The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Mechanical Engineering
All eligible admitted students are automatically considered for Departmental financial support through Fellowships, Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and/or Assistant Instructor positions. There are other sources of financial aid available through the University. However, all applicants should be prepared to finance the entire period of proposed study from personal funds.
The department receives a limited amound of funding for TAs and AIs. Courses that have high enrollment or are time-intensive have historically been allocated TA/AI funding. If funds are available, other courses are considered for TA/AI allocation. All eligible students are automatically considered for TA/AI positions.
The student must be admitted to a UT graduate program without conditions. For any student-title appointment in Fall or Spring semesters, regardless of hours-per-week appointed, the student must be registered for at least nine semester hours. The student must also have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, with no more than two incomplete grades or one incomplete grade and one permanent incomplete on record.
To qualify for a TA appointment with student contact, international students must pass and complete the Oral English Assessment and attend the ITA Orientation prior to appointment. If the TA appointment does not involve student contact, the ITA assessment/orientation is not required. A non-student contact appointment must be specifically approved in writing by the faculty supervisor and the rate of pay is lower.
Assistant Instructors must have a Master's degree or equivalent, and must have 18 hours of graduate credit. Must have credit for 398T course plus one semester of employment as a Teaching Assistant. The requirement for 398T can be waived via a petition if the student has one year of teaching experience at an accredited college or school verified by a letter from the former employer.
Terms of Employment for TAs/AIs do not necessarily coincide with the first and last day of a semester. The Department typically offers only nine-week and whole session courses in the summer.
TAs may lead discussion, review, and laboratory sections; hold practice and drill sessions, and other similar activities; and evaluate student performance and assign grades on projects/papers. All duties performed by TAs shall be under the supervision and direction of the faculty instructor of record for the course.
AIs serve as auxiliary teaching staff. AIs may serve as the instructor of record for courses at the undergraduate level, primarily in the lower-division areas. All AIs shall be assigned under supervision of a member of the regular faculty.
Non-resident students employed who receive TA/AI appointments qualify for in-state tuition during the terms for which they are registered and employed. Students must make a formal Resident Tuition Request each semester of employment. All TA/AI appointments qualify for health insurance (medical and dental) and tuition payment /reimbursement commensurate with the percent-time of the appointment.
International student employees with a 20-hour a week appointment may qualify for a waiver of the Student Health Insurance. The waiver must be obtained before the 12th class day of each long semester, or the 4th class day of the summer session. Eligible students may request health insurance waivers online through UT Direct.