STUDENT LIFE

Organizations | Graduate Life |Undergraduate Life

ORGANIZATIONS

Florida Engineering Society (College wide)

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Feel at home, experienced advisors will help you
MAE provides a comfortable environment in which students and faculty work closely and informally together in research and in classes. From the beginning of your MAE experience you will have one faculty member, designated as your advisor, that you are encouraged to see for help regarding any concern or need. After you have chosen an area of focus your Committee Chairman will ordinarily serve as your advisor. In addition you will have an opportunity to know many faculty as instructors in courses. Informal "tea and cookies" gatherings associated with weekly MAE seminars give added opportunity to interact with faculty and visiting speakers.

MAE provides great support for your research
All graduate students are provided with an office with desk, chairs, bookcases, etc. and have close access to telephones, computers, printers, copying and FAX machines, and scanners. Computational support includes a network of more than 300 Unix workstations and PCs linked to each other and to the Internet. Support staff is available to help with research equipment, academic issues, and computer-related problems. Most MAE graduate students have financial support. This support includes fellowships, research and teaching assistantships, and assistantships for supporting the MAE computer facilities.

Come to UF! Get the chance to work with some of the best professors in the country
In addition to the internationally distinguished MAE faculty, the University of Florida, with over 100 distinct academic departments, offers a particularly wide range of opportunities to meet and work with faculty and students in other disciplines. Students are encouraged to attend seminars in other departments (about two dozen are held each day) and to hear the many visiting scholars that visit the University.

Make friends from around the world!
MAE graduate students come from a wide range of backgrounds and locations around the world. This means that you will be able to know and become friends with a rich spectrum of other students.

A good place for you to live also
The University has reasonably priced apartments for rent on campus and there are many off-campus rentals within easy walking or biking distance. A bus system provides transportation to more distant locations, and many students own automobiles.

Enjoy nice Florida weather and fascinating attractions near Gainesville
Most students find Gainesville and the University of Florida a very pleasant place to live and to learn. The climate is mild with much sunshine and rare extremes of freezing or very hot weather. Recreational activities and cultural events abound. Opportunities for participation include many sports (soccer, table tennis, basketball, for example) and many dance, music, and theatre groups. Similarly, the community offers visiting professional operas, orchestras, dance companies, automobile racing, plus many sporting events sponsored by the University. More broadly, the Gainesville vicinity has many parks, lakes, and beaches with locations for surfing, swimming, fishing, and hiking in addition to such well-known attractions as Disney World and the Kennedy Space Center. There are also many restaurants serving a large variety of types of food.

Look forward to a good job after you complete your work
Literally hundreds of companies and organizations come to the University of Florida each year offering jobs to graduates. Your search for an appropriate job is aided by the University Career Resources Center that helps match your interests and skills with job opportunities. MAE graduates are employed throughout the United States and in many other countries. For example, recent graduates have chosen jobs with Shell Oil in Norway, Motorola in Florida, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Texas.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

What can we say? The University of Florida is a MAJOR University!
With some 45,000 students the University of Florida provides a very diverse opportunity for learning, personal growth, recreation, and the development of lasting friendships. The University is well known for its strong intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women. In addition there are many opportunities for participation in artistic, academic, and intramural athletic programs (see General Information).

Student activities make learning fun
Of course, you learn more when it is fun! MAE students have lots of fun and learn a lot participating with friends in various National and International competitions. These include the mini Formula competition, the mini Baja, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle competition, and the international micro R/C Aero Vehicle competition (won by UF for three years straight). MAE students also have many opportunities to visit industry and government sites (the Kennedy Space Center and Harris Corporation).

MAE students have unusual flexibility
In addition to formal course work leading to Mechanical, Aerospace, and Engineering Science degrees, MAE students commonly participate in research activities with faculty and graduate students. Active research programs in mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering offer great diversity. Students in MAE receive formal guidance from a faculty advisor and obtain much valuable advice from friends in the Student Societies. The flexibility is reflected in the jobs offered to graduates in many interesting fields and at locations throughout the world.

A fun place too!
Many recreational activities are available, both associated with the University and in the area. Of particular note are the parties, excursions, and sports sponsored by the Student Societies. Considerable information on The University of Florida and the surrounding area is available through the University of Florida web site.

Look forward to graduate school or a good job after graduation
MAE graduates choose graduate schools in many disciplines and located throughout the world. In addition, literally hundreds of companies and organizations come to the University of Florida each year offering jobs to graduates. Your search for an appropriate job is aided by the University Career Resources Center that helps match your interests and skills with job opportunities, and by the Student Societies, who keep abreast of the job market for our graduates. MAE graduates are employed in a multitude of fields at locations throughout the United States and in many other countries.