Namal is a 2nd year PhD student in Mobile Robotics at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. In this questionnaire, Namal shares his experiences with SL2College about the application process to NTU, studying and living in Singapore, and advice to potential students based on his own experience.
THE GRADUATE APPLICATION PROCESS
What are the entry requirements to your graduate program?
I started the application process in the final semester of my B.Sc. I applied to the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at NTU. There were several steps:
1) Contacting a professor: It is better to write a comprehensive but concise email, including all of your achievements and capabilities, but make sure you do not come off as an overly confident person.
I wrote to several professors – two of them replied. One of them said he doesn't have enough funding to take me in and the other professor continued communicating with me for about 2 months before I was accepted. My undergraduate project supervisor in Sri Lanka motivated me to write to this particular professor. I met another PhD student who was already working under this professor and he too provided me with information on the research work conducted in the lab.
2) Being asked for a research proposal: Initially I submitted a proposal which is aligned with the research theme of the prospective supervisor. With the help of this professor, my proposal went through several iterations and updates before settling in on a final version.
The proposal is about 2 pages. It is better to read through the prospective supervisor's research interests in detail to become familiar with his research area before preparing the proposal.
3) Submitting other relevant documents (transcripts, certificates and reference letters): The university requires two reference letters, both from lecturers at a university.
4) Phone interview from NTU – The interview took place about one month after sending in the graduate application. It lasted about 20 minutes. I did not read any research papers, but I refreshed my memory on the subject matter I had learnt in my undergrad. I was asked about my research interests and previous work experience.
Did you have to do any tests?
Yes, I took the TOEFL and GRE. Having a better score on the TOEFL exempts you from attending an English course in the first semester of study at grad school.
How long did it take to put the application together? What was the most difficult part?
The whole process took about 7-8 months starting from sitting for the GRE. Since I started applying during the final semester of my B.Sc, I had to get partial transcripts from the university. It is a good idea to request partial transcripts at least 6-8 weeks before the deadline. There's a very good chance of delays, so it's better to have some buffer time in case some delays creep in. The same applies to getting reference letters since professors are busy. It's best to give them at least 6 weeks to prepare a letter for you. The most difficult part was keeping track of all these processes for 2-3 months (questions such as: did they include my latest results, which professors wrote reference letters and who did not? when did I last notify them? etc).
When was the due date?
There was a single deadline, 31st January.
Did you contact your current supervisor during the application process? How important is this?
Yes, I did work with my current supervisor. This is important because it helps to prepare a better research proposal for the application, as well as to be more prepared for phone interviews from the graduate school.
Other than marks from your undergraduate degree was there anything else that helped you to get accepted into the graduate program?
Yes, my final year project in undergrad. It was chosen after a discussion with the undergraduate project supervisor and the topic was related to computer vision and embedded systems. The report from this project helped my potential supervisor at NTU to assess my capabilities. He also contacted my final year project supervisor.
I would advice current undergraduate students to make sure they select a challenging project.
THE GRADUATE EXPERIENCE
What does your graduate degree involve? How long will the program take?
There are several steps:
1) Completing courses worth 18 academic units (generally 6 courses) within the first two years.
2) Completing a qualifying examination (research report + oral presentation of 1 hour) by the second year.
3) Completing the PhD program (the scholarship). The scholarship is for 4 years and cannot be extended, but after termination of the scholarship some professors (not all) support students by offering RA positions.
What is your thesis about?
Multi-Robot Exploration of Unstructured Environments.
How was the first year?
I spent the first year on course work and literature survey.
What are the highs and lows of the graduate program?
Highs: It improves critical thinking capability. I also have the freedom to dwell deep into subject matters. There's also the joy of seeing how things work.
Lows: Spending days, weeks, and sometimes even months without clear answers to certain problems.
How is your thesis funded? What other types/kinds of financial aid is available to international graduate students at your university?
The scholarship is funded through the university (University Research Scholarship). Information on other types of scholarships is available at http://admissions.ntu.edu.sg/graduate/scholarships/Pages/default.aspx
Do you get to TA? Are there internships available whereby graduate students can work in companies during their program?
The opportunity to TA starts after the second year. The arrangement of research internships with companies is something that should be negotiated between the company/institute and the university and professors. There's no hard rule preventing students from spending internships at other places - in fact the university promotes it.
In your field what areas of research have plenty of funding and can potentially be very useful in finding jobs after graduating?
In Mobile Robotics: marine robotics for environmental monitoring, military robotics, search and rescue robotics.
What are your future plans after completion of MS/PhD?
Anything that improves my acquired skill set.
LIFE IN SINGAPORE
Coming from Sri Lanka, what is your experience of the new city?
The community is safe, considerate and polite, and the Sri Lankan student population at NTU is around 20-30. There are plenty of cultural events both inside and outside the university to get socialized. The weather is similar to that of Sri Lanka but with more rain!
There is a very good public transport system, and the university has an internal shuttle bus. All the facilities are easily accessible – it is a 20 mins bus ride to the major shopping mall in the area and 40 mins to go to the city.
How is the cost of living?
The stipend is more than enough for living.
Are accommodations available for graduate students?
New graduate students get 10 months on campus housing. The campus has a supermarket, salon, lots of canteens, restaurants, open spaces and vending machines. There are several companies which offer cheap apartments for students just outside the campus.
SL2College would like to thank Namal for sharing his experience at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. SL2College would like to wish him the very best in his future endeavours. Kamilka Malwatte from the SL2College editorial team, is also thanked for working with Namal in developing this article.
Date of publication in the Sunday Observer: September 11, 2011.
This and other related articles are available on www.sl2college.org, under the resources section. SL2College is a global community that provides FREE advice and guidance to Sri Lankan students. Envisioned in 2005, SL2College helps Sri Lankan students access relevant information that would assist them in making informed decisions about their educational goals. Please post your queries on: www.sl2college.org or email - info@sl2college.org.
