ENME Graduate
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available to outstanding applicants in the form of Graduate Research Assistantships and Graduate Teaching Assistantships. For exceptionally qualified students various types of Fellowships are also available. A large percentage of the applicants accepted by the Department of Mechanical Engineering receive some form of financial assistance. Further information can be obtained from the:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Office
2168 Glenn L. Martin Hall
301-405-4216
enmegrad@deans.umd.edu
Graduate Research Assistantships
The Director of Graduate Studies, on the recommendation of the faculty member directing the research project, awards Graduate Research Assistantships. Students must have background and interest in areas covered by the research project. Research Assistantship offers are made twice a year, in the spring and the fall, as research funds become available. Subject to availability of funds and satisfactory research progress, awards are renewable and summer appointments are common. Research Assistants work with a faculty member on the project and report directly to him/her. The faculty member sponsoring the Research Assistantship for a particular student notifies the Graduate Director of the terms and duration of the award. The stipend includes tuition covering up to ten credits per semester and access to the university’s health care benefits.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
The Director of Graduate Studies awards Graduate Teaching Assistantships. The recipients of these awards are generally made known in August for the Fall Semester, November for the Spring Semester. Teaching Assistantships are usually awarded for one semester, and are not usually available to incoming students. Teaching Assistants are expected to transition rapidly into Research Assistantships. Graduate Teaching Assistants report to the Mechanical Engineering Department prior to the start of classes to obtain assignments that usually involve assistance in courses and laboratories. In addition to the stipend, Teaching Assistants receive ten credit hours of tuition remission per semester, and access to the university’s healthcare benefits. All foreign students appointed as Teaching Assistants, except those from countries in which English is the official language, must pass an evaluation of their capability to teach in English prior to beginning any teaching assignments. Students who do not pass the evaluation will be required to participate in remedial English courses. It is the responsibility of a student’s advisor or program to pay for any MEI courses required of an international teaching assistant. During the international teaching assistant’s enrollment in the MEI course she may not have direct contact with student’s in the capacity of a teaching assistant.
Fellowships
A limited number of recruitment Fellowships are available to supplement the Graduate Assistantship of highly qualified incoming students. These fellowships are available to both domestic and international students. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the faculty, makes nominations for these fellowships, which are awarded for a period of only two years. Domestic Applicants with outstanding academic credentials are strongly encouraged to apply to organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for Graduate Fellowships. To apply for these fellowships assistance is available in the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Office. Additional fellowship opportunities can be located through the:
Graduate Fellowship Office
2108 Lee Building
301-405-4207
fellowship@deans.umd.edu
Graduate Assistant Assignments
All students holding awards from the University should report to the Mechanical Engineering Department upon the starting date of their appointment. At this time an office and mailbox will be assigned. Students holding awards receive written notification through letters of appointment, signed by the Graduate Director, stipulating dates of appointment and salary.
Time Limits and Registration Requirements for Students Holding Assistantships
Teaching and research assistants in Mechanical Engineering are required to complete at least 48 units per semester (l credit of graduate coursework equals 6 units, see also Section VI.3), and to enroll in at least two courses per semester until their coursework is complete.
Financial Support for B.S./M.S. Students
Financial support during the senior year and throughout the graduate studies is usually provided to all students enrolled in this program. Post-baccalaureate support is in the form of a Research or Teaching Assistantship, which includes a stipend, tuition remission, and health benefits.
