Students pursuing a Master’s or Doctoral degree in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are eligible for financial support; however, Ph.D. students are offered such opportunities preferentially. Typically most students applying to the Master’s program should plan to support themselves for the duration of their Master’s degree, though they are eligible for financial support should funding become available. Financial support may be in the form of fellowships, graduate research assistantships (GRA), or graduate teaching assistantships (GTA). Each year, the MAE Department employs more than one hundred and seventy-five graduate associates and fellows.

Graduate associates or assistants have a 50% appointment for which they receive a monthly stipend and a fee authorization for tuition. As of Autumn 2012, the average total stipend for a 50% graduate associate appointment was approximately $1,650/month for 12 months. Fellowship students receive approximately $2000/month for 12 months and also receive a fee authorization.

GTAs

GTA positions are awarded by the department based on the student’s ability, teaching interests, and departmental needs. In addition to pursuing their graduate degree, a GTA is responsible for teaching duties, which could include conducting lab or recitation sessions, grading homework and quizzes, and otherwise assisting the professor with the class.

International applicants: If you wish to be eligible for GTA consideration, you must score at least a 28 or higher on the speaking portion of the Internet Based TOEFL test regardless of any prior teaching experience. Students with a score less than 28 will not be eligible for GTA consideration at the time of admission. Students can take an English Speaking Test at Ohio State upon enrolling and, if passed, would then be eligible for consideration for a GTA position in future semesters. Eligibility does not guarantee a position.

GRAs

GRA appointments are awarded by individual faculty members based on the interest and qualifications of the student and the availability of project funds. GRA appointments are funded directly by faculty members and are supported by grants from external funding sources. In addition to meeting all requirements in pursuit of their graduate degree, a GRA is responsible for performing research tasks under the direction of the professor (usually the primary advisor) by whom he is funded. GRA appointments are awarded throughout the year as grant money becomes available.

University Fellowships

Most graduate fellowship awards provide a monthly stipend and payment of resident and non-resident fees; however, the stipend, terms, and renewability vary with the type of fellowship awarded. Graduate fellowships are limited in number and are awarded on a competitive basis each year to applicants who show outstanding scholarly accomplishment and exceptional potential for graduate study. Fellowship recipients pursue their graduate degree under the supervision of their primary advisor.

There are two different types of fellowship awards offered by the university:

1. Graduate Fellowships - The best applicants are nominated by their program to receive a University Fellowship; these are awarded through a rigorous university-wide competition. Fellowship awards can be anywhere from one to four years.
2. Graduate Enrichment Fellowships - This award is very similar to the aforementioned Graduate Fellowships. Students who wish to be nominated for this award must demonstrate the potential to contribute to the diversity of The Ohio State University Graduate School. These are awarded in the same university-wide competition as the Graduate Fellowships and they can be awarded for one or two years.

To be considered for a university fellowship your application must be submitted and complete by November 30th.

External Fellowships

In addition to University Fellowships, there are a number of external fellowships that are funded by various government agencies and companies. External fellowships are very competitive due to the large number of applicants there are for them. They typically provide a higher stipend than a University Fellowship and some carry additional incentives such as a travel stipend, funding for equipment, etc. For a listing of the more prominent external fellowship opportunities, please visit http://mae.osu.edu/graduate/fellowship-and-scholarship-opportunities.