UW is committed to helping students from all economic backgrounds access world-class education. A number of resources are available to help graduate students fund college, from financial aid to research assistantships to various fellowships.
Ph.D. funding
Ph.D. students are fully funded with research or teaching assistantships, departmental support, and fellowships from a variety of organizations, such as the National Science Foundation, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, and many more.
Master’s degree funding
Funding for the master’s degree program depends on whether students pursue the Professional Master's Program or research track. Professional Master's Program students are self-funded while the majority of research track students are fully funded with research assistantships or fellowships.
Professional Master's Program
Professional Master's Program students are self-funded. The cost per-credit is the same for Washington state residents and non-residents, including international students. Below is information about tuition rates for the 2024-2025 academic year.
- $732.00 per credit; 42 credits required
- $30,744.00 total, plus student fees/quarter
Research track master’s program
The majority of students in the research track master’s program are fully funded through fellowships and research and teaching assistantships.
Research and teaching assistantships
Full-time Ph.D. students and many research track master’s students are funded through research assistantships and teaching assistantships. For master’s students, priority is given to students who plan to continue on to a Ph.D. degree. Research and teaching assistants receive a monthly salary and tuition waiver as well as medical and dental insurance. The student is responsible for student fees.
Research assistantships: The number of research assistantships awarded varies depending on the status of research grants in the department. Some interest areas hire research assistants at the master’s level, while others typically only fund Ph.D. students. Students hired as a research assistant conduct research under the supervision of a faculty member, who is the principal investigator on the grant. Duties vary depending on the nature of the project, but require about 20 hours per week of service.
If you are interested in working as a research assistant, explore the faculty pages to learn about research in your interest area.
Teaching assistantships: Funding in the form of a teaching assistantship is highly competitive and awarded to the most outstanding applicants. Typically, only the Structural Engineering group awards Teaching Assistantships to incoming students. Duties vary from course to course, but include conducting laboratory sessions, holding office hours for students and grading homework and exams. Teaching assistantships require about 20 hours per week of service.
How to apply
Funding for research and teaching assistantships is limited and competitive. Awards are made on a competitive basis by departmental faculty in each research area. To be considered for funding, answer “yes” on the financial aid section of the Graduate School’s online application. In your statement of purpose, which will be included in your application materials, please specify if you would like to be considered for a research or teaching assistantship.
Graduate fellowships
A variety of fellowships are available for graduate students interested in research. Below are a few to consider:
- PacTrans Fellowship Program
- Valle Fellowship Program
- National Science Foundation Fellowships
- UW Graduate School Fellowship Information and List of Fellowships
- Graduate Funding Information Service (UW Libraries)