math section of the GRE didn't do so hot on the English part. I think I scored over 700 on math and about 550 on the English. Anyway just curious.

[Admin]

Your chances are below that of nonexistent . . .

The average GPA of someone selected is 3.8, and coming from a top (and accredited) university.

Lets put it another way - I was rejected.

[sdk32285]

Last year there were about 1400 applicatnts, and only about 25 got accepted.

[Centaur]

Even though CMU is probably the best robotics school out there, it isn't everything.  There's tons of robotics research going on all across the country.  Read up on how to apply to grad school and you'll get a good idea of what you need to do. 

If you are looking to do a thesis based program, do some research to find a professor who is involved with the area of study that you are interested in, and then contact that professor directly.  If you can arrange a meeting that would be best.  Your goal would be to get him to want you to be his research assistant so he will pay for your grad studies. 

If you don't know exactly what area of study you are interested in, then you should wait until you do.  The last thing you want to do with grad school is specialize in an area of study, and then find out later that you don't really like it.

If a research assistance ship, or teaching assistance ship isn't your thing, then just do what I'm doing/did.  Find a full time job at a company that pays for graduate school.  Most tech based companies will because the government gives them a nice tax break for doing it.  (I'm not going to grad school yet, but I plan to in a few years).  General rule of thumb that my assistant dean told me, never pay for grad school in engineering.  (I'm assuming this would be the same for most tech based majors, including computer science)

[benji]

what are the condition to meet to get into CMU ?

[Admin]

first hit on google
http://www.ri.cmu.edu/education/index.html

[iNFINITE]

No doubt CMU-RI is the best. But there are many other robotics labs across the world. The following links may help..

Graduate Programs in Robotics- robotics faq@CMU: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~chuck/robotpg/robofaq/6.html#6.1

EURON Robotics Courses Database: http://euron.upc.edu/rcdb/search.php

Universities participating in robot competitions like Grandchallenge,Robocup... : http://www.darpa.mil/GRANDCHALLENGE/teamlist.asp

[benji]

goin for a phd at CMU RI would cost you around 30,000$ a year and the phd program is about 6 years
so you have to pay up to 30,000.*6=180,000 $

i know its worth it,,you'll be seeing the most advanced bots in the world maybe,,,,
but after you finish it, would you be able to have a career that pays you this back?

[sdk32285]

Just about all technical/scientific PhD's ( at least at CMU) require that you do research. This research covers the cost of your tuition plus gives you a living stipend.

[benji]

then what is this 30,000 $ per year if its already paid?

[sdk32285]

It is still a cost, but your research advisor would be paying it.

[Webbot]

Hey guys - consider the world!!

Not sure where you're from - but lets assume there are folk out there from outside the USA.

In the UK then Warwick University is good, and both Reading and Kent at Canterbury run 'Cybernetics and Control Engineering Courses' - I should know - I'm an exVictim. This is obviously a wider course than just 'robotics' but depends on where you want to live your life. Unfortunately - not many companies seem to want to fund us us to play with bots!!

[benji]

CMU isnt only for american students ,it accepts international students as well

[Webbot]

Nice try/promo  . UK universities do the same

[benji]

well are the ones in the uk as good as cmu ??
check the cmu ri website ,go to labs,, man thats awesome

[BANE]

What about MIT?  Last time i heard is was about $60,000 per semester, do the math 60,000 x 8 for a four year = Arrraaahhhhaaggaa!!!
I have 4.1 weighted GPA, think i got a chance?

Bane

[benji]

i dont think this is the only condition to meet

[ceruleanplains]

Generally the criteria for admission to any technical graduate school are:

1. Prior academic history which includes: grades, publications in journals, conferences, etc. and accolades
2. GRE score
3. Letter of intent / statement of purpose where you write an essay
4. Experience in the field i.e. having a career working in the field directly related to the program of study; including accolades associated with the work, publications, etc.
5. Letters of recommendation from distinguished technical persons or alumni - (like the Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force, Director of DARPA, or a major contributor to science, industry, and university like Viterbi for instance).

The university will do a general filter on GPA then look hard at everything else. In my opinion the best reason to select a top graduate school is to get into that network of people, the labs, and to publish work with the best.  But the coursework is usually very similar across schools.  What's so different then? reputation, facilities, research funds, and the 'network' between the school and industry.

It's best if you focus on the research of that school if it meets your interest and then actually go talk to the professors (if you're a credible candidate).  So there are rankings but there are specific types of research also.  Virginia Tech, Stanford, and CMU all placed well in the DARPA Grand Challenge for instance.  And each program is significantly different.

[benji]

but what about international students?

[Webbot]

Per my previous post about UK universities like Reading ... came across this
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=245.0

Not sure if you recorded it but he's mental - I should know - I went there. Has a chip implanted in his arm to hook up to electronics and make the muscles move involuntarily. Bonus is the dept know exactly where he is when the phone rings. He also avoids walls 

Did anyone record and post it?