The Computing PhD program awards a limited number of Graduate Assistantships each year. The Computing GA includes a $28,000/year stipend for living expenses, tuition for fall and spring semester as well as a full-year of health insurance. The GA award is intended to support doctoral students for their first year only. By the end of their first semester, students are required to identify an official faculty advisor who will develop a plan for funding the student through completion of the degree.
To maximize your chance to receive program funding, submit all application materials by the priority deadline. If you submit by the priority deadline of January 5 the funding timeline is as follows:
- Early March: Students receive admission notification from the Graduate College. Newly admitted students are ranked and prioritized for GA funding at the same time admission decisions are made.
- March: The program begins to extend GA offers to students.
- April through June: Funding offers continue to be issued until all GA positions have been filled.
Assistantships are managed by faculty. Faculty may directly recruit students to apply to the program or they may choose to recruit and hire a student who’s already been admitted.
Students are encouraged to learn about current faculty research through their homepages, Google Scholar or by direct communication.
Visit our directory page for a list of program faculty, and contact those who are doing work in areas that align with your interests and background. Our faculty participate in a wide variety of programs, so please make sure to let them know you are interested in the Computing PhD program, along with your emphasis area of interest.
Deferred Admission
The program will not hold or delay GA funding for students who defer admission to a later semester. Likewise, deferrals will not be approved due to a student’s inability to secure GA funding.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships (TA) are positions in which a student is hired to teach or support undergraduate students.
Research Assistantships
Research Assistantships (RA) are positions in which a student is hired to work on a specific research project.
Assistantships from other departments
Additional departments, such as Computer Science, also make GA offers to new students. Each department has its own timeline for extending offers of funding. The Computing PhD program is not involved in the decision-making process for these assistantships.