Financial Support

Financial Aid and Funding

There is no separate financial-aid application.

We generally admit Ph.D. applicants only if financial support is available, in the form of assistantships or fellowships from our program or the University, or in the form of permanent support from a company or government. Support from personal or family funds is not considered sufficient for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Assistantships

Assistantships are of two types: teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Students who are awarded teaching assistantships are generally responsible for grading and staffing of laboratory sections of undergraduate classes as well as for leading discussion sections of some courses. In order to be appointed a TA, international applicants must take either the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and receive a score of 50 or higher or take the TOEFL IBT and receive a score of 5 (26) or higher on the speaking section. Applicants who want to be considered for TA support in the first year must have the TSE score before April 15 preceding the Fall quarter in which they intend to enroll.

Students who are awarded research assistantships work on research grants and contracts. In most cases, RAs work on projects that lead to thesis or dissertation topics. Applicants with strong research experience can contact individual faculty and inform them of their interests and experience. Please be selective and contact only faculty members whose interests match your own; otherwise you do not stand a good chance of receiving a reply.

Fellowships

Besides assistantships, fellowships are available for students who are well qualified. Unlike assistantships, fellowships usually do not require the student to perform any duties, though they are extremely competitive.