Pasadena, California, United States
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Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) under the Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS) offers undergraduate and graduate programs in Aerospace Engineering. According to the US News ranking, the EAS Division has been awarded the fifth rank for Best Engineering Schools 2019 and third rank for Best Aerospace Engineering Programs 2019 amongst Graduate Schools in the USA.
The department has unmatched experimental facilities in solids, combustion, biomechanics, propulsion, fluids, and materials. Caltech offers graduate degrees in Aeronautics and Space Engineering and an undergraduate minor in Aerospace Engineering. The institute offers graduate programs in aerospace leading to degrees of Master of Science in Aeronautics and Master of Science in Space Engineering.
Areas of Expertise:
Flow Diagnostics
Fracture Mechanics
Combustion
Turbulence
Gasdynamics
The division has more than fifty faculty laboratories, each headed by a renowned faculty. Students benefit from a state-of-the-art marine laboratory located near the campus. The division had ranked fourth in Best Biological Sciences Programs amongst Graduate schools in the USA.
Graduate students research in multiple options amongst modern biology and biological engineering, viz., Biology, Neurobiology, Bioengineering, Computation, and Neural Systems. In collaboration with other departments, other courses offered are Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Geobiology.
The Division imparts the initial annual financial support and stipend and recommends students to apply for predoctoral fellowships. However, financial support for foreign students is limited.
All applicants must take the GRE general tests and are strongly encouraged to take an advanced test in either biology, biochemistry, mathematics, physics, or psychology. Moreover, applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL.
List of labs: The Rosen Center for Bioengineering; Center for Bioinspired Engineering
The Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has been ranked second for Best Chemical Engineering Programs 2019 and ranked first for Best Chemistry Programs 2018 amongst Graduate Schools in the USA. With more than 40 faculty members across key areas, the division has numerous specialized laboratories and multidisciplinary facilities. Some of the alumni have won the Nobel Prize also. Undergraduates can pursue chemistry or chemical engineering.
Graduates can choose either the chemistry or chemical engineering option, or an interdisciplinary option in biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Admitted students are supported through a combination of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Applicants are encouraged to pursue outside fellowships also.
Areas of Expertise:
Catalysis
Fluid Dynamics
Biochemical Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Polymers
List of Labs: Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
The Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering of Caltech offers graduate programs in Applied Mechanics, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering is ABET-accredited (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology). Students from the world's most prestigious universities come here to study.
The M.S. degree is normally only awarded to students who expect to pursue Ph.D. degree in civil engineering and who do not already have an M.S. degree in civil engineering.
Students without specialisation in civil engineering as an undergraduate can also be admitted for the graduate study. As a precursor, these students should have a thorough background in undergraduate mathematics, physics, and engineering.
Areas of Expertise:
Computational Modeling of Structures
Fluids Engineering; Robotics
Computational Modeling of Solids
Continuum Mechanics
Thermal Sciences
Controls
Earthquake Engineering
Engineering Design
Civil Engineering Problems of Rivers and Harbors
Dynamics of Solids and Structures
Fracture Mechanics
Mechanics of Materials
The Department of Computing + Mathematical Sciences chooses only the best students who have a passion for science. The department has a great student to faculty ratio of 3:1. The Computer Science department has been ranked eighth for Best Computer Engineering Programs 2019 in the Graduate Schools ranking.
Undergraduate students are offered majors in Applied + Computational Mathematics and Computer Science as well as a minor in Control + Dynamical Systems. Graduate studies are offered in Computer Science, Computing + Mathematical Sciences, Applied + Computational Mathematics, and Control + Dynamical Systems.
Areas of Expertise:
Robust Control
Computer Graphics
Dynamical Systems
Learning
Complex Systems
Geometric Mechanics
Concurrent Computing
Nonlinear Control
Systems Biology
List of labs: Institute for Quantum Information
Established in 1910, the Department of Electrical Engineering has many distinguished alumni. A wide variety of both undergraduate and graduate subjects are offered. The department has been ranked fourth in the Best Electrical Engineering Programs 2019 amongst Graduate schools in the USA.
At the undergraduate level, students can pursue a dual major, one of them in electrical engineering. The approval is on the basis of the academic performance of the student. The department offers the Master’s in electrical engineering as well as a degree of Electrical Engineer (only in exceptional cases).
To be admitted to the graduate courses, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering equivalent to the options offered by Caltech. The applicant should have excellent scholastic record and recommendations indicating the distinction required for advanced studies.
Areas of Expertise:
Information Theory
Robotics
Computational Neuroscience
Integrated Circuits
Neural Networks
Molecular Computing
Learning
Digital Signal Processing
Computer Vision
Communications
Optics
The curriculum followed by the Department of Environmental Science & Engineering emphasizes interdisciplinary knowledge. At an undergraduate level, students can opt for it as a minor beyond their major in engineering.
The graduate program trains students to acquire knowledge about environmental systems. The course takes in faculty from other divisions; viz., Geological and Planetary Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. An academic advisor is appointed for each student.
Applicants should submit scores for the GRE General Test. Applicants from non-English-speaking nations are required to provide TOEFL results.
Areas of Expertise:
Aquatic Chemistry
Environmental Microbiology
Climate System
Biogeochemistry
Atmospheric Chemistry
Water Treatment
Remediation
List of labs: The Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science
The Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science has been awarded the joint eighth rank for Best Materials Engineering Programs 2019 amongst Graduate schools. The department offers BS in Materials Science, MS in Materials Science, Ph.D. in Materials Science and Ph.D. in Applied Physics.
Research topics in the department encompass nanomechanics to photonics and optoelectronics, plasma physics, biophysics, and biomechanics. Graduate students are required to take a series of foundational courses in kinetics, thermodynamics, materials structure, along with courses focused on a selected class of materials.
Students without specialization in materials science in undergraduate years may be admitted into the graduate study. As a precursor, such students need to have a background in undergraduate mathematics, physics, and engineering.
Admission to graduate programs is competitive and decided by the admissions committee which reviews the applications. The admission process occurs once every year. The programs offered are Bachelor of Science Students interested in getting a graduate degree at the master’s level only are normally not admitted.
Areas of Expertise:
Modern Methods for Materials Characterization
Computer Simulation of Materials
Solid-State Physics
Plasma Physics
Lasers and Integrated Optics
Thermodynamics of Alloys
Metallic Glasses
Kinetics of Alloys
Nanocrystalline Materials
Electronic Materials
Caltech has been ranked third for Best Physics Schools 2018 amongst Graduate schools in the USA.
The Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy is home to globally renowned academic and research programs. Undergraduate and graduate students in the department can enroll in academic programs and pursue research in physics, mathematics, and astronomy. The department boasts of a broad array of observational facilities, research centers, and advanced instruments. The faculty are the pioneers of a wide range of studies and ensure greater breadth and depth of understanding in fields amongst the students.
Caltech provides many research opportunities in physics. To obtain a Master of Science degree in physics, you need to complete the oral and written candidacy examinations. An advanced degree in physics at Caltech is required extensive research achievement. Students need to take advanced courses in at least three subfields of physics. They must also pass a written candidacy exam in both classical physics and quantum mechanics in order to progress into the research phase of the degree.
Areas of Expertise:
Computational Biology
Theoretical Materials Science
Modern Methods for Materials Characterization
Nonlinear Dynamics
Plasma Physics
Computer Simulation of Materials
Solid-State Physics
Thermodynamics of Alloys
Lasers and Integrated Optics
Kinetics of Alloys
Computational and Theoretical Fluid Mechanics
Nanocrystalline Materials
Electronic Materials
Multiscale and Multiresolution Computations
Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing
Metallic Glasses
List of labs: The Kavli Nanoscience Institute of Technology (KNI)
As per the latest rankings, the California Institute of Technology is placed better than Harvard in terms of better funding, research opportunities, industry income, and international outlook.
Caltech and MIT institute are both placed as the top universities of the world. While their rankings are placed at a similar pedestal, Caltech holds a better ranking in terms of learning experience; however MIT holds a better position in terms of diversity, research, and employability.
The average acceptance rate of Caltech University as per latest ranking is placed at 6.4% and the acceptance rate of Harvard University is placed at 5.3%. However, when it comes to the domain of STEM, Caltech is the second toughest school followed by Harvard to get into in the state of America.
California Institute of Technology does not have a bar on minimum GPA requirement, however, successful applicants usually have GPA around 3.5 or 4.0 in terms of USA GPA.
Caltech offers a truly interdisciplinary academic frontier where the students get a chance to pioneer into the new fields of research helping them stay ahead in competitions. Not only does Caltech bestows its students with amazing real research opportunities but also makes sure its students are research active and successful scholars.
Caltech has been consistently producing scholars throughout the years wherein it has birthed 32 nobel laureates in the last century and has been topping the list of Times Higher Education World University Rankings making it highly prestigious.
No, Caltech does not fall in the Ivy league colleges. Caltech is a private institution but holds the same respect as that of an Ivy league when it comes to acceptance rate, academic competitiveness, and career opportunities.
Apart from keeping a very competitive score in SATs and ACTs, consistent interest in Science and Maths subjects; the applicant needs to apply for a common application and submit essays as well while meeting all other criterias as mentioned in their website without missing out on proper research.
Being one of the most competitive colleges in the world, you need to consistently maintain a high GPA and add classes of specialisation in your academic portfolio. Apart from this try to cultivate extracurricular hobbies in the similar background. Make sure you develop a good relationship with your professor for getting good recommendation letters, practice writing good essays and apply for the admission at an early stage.
