Funding and Support

PhD Program Financial Support

Admitted, well-qualified PhD students are commonly offered a teaching assistantship (TA) with a stipend of $33,500 the first year ($12,750 fall + $12,750 spring + $8,000 Summer). Subsequent years students commonly hold either a teaching assistantship (TA) or a research assistantship (RA) at the same semester rate in the fall and spring.

Optical Science and Engineering Ph.D. students with assistantships are eligible to receive the Graduate School’s Graduate Assistant Support Plan (GASP) which covers the cost of tuition and health insurance for up to 5 years. Student fees are not covered by GASP and are the responsibility of the student.

Ph.D. students typically transition, about a year into the program, from the TA to a research assistantship (RA) with a faculty member who advises and mentors the student’s research and progress toward their doctoral degree.

MS Program Financial Support

Admitted, well-qualified MS students are commonly offered a teaching assistantship (TA) with a stipend of $14,000 the first year ($7,000 fall + $7,000 spring). Subsequent years students commonly hold either a teaching assistantship (TA) or a research assistantship (RA) at the same semester rate in the fall and spring.