Financial support is awarded based on the availability of funds and academic merit. If a student changes his/her subject area after support has been extended, support eligibility is reviewed, and funding may or may not be provided. Automotive engineering Ph.D. students are given priority for financial support.
Graduate students are eligible for financial support if they are (1) enrolled in full-time graduate studies, (2) in good academic standing, i.e., not on probation, and (3) making satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Graduate Assistantship: A graduate assistantship is a part-time employment opportunity that provides partial tuition and may include a stipend. Graduate assistants receiving funding pay a flat fee for tuition and fees. To receive the reduced tuition and fees for a particular semester, a qualified student must be on the department payroll by end of the second week of that semester. Assistantship opportunities will be emailed to students when they become available. The emails will contain details about the position and application instructions. Students should not send unsolicited resumes/CVs to faculty members, as these messages will be deleted. In general, only Ph.D. students will be considered for assistantships due to the compact nature of the master’s degree curriculum.
Fellowships: Funding for fellowships generally comes from donors who would like to contribute to the success of our students. Students must be enrolled for at least nine credit hours to receive a fellowship.
Currently, our fellowship sponsors include Bosch, BMW, Bridgestone, Cooper Standard, Draxlmaier, FEV, JTEKT Koyo, Mazda, Plastic Omnium, SAGE Automotive, and Stäubli. The department also offers a number of fellowship opportunities for deserving students.
Unlike assistantships, many of our fellowships are open to M.S. students. All incoming students who meet the deadlines (Jan. 15 - fall admissions and Sept. 15 - spring admissions) are considered for fellowships. For most of our fellowships, there is no additional work on the student's part. The admission application provides the information needed for faculty to make decisions about fellowship awards.
If other fellowships are available and involve a separate application form, accepted students will receive application information. Please note that fellowships with separate application processes may have additional criteria, including the ability to work in the US without sponsorship ( US citizenship), specific interests, or experience.
The fellowship award, which generally ranges from $5,000-$10,000, allows students to enjoy the benefit of in-state tuition.