Grad School

[der.physika]

Hello,

I am a undergraduate Physics student and I heard that if you pursue a graduate degree in Physics for grad school (not undergraduate) the department pays your tuition for you?
Is this true? I have 5 friends that they have finished undergraduate physics (payed their OWN tuition) but now they are pursuing the masters and phd advanced degree at my same college and they get their tuition paid for and they get money and stuff, but they have to TA undergraduate classes in exchange. Is this true???

[diazona]

Generally yes.

The way it typically works is that, if you're working with a specific professor, that professor may give you the opportunity to be employed as an RA (research assistant). Basically you get paid to do research. In this case, that professor's grant money will be used to pay your tuition and your stipend (salary, basically). If you're not working with a particular professor, or if he/she doesn't have the money available to employ you as an RA, you can be employed by the department as a TA, and in return, your tuition will be waived and you'll receive a stipend.

Some students receive fellowships or grants, which basically fund their studies (tuition + stipend) without requiring them to work as a TA or RA.

Obviously, the details depend on the university, but if you go to physics grad school (in the US), you can almost certainly expect that you will not have to seek out external sources of funding (like an off-campus job or a third-party scholarship).

[der.physika]

wow thank you so much for telling me this in detail. I appreciate it very much... did you go to graduate school as a physics student? and are telling me from first hand experience?

[Vithya]

Generally yes..

[twofish-quant]

I am a undergraduate Physics student and I heard that if you pursue a graduate degree in Physics for grad school (not undergraduate) the department pays your tuition for you?

For Ph.D. programs, generally yes. You have to pay tuition but there is invariably a department stipend which pays you as either a TA or RA.

[diazona]

wow thank you so much for telling me this in detail. I appreciate it very much... did you go to graduate school as a physics student? and are telling me from first hand experience?
Yep, I'm currently a (beginning-of-the-)third-year grad student in physics.