Ph.D. Assistantship
Assistantships and Departmental Scholarships
Teaching Assistantships (TA)
The Civil Engineering Department normally employs from 8 to 12 teaching assistantship each semester. The decisions are made prior to the start of each semester. The TA appointments are for either 10 hrs/wk, paying around $1000/mo, or 20 hours/wk, paying around $2000/mo. Those students that are appointed for 20 hours are eligible for in-state tuition and partial health benefits.
The type of work assigned for the TA's typically include grading papers, preparing labs, etc. To be eligible for a TA appointment, an international student must have a TOEFL score of at least 550 or equivalent. The new students should apply for these teaching assistantship positions by filling out a form available through the CE Office at least one week before the start of a semester.
Research Assistantships (RA) & Stipends
Assistantships/stipends involve participation of the graduate student in a research project directed by one of our faculty members. The RA salaries are about the same as the TA salaries. The stipend award is typically a fixed amount ranging from $1,000 a semester to $2,000 per month. If the student is interested in the availability of research assistantships or stipends, he/she should contact the professor in the area of interest. The list of interests of the faculty members of the Civil Engineering Department is included at the end of this document.
Duration of Assistantship
Assistantship support to a graduate student is committed for one semester or one academic year. Assuming acceptable performance in both academic coursework and research/project activity during the initial period of the assistantship, financial support may be extended. It is expected that most students appointed as TA's to start working as an RA with one of the faculty after the first year of their studies.
Departmental Scholarships
The Department makes all the effort to offer scholarships to a limited number of students on a competitive basis, as allowed by the current budget. The awards are normally based on the GRE exam and undergraduate performance. UTEP also provides scholarships to a number of qualified students. Visit the University Scholarship Office for more information.