Work for Eric: Requirements

Whether you’re working toward a PhD, want a graduate research assistant (GRA) post, seek an undergraduate research opportunity, or are pursuing post-doctoral or independent study, Eric Burger welcomes your application. Read this page in its entirety and follow the instructions closely.

Eric can advise and chair Public Policy students and Electrical and Computer Engineering students. He can advise and co-chair Computer Science students.

Anyone who wants to work for Eric — GRA’s, MS and Ph.D. advisees, motivated undergrads, post-docs, research professors, etc. — must be able to be physically present at the Virginia Tech Research Center Arlington campus.

If you seek tuition remission at Virginia Tech, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative policy is that you MUST be an MS with Thesis or Ph.D. student. We cannot fund MEng students' tuition. If you are an MEng student, Eric can discuss conversion to an MS with Thesis. Note that you must be able to complete an MS thesis. This is realistic if you are in your first year of your MEng. If you are in your last semester, it is virtually impossible.

If a GRA will not work for you because you are an MS student and are too close to graduating to finish an MS thesis or you do not want to write an MS thesis, consider independent study and, better yet, consider getting a Ph.D. Note that if you are a foreign student, I can only hire you as a GRA or take you on for independent study. There is no middle ground.

When applying, demonstrate you have read this page  — relevant URL’s, M&M’s (yes, the candy; more on that later), your ability to complete a thesis and graduate on time, etc. — as well as requirements for admissions if you are not a current student. 

Increase Your Chances of Success of Working for Me if You are Applying to VT

1. Note in your application if you are interested in one of these specific areas. If you are not, then explain why you are applying to work with me.

• Secure networks.
  
• Distributed and cloud computing.
• Tailored, trustworthy spaces.
• Blockchain technology.
• Economics of information technology.
• Technology policy.
• Protocol design in general.

2. Look at the requirements for the program that interests you and include a link to the graduate catalog page about the program to which you are applying.

3. International students must meet admissions requirements (meeting requirements does not guarantee admittance).

If you have questions after reviewing Virginia Tech’s policies, contact Eric about whether your research interests match his. 

When Applying (all applicants)

You MUST mention you will provide only Brown M&M’s (extra credit for explaining why Eric would want Brown M&M’s.) If you're a current Virginia Tech student, the M&M requirement still holds. 

If you’re applying for graduate school, you must enumerate the Virginia Tech requirements and how you meet them, especially if you're an international student.

Bonus points if you digitally sign your email using a widely available, interoperable public key cryptography system.

If you use a self-signed PKI, explain why. If you use something other than S/MIME or PGP, explain why. If you are a Gmail user, check the S/MIME information on the Contact Eric page.

Keep In Mind

• You are unlikely to get a response if you send an email without demonstrating that you have reviewed the requirements. 
  
• If you are applying to Virginia Tech and there is no match between an area of study identified in your application and at least one professor in the department you are applying for, your application will not be successful.
• If you are applying to Virginia Tech, you will have higher chances of success if you can identify a professor or two who matches your interests for furthering research in the field. 

Eric will not reply to those who:

• Fail to meet the requirements stated on this page.
• Are a current or prospective Virginia Tech student and do not have a path to an MS with Thesis or Ph.D.
  
• Cannot describe how they will become eligible.