Graduate Assistantships
The graduate program in electrical engineering offers opportunities for students to be supported as Research Assistants or Teaching Assistants. In most years the number of applicants exceeds the number of positions available, and positions are awarded on a competitive basis.
Research Assistantships
Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) carry out engineering research duties under the supervision of faculty. All GRA positions are assigned to particular faculty, who select and hire applicants. Selection criteria vary from position to position. Therefore, if you are interested in becoming a GRA you are advised to directly contact faculty from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department whose research areas are of interest to you. GRA positions become available at different times of the year; however, students are encouraged to make contact as early as possible.
Teaching Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) support the teaching functions of the department by supervising laboratory sections, assisting faculty, and holding tutorial/recitation sessions. GTAs are selected and hired by the ECE Department. Please contact the department by the following deadlines to have the best chance of receiving an offer:
- March 30 for the following Fall semester
- September 30 for the following Spring semester
GTA applications will only be accepted from students who have applied, or are currently admitted, to the graduate program in electrical engineering. We will not make a final offer an assistantship to persons who have not been accepted to our program. To initially evaluate an application, we will need:
- a brief cover letter specifying an interest in a teaching assistantship,
- a current resume (hard copy or e-mail),
- an Assistantship Application form. The form can be obtained using the contact information below,
in addition to the information such as transcripts that is contained in your application to graduate school. Send materials via e-mail, in person, or by regular mail:
- Email: eele@utrgv.edu
- Hand-Deliver: Engineering Building 3,214 (Edinburg Campus)
- Regular Mail: ECE Dept., UTRGV, 1201 W. University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78541