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Teaching and Research Assistantships

The ECE department offers a number of Teaching Assistantships (TA) to new students, with priority given to Ph.D. students. TAs are intended to support deserving graduate students during their initial period of study, beyond which students are encouraged to find financial support in the form of Research Assistantships (RAs) from their research advisors.

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

Teaching Assistantships:

Teaching Assistants are hired by the department to assist faculty members with teaching classes or laboratories. Duties include assisting students with laboratory experiments, grading, conducting problem sessions, and being available to provide technical assistance to students. TA awards are generally made for the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Normally, the number of available TA positions are very few as compare to the number of applicants. Therefore, teaching assistantships are very competitive. Priority is given to PhD students in their initial period of study and Master's students who are involved in research.

All enrolled graduate students will receive emails from the department with the TA application form at the beginning of each semester.

New applicants to the ECE PhD and MSEE programs can indicate their interest for a Teaching Assistantship by checking the appropriate box on their online application at the time of applying to the Graduate School in AY.

Students already enrolled in a graduate program should contact the department by email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Requirements to be qualified for a TA appointment:

1.     Must be a full time ECE student and pursuing a graduate degree in the ECE department.

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

3.     International students must pass ELTI English language requirements.

Limitations:

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

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

3.     MS students cannot work more than 4 semesters as TAs.

4.     TAs may be discontinued on the recommendation of the department chair due to lack of performance as a TA.

5.     TAs may be discontinued on the recommendation of the department chair due to lack of
        progress toward their degrees.

6.     Availability of Teaching Assistantships is subject to the ECE department’s funding availability.

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

 

Research Assistantships:

Research Assistants are hired by faculty members with research grants to assist them with their research projects. RAs are administered by individual faculty members with funding. Therefore, students interested in research assistantships should contact individual faculty members directly.

Tuition Awards for Doctoral Students:

The Graduate School offers limited number of tuition awards to qualified graduate students who hold assistantships (either a TA or a RA). Qualified students are nominated by the Graduate Program Director for consideration of the Graduate School to receive these awards.

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). This is a highly competitive tuition support program that covers full tuition and health insurance, subject to meeting the requirements of the GASP program. Eligibility criteria for GASP include holding a graduate assistantship (RA or TA) or a qualified fellowship and registration of at least 9 credit hours for each term of support.

For further information on tuition waivers, please read the Graduate School’s tuition awards page.

 

Fellowships:

A number of fellowships are also available to outstanding graduate students. Relevant information may be found at the Graduate School funding website. Interested students should consult their academic advisor or the Graduate Program Director for further information on fellowships. The department nominates deserving candidates for various fellowship opportunities every year, and the awards are made by the Graduate School.