Will I receive financial support? Will I have free time? How many hours will be spent on work and classes? Are there any social activities available on campus? These are common questions as students begin the process of applying to a PhD program.
Teaching or Research Assistantship
At the Jindal School, all offers to full-time student include funding in the form of a 20-hour-per-week Teaching or Research Assistantship that run for the entire 12 months. The assistantship provides tuition and fee waivers and a generous stipend to cover day-to-day living expenses. (It is sufficient for some of our students to support families.)
The typical week involves up to 20 hours of TA (course support, grading, proctoring, holding office hours) or RA (research support to faculty) duties each semester, and 9 to 13 semester credit hours of courses.
TA/RA Duties
A PhD program is an intensive undertaking, and students should be prepared to spend most of their time working on research, coursework, or TA/RA duties.
After the first two years of coursework, PhD students devote themselves to working on their dissertations. Students are responsible for TA/RA duties for the full year, but there are breaks between each semester, including a long winter break in December and early January.
Social and Recreational Activities
Despite the workload, there is time in the typical student schedule for social and recreational activities. Many of our students are involved in university recreation activities, such as intramural sports or fitness groups. UTD has over 300 registered student organizations ranging from academics, art and culture to professional interests and sports. PhD student cohorts grow quite close as they attend classes and work on research together, and many friendships continue long after graduation.
