Students in all of the doctoral programs are normally
supported for up to five years of study if they maintain
satisfactory progress toward their degree. Some students
receive fellowships to support their studies, while
others are employed as teaching assistants, receiving
a stipend and waiver of tuition and fees for their services.
Other students are employed as research assistants,
with funding derived from research grants managed by
their major professor. In recent years, a significant
fraction of the doctoral students have also been successful
in national competition for graduate fellowships from
the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and
other agencies.
Normally, students are supported on teaching assistantships
for only the first three years of their graduate study.
After that, they are usually supported on research assistantships
for the remainder of their graduate programs. Students
supported on teaching or research assistantships may
also receive support for the three summer months from
research funding. The hours of assistance may limit
the number of credit hours for which a student may register.
Normally, PhD students who receive assistantships for
ten hours per week are limited to 12 units of credit
per semester. Exceptions require the permission of the
student's advisor.
Teaching Assistantships
Each year a selected number of PhD candidates may be
offered a financial aid package consisting of full tuition
plus a monthly stipend. The tuition is a scholarship
from school funds and is tax exempt. The monthly stipend
($1,777.78 per month in 2003-2004) requires up to 15
hours of work per week during the nine-month academic
year and is taxable. Students receiving these stipends
are assigned by the Director
of Graduate Studies to serve as teaching assistants
for various faculty.
Research Assistantships
Funded from grant and contract research under the
direction of various members of the faculty, research
assistantships provide support during the course of
study of the PhD candidate. Typically, the research
assistant completes one or more phases of a research
project under the direction of the principal investigator,
a member of the faculty. Normally, the research completed
forms a substantial component of the requirements of
the PhD dissertation. However, in some instances students
may pursue dissertation research in an unrelated area
of study.
The academic year stipend is salary for research involving
up to 20 hours per week. A regular schedule of research
under the direction of the principal investigator must
be maintained; therefore, some research assistantships
require full-time service during the summer.
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