Funding in the department includes Graduate School and college fellowships, research assistantships and student assistantships (hourly). The first two generally include tuition remission benefits contingent on full-time status and satisfactory progress toward the degree.

PhD Applicants

PhD applicants are automatically considered for research assistantships and college-level fellowships. Applicants do not need to submit any additional forms or information or contact any faculty members.

Our PhD program provides full funding for all accepted students: 

  • In your first semester, you will be supported by the department, which allows you to settle into a new environment, prepare for research and confirm the fit with your chosen research advisor. 
  • After the first semester, you will be funded by your research advisor through their sponsored projects, research grants and contracts. Funding is usually through a graduate research assistantship (GRA) position (see details below). 

Master’s Program Applicants

Applicants are automatically considered for potential aid; there is not any extra paperwork to complete. However, it is very rare that we are able to provide scholarships, funding or assistantships to our master’s students, as nearly all the research assistantships (RA) go to fully fund our PhD students and we do not use teaching assistantships (TA). We highly encourage all master's applicants to research ways to fund their degree without departmental support.

Professional Master’s students are not eligible to hold a graduate appointments like a TA or an RA.

The department does hire Graduate Learning Assistants (GLAs) and graders to assist with classroom support. Read more on these positions below.

Graduate Position Details

The Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering hires graduate students for several roles. Additional information is available on the ECEE students webpage. 

Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)

The majority of ECEE PhD students are hired as GRAs. A GRA appointment provides:

  • Coverage of tuition based on your level of appointment
  • 90% of university health plan costs
  • A dental plan
  • A living stipend in the form of a monthly salary

Students on a GRA are required to work in a research capacity for up to 20 hours per week during the fall and spring terms. This work is done with your research advisor and will be directly related to their sponsored projects, research grants and contracts. Research assistantships provide broad exposure to the research process from grant proposal to publication.

Graduate Learning Assistant (GLA)

In lieu of teaching assistants, ECEE hires GLAs to assist with the majority of classroom support. 

  • GLAs are graduate students who can work a maximum of 10 hours per week with a maximum of 150 hours per semester at $29 per hour for department (undergraduate and graduate) core courses and $33 per hour for PMP courses (2023–24 rate). Tuition waivers are not provided. These students are available for additional office hour coverage, holding course workshops, homework review sessions, etc. All ECEE graduate students are eligible for this role.

Additional Funding Opportunities & Notes 

The Graduate School maintains a list of funding opportunities. ECEE students have strong records of being awarded highly competitive external fellowships with such agencies as NASA, the National Science Foundation, GAANN and others.  

Students funded by the university, college, department or external organization must abide by the registration requirements of that agency. Most require full-time registration to be eligible for tuition funding and stipends. Make sure to review and follow these requirements carefully — failing to do so could make you liable for tuition and/or the revocation of your award.  

More information: