What Students Say
Likes
- The research work that my advisor is currently involved in.
- Equal focus on coursework and research.
- The professors teaching core courses are amazing.
Dislikes
- We need more Astronomy professors and core Astronomy courses.
- Qualifier exams should be waived off but here it is given a lot of importance. Everything else about University of Louisville seems great!
Course Curriculum
- Curriculum is more theory based and quite difficult to keep up with. The closed book tests for some courses is difficult (For some it's take- home exams).
- Negative aspect would be not having many core Astronomy courses.
- Positive aspect would be - Professors are amazing and make the learning a bit easier.
Admission Experience
-
I got interview calls from University of Louisville and Virginia Tech. Didn't make it in Virginia Tech. Got rejected from Umass Amherst, Johns Hopkins and Illinois State University. Probably because of high number of applicants and me not having a published paper while applying. Other than this, it is difficult to point out where I could've gone wrong because you cannot guess. I had IELTS score of 8.5 and gpa 3.6!
-
I applied to Universities that offered research in my area in Astronomy. Shortlisted them based on location ( I didn't want to live in a proper city) and advisor's collaborators. Research was the primary factor! I received rejections from other places so it was an easy decision for me. Took me 3 months to shortlist universities so it was a clear decision. UofL accepts IELTS (7.0/9), TOEFL(100 +) scores and GRE is optional. Although, you need to have a 3.0 or a higher gpa and a strong CV. The statement of purpose is also looked up and of course, the interview is the final step!
-
The application process is definitely hectic and months of silence took a toll on my mental health so it is better to be involved in something else (research or a part time job) while you're applying. Be careful with document preparation especially the SOP!
-
I applied for fall 2024 intake. I completed my Master's in April 2023 and was working on research till August 2023 hence applied for the next fall intake and PhD's rarely have sping intake term. The entire process including document preparation took about 6 months. Application starts in September and extends till December. So I started my process in June.
Class Schedule
- Typically 1 or 2 classes are scheduled for a 9- credit course from Monday to thursday and 2 classes everyday (excluding Friday) for a 12- credit course. Each class is for 1 hr 15 mins.
- Average number of students in a PhD class is 6. 2 Indian students are enrolled in my class.
Faculty
- There is a 1:1 ratio in my course because it is a PhD program and not many people are given admission for this program.
- Teaching method is same as that in India. The content and approach is perfect only when you do a lot of self study as well.
- Part -time jobs are not allowed for those working as a TA.
- I admire my Personal advisor for his research work.
Campus Life
- I have never counted but this entire city is a campus.There's healthcare campus, engineering campus, Natural science, life science etc.
- Library, 10 stadiums (including hockey, football and tennis courts), there's a gym with basketball, badminton court and indoor track field.
- Medical stations are in almost every building.
Part Time Jobs
-
Every PhD student either receives a Teaching assistant position or a research assistant one depending on the advisor. Typically it is about $25k - $60k a year depending on the city.
-
I don't know much about part time jobs as I never looked into that while applying for my program. Maximum allowed hours are 20 hrs/week. I don't know much about the hourly wages.
-
I think getting a job is easy here but I personally don't know anyone working for one as I know about my classmates only and there are working as TAs. So, I am not really sure about the part time job positions both on and off campus.
-
I do think working as a library assistant is a position usually available. Other than that cafes and restaurants are quite well known.
Placement
- Mostly, PhDs apply for a Post doc position (Atleast that's my plan). We can of course apply for an industry position or work as an academia after getting the degree. I do know most of my seniors are working as Assistant professors in different universities.
- Average salary should be around $75k - $90k yearly.
- Professors help us in finding available positions in different cities or same city as well!
- It's been only 4 months since I got here. Don't really know about everyone that well.
Accommodation
- I live off- campus. Found it through facebook.
- I pay around $600 every month and utilities include Washer, dryer, microwave and dishwasher)
- Moving in and moving out is difficult if you don't have a car or you don't know anyone who has a car - that is why I chose a furnished room.
- My accommodation is 15 minutes (bicycle ride) away from the campus. Bachelor's students stay on campus and other indians live in an apartment.
Exams
- Just a good IELTS score is enough.
SOP, LOR, CV and transcripts of both Bachelor's and Master's. - Interview lasted about 30 minutes. They asked me about the courses I have taken, The research work I had done in my Master's, The research interests I have and subjects I am interested in, my strengths and weaknesses. There is a random admission panel selected every year that conducts the interview. They may or may not include your advisor. Interview is the final "go ahead" to every admission process.
Events
- Jalsa (Diwali celebration is the second largest festival here), Nepali community is also big on events, there's an international community called OASIS that hold events every friday.
- There's a chinese, japanese, music, hispanic club and Indian student association as well.
- We can join any sport club but I think we have to be good at it to make the team (I didn't try). For fun, we can use every facility.
Fees
- I have received a full scholarship and a Teaching assistant position that is paid.
- From what I know, fee system at UofL is semester based. Monthly expense adds upto around $700-$1000 if you live frugally (including rent and groceries - Bus transportation is free for students).
- I am not sure about Master's and bachelor's tuition cost but I think for Master's it should be somewhere around $46k - $55k a year.
Scholarship
- I am working as a Teaching Assistant. PhD positions are mostly paid with full tuition waiver.
- All my classmates are getting a stipend amount of somewhere between the range of $1600 - $2100 every month. All PhD students receive full tuition waiver.
- For PhD students, the tuition cost per semester is around $7.5K covered by the University. We take 3 courses (9 credit courses every semester) Can extend upto 12 credits
