Funding Opportunities

For PhD applicants, funding occurs through a combination of fellowships, research assistant positions, and teaching assistant positions, which provide for the full cost of tuition and living expenses both during the regular academic year, with the possibility of coverage during the summer semester. This funding model is very often subsidized by optional summer internship positions with a broad set of companies.

For master's degree applicants, there is no guarantee of funding although teaching and research assistantship positions do occasionally become available. Master's students tend to help fund their education through ample summer internship opportunities that often cover between 25% to 75% of the cost of tuition. Over 90% of our students report using internships to help pay for tuition costs. Also, while teaching and research assistantship positions (TA and RA positions) may be available for MSECE students, we do not offer funding packages to master's students at the time of admission. MSECE students need to have a plan to cover tuition through loans, personal funds, and/or internships in the event that they do not hold a TA or RA position.

Investing in Your Future

Employment placement rates generally exceed 95% for our master's graduates, and their starting salaries typically start over $100,000. A master's degree is an investment in a your future both financially and professionally. ECE at the University of Minnesota works hard to ensure that our incredibly strong network of graduates and industry partners are actively engaged in our mission to prepare their future engineers.