How I Found a Way to Do Research as an Online Grad Student
Source: Bobbie Lynn Eicher
Universities, big research labs and government agencies are all eager to find students who can work for them for a few months.
When I decided to go to graduate school online, I thought that giving up the chance to participate in research was just a sacrifice I'd have to accept. The incredible price and flexibility of being able to pursue an online master's in computer science through Georgia Institute of Technology was worth it, but that loss of opportunity was still disappointing.
One year later, I've spent my summer doing research at a leading research university in Europe. I've learned that being an online master's student makes finding research opportunities more challenging, but it's not impossible.
Below are several ways that online students can best position themselves for research opportunities.
1. Look at what's already available: Some online programs may already have established paths for people who want to pursue research while in an online master's program. Students should check whether there are any classes that include research as part of the course work, or if there is an option of doing a research thesis with their degree.
2. Impress your professors. Even when there is no formal system in place for research, that doesn't mean students can't work with their online professors. When an online program says that it doesn't offer research opportunities, that doesn't mean an individual professor can't decide to make exceptions for students who show extraordinary drive and promise.
When students are taking a class that really interests them, they should think of it as an audition �C a chance to show off what they have to offer. Several students have already done such great work in an online artificial intelligence course offered at Georgia Tech that they became co-authors on a paper and co-presented with their online professor at a summer conference!
3. Apply to spend a semester on research. This approach is a bigger commitment, but it can also be an amazing opportunity. Industry isn't the only place where students can find internships. Universities, big research labs and government agencies are all eager to find students who can work for them for a few months and perhaps return as permanent students or employees later.
I took this route by applying to the summer program offered by Switzerland's École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, where I worked on research that could help companies like Facebook and Twitter do a better job of storing and distributing their information.
Since I can do my course work from anywhere, I was even able to extend my stay into the the fall semester. This option doesn't work for everyone, but if students have the flexibility to take a few months off, it's a great opportunity.
4. Choose your own (research) adventure. If students can't immediately jump into doing research with faculty, they should be creative and try a different route. The university library can provide students access to accepted papers in theirfield, and they can use them to learn, come up with ideas, and even try to reproduce someone else's results.
It's not the ideal place to start, but it's a very effective way to demonstrate passion and drive when applying and interviewing for formal positions.
The takeaway: Being an online student doesn't mean that you can't do research �C just that you have to be more proactive about making it happen.
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