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Written by Gina Lotharp   

Teaching and Research Assistantships

There are two forms of assistantships that are offered by the ECE Department. These are Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Research Assistantships (RA). TAs are given to students to help individual faculty members with teaching or laboratories and they are related to the ECE department’s needs. RAs are totally controlled by faculty members with research grants and they make the decision in selecting students for RAs. Therefore, for RAs, students should contact the individual faculty members directly.

Attention:

Admission to the ECE graduate program is not a guarantee of receiving an assistantship or financial aid.

 

TAs rules and limitations:

TAs are hired by the department to assist instructors and to teach the instructional laboratories. Their numbers are limited by the number of the courses and laboratories that are offered and the department’s and funds allocated for TAs. These are generally awarded for the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Duties may include assisting students with laboratory experiments, conducting problem sessions, and being available to provide technical assistance to students. Normally, the number available TA positions are very few as compare to number of applicants. Therefore, the TA assignment is very competitive. Application for a TA position can be found at TA Information.

1.     Requirements to be qualified for a TA appointment

a.     Must be a full time ECE student and pursuing an advanced degree in the ECE department.

b.     Must maintain a GPA of 3 points or better.

c.     International students must pass ELTI English language requirements.

1.     Limitations

a.     MS students can not work more than 4 semesters as TAs.

b.     PhD students must pass their qualifying exam in the second year of residency toward their degree.

c.     Students’ TAs will not be renewed on the recommendation of the department chair due to lack of performance as a TA.

d.     Students’ TAs will not be renewed on the recommendation of the department chair due to lack of progress toward their degrees.

e.     PhD students will not receive TAs for more than 6 semesters after receiving their MS degrees.

Please read the UNC Charlottes' rules and regulation for TA appointment.  

 

Research Assistantships:

Our faculty are very active in securing external grants to support their research. Students are encouraged to talk directly to faculty members to identify potential research projects.

 

 

 

Research Fellowships

A number of research fellowships are available on a competitive basis. Examples of fellowships include:

  • Giles Fellowship.
  • Stone Fellowship.
  • Everett Fellowship.
  • William States Lee Scholar
  • Cameron Applied Research Center Fellow.
  • Precision Metrology Fellowships.

Further information on fellowships can be obtained from the Graduate School’s Funding and Fellowship’s page

 

Tuition Waiver

The Graduate School offers limited number of tuition waiver awards to qualified graduate students who hold assistantships (either a TA or a RA). In particular, students admitted to the PhD program who have been awarded an assistantship qualify for the multi-year tuition support package under the Graduate Assistant Support Plan (GASP) that covers tuition and health insurance, subject to meeting the requirements of the GASP program.

In addition, students may also qualify for other types of waivers:

  • In-State Tuition: This is intended for in-state students only.
  • Out-of-State Tuition: The Graduate School offers a limited number of non-resident tuition differential (NRTD) awards to masters’ students who hold a qualifying assistantship. This covers the only the out-of-state portion of tuition for international students and domestic students who are not residents of NC. (i.e., the student would still pay in-state tuition).

For further information on tuition waivers, please read the Graduate School’s tuition awards page.
Last Updated on Friday, 14 August 2009 14:08
 

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