Paying (or Getting Paid) for Graduate School: Research and Teaching Fellowships

Rowan ECE program offers two types of financial aid in the form of research or teaching fellowships. Fellowships are only available to Ph.D. students or MS students in thesis/research track and are only awarded to exceptionally qualified students. Applicants awarded Fellowships are notified by Graduate Admissions, which will include the Graduate Fellowship Agreement Form. Fellowship amounts vary but may be available up to the full cost of attendance. In order to obtain and maintain status as a Fellow, all students must, at a minimum:

• Be an admitted, matriculated full-time and active student in good standing in the program.
• Register for at least 4 consecutive terms (for MS students).
• Registration each term meets or exceeds the enrollment minimums outlined on the Fellowship Agreement Form. This will typically be full time (9-12 credits) in fall and spring, and part-time (3-9 credits) in summer. International students must meet the requirements of their visa with respect to full-time status (please visit the International Center for details). 
• Maintain a minimum 3.000 cumulative GPA each term and adhere to the Minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for their particular academic program.
• Commit significant hours each week of each term to academic research under the guidance of their Advisor/Program Coordinator/Research Supervisor.
• Work with faculty members on research projects leading to the Master’s thesis or Ph.D. dissertation.

In addition to the above, Fellows receiving stipends must:

• Submit the additional hiring paperwork listed in the Fellowship Agreement.
• Commit additional hours each week for each term to academic research.

In addition to all of the above, those designated as Teaching Fellows must:

• Teach two 3-credit courses within during the academic year in which they are awarded the Teaching Fellowship.

Research Fellowships

Research fellowships are awarded primarily by individual faculty and are paid from their externally funded research grants. To increase your likelihood of receiving a research fellowship, contact the professor with whom you would like to work early in the application process. Award amounts vary and may include any combination of the following across different semesters based on the satisfactory research and academic performance, as well as availability of funds.

• Reduced tuition – Student pays $1000/semester regardless of the number of credits + fees +  health insurance (if applicable)
• Full tuition waiver - Student pays fees + health insurance (if applicable)
• Full tuition and fee waiver - Student only pays for health insurance (if applicable)
• Monthly stipend (amount varies based on the availability of funds)

Exceptionally qualified Ph.D. students who have completed their MS degree (or an equivalent number of credits) may be considered for additional teaching assignment beyond the minimum required if they wish to improve their teaching skills. Such teaching assignment provides an additional stipend to the student.

Teaching Fellowships

Teaching fellowships are awarded by the Department, in conjunction with faculty members who express interest in working with that student towards a thesis/dissertation. Since teaching fellowship also requires research work and completion of a thesis/dissertation, contact the professor with whom you would like work early in the application process and inform him/her as well as the department head about your skills that may uniquely qualify you for a teaching fellowship. Once awarded, the continuation of the fellowship to subsequent semesters requires satisfactory performance in both teaching and research (and availability of funds). A typical teaching fellowship award includes:

• Full tuition waiver and fees - Student pays health insurance (if applicable); and
• Monthly stipend (typically $1000/month)
• Additional stipend may be available from the advisor for research work.

Full details about the student costs, funding provided, and all expectations and responsibilities required of Fellows are included in the official Graduate Fellowship Agreement Form. Fellowship Agreements are subject to change due to changes in funding availability. No university or department-sponsored fellowship is available for MS students after students have reached the 30-credit limit.