Average Engineering Phd Stipend?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the expected stipends for PhD students in engineering programs, including variations based on institution and funding availability. Participants share personal experiences and insights regarding stipend amounts, funding timelines, and resources for further information.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions that at Berkeley, PhD students doing research can expect to earn about $16 an hour, leading to an approximate annual stipend of $20k, which is considered sufficient for living in the area with roommates.
  • Another participant references a website where applicants share their graduate school experiences, including stipend offers, suggesting that similar resources may exist for engineering students.
  • There is a question about whether stipends cover tuition, indicating that this may vary by individual cases.
  • Participants express curiosity about the timeline for receiving funding offers after acceptance into a program, with one noting that funding can sometimes be communicated separately from the acceptance letter.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the approximate stipend amount of $20k, but there is uncertainty regarding tuition coverage and the timing of funding notifications, indicating that experiences may vary.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of specific data on tuition coverage and the variability in funding timelines across different programs and institutions.

Who May Find This Useful

Prospective PhD students in engineering, current students considering funding options, and individuals interested in graduate school financial aspects may find this discussion relevant.

nukapprentice
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I was wondering if people could give me an idea of what I should expect.
 
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As my engineering professor liked to tell me, they try to bias you at the edge of saturation (CMOS humor).

At Berkeley, for example, you make about $16 an hour if you do research for a professor. You work 50% time during the academic year and if your prof. can afford it you work 100% during the summer.

So, very roughly, you'll get about $20k a year. More than enough to live in Berkeley if you have roommates.
 
There is a website called physicsgre that every year people post where they applied to grad school at and what their offers were, where they were accepted/rejected et al.

I noticed that they list the stipend they were offered for various Universities around the country as well as their GPA, papers, and all other qualifications when they applied.

There might be a website like that for Engineers too, but I don't know for certain. I do know that physicsgre.com does cater to engineering as well and there might be a similar post to the physics one there that lists the information for Engineering.

(Forgive me for not being able to immediately find the post, I'm on a smartphone!)
 
Yeah, 20000 sounds about right. Carlgrace, did they also pay for his/her tuition or did that person have to pay their own? Quarkcharmer, thanks for the website, I'll have to check it out.
 
carlgrace said:
As my engineering professor liked to tell me, they try to bias you at the edge of saturation (CMOS humor).

http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/attachments/football/15691d1350272748-soundoff-tonight-10-14-i-see-what-you-did-there.jpg[B][/B]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I guess I had one more question. If you get accepted into a program, how long does it usually take to hear if you get funding or not?
 
nukapprentice said:
I guess I had one more question. If you get accepted into a program, how long does it usually take to hear if you get funding or not?

They should send you the offer with the acceptance from what I understand. I do know someone who was accepted but without a stipend, and then they got the stipend a while after. I guess it was a sort of provisional thing.
 
Thanks Quarkcharmer.
 

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