Financial Support for Master of Engineering

Graduate Students
June 2015
Congratulations on being accepted into the Master of Engineering Degree Program. I want to emphasize
that the M.Eng thesis is an important part of this program, and it is important that identification of a thesis
topic take place during your senior year.
6.UAT is required for all EECS students and should be taken no later than the fall of the senior year. 6.UAP
is taken after completion of 6.UAT and may be used to begin the M.Eng thesis, with the thesis proposal
satisfying the final report requirement.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MASTER OF ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENTS
Some graduate students receive financial support in the form of fellowships (external and internal, mainly
for those applying to Ph.D programs), research assistantships or as teaching assistants. These generally
provide full tuition and a monthly stipend. Student loans of various types are also available. It is up to
each student to find an appropriate source of support. Please note that not all M.Eng. students have
been able to find support recently. The information below should help you to get started on the process
early in your senior year.

Students with strong academic records who are applying to Ph.D program should consult with Ms.
Kathy McCoy, 38-444, 253-4605, to learn about the application process for external fellowships
(e.g. National Science Foundation Fellowships, Hertz Foundation Fellowships, etc.) There are early
deadlines and you will need to take the Graduate Record Examination, so start early in the fall
term.

If you are interested in a graduate Research Assistantship, you should consult with faculty and
senior research staff in your area of interest. RAs are selected by individual faculty; there is no
centralized application form or process. Some faculty have research projects which are of a longer
time scale than an M.Eng student can manage, but others will have projects which fit the M.Eng
thesis limitations. Talk with graduate students in the research groups you are interested in to find
out what the research is like. Draper Laboratory and Lincoln Laboratory are also good sources of
opportunities if you are a U.S. citizen. Note that students must be enrolled as graduate students
and registered for RA credit (6.991) to hold a Research Assistantship.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship appointments are made centrally by the Department. If you are
interested in obtaining a TA position, fill out a Teaching Assistantship application which is now
available on-line at http://eecs.scripts.mit.edu/eduportal/staff. Deadlines are October 22nd for
applying for Spring Term TAships and March 22nd for applying for Fall Term TAships. It is important
to contact the faculty member in charge of the subject(s) you would like to TA. Graduate Teaching
Assistants must be enrolled as graduate students and be registered for TA credit (6.981). Should
you have any questions, please contact Lisa Bella, 38-475, 253-4611.