RAs + TAs + Fellowships
Research Assistantships
After submitting your application, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact faculty members whose research aligns with their interests to inquire about potential opportunities and express interest. Most admission offers come directly from RA offers so it is important to reach out to faculty expressing interest. Please note, however, that faculty receive a high volume of inquiries and may not be able to respond to all messages. You can find a list of our faculty members by research area here.
Teaching Assistantships
All applicants are considered for TA positions at the time of submission, However, most applicants are funded with RA appointments for their first year. There is no separate process to be considered for these positions. You are considered for funding at the time of submission. If you are an international student, please note you must meet the English proficiency requirement for Teaching Assistants which can be found here. Prospective students: we can only consider the official test scores you submit with your application by the deadline. Current students: you must have valid English proficiency scores on file or have passed the OEAI.
Priority for assignment is MechSE PhD students. Once all MechSE PhD students have been placed, we will consider eligible MechSE MS students. Students in our M. Eng program are not eligible fro TA appointments. There is often more demand for TA positions than available slots, therefore we cannot accommodate student requests from outside departments.
English requirements for admission differ from English requirements for TA eligibility. In order to be eligible for a TA, all non-native English speakers, regardless of citizenship status or prior enrollment at Illinois, must have a minimum of 24 on the speaking portion of the TOEFL for scores prior to 1/21/2026, minimum of 5 on the speaking portion of the TOEFL for scores after 1/20/2026, or at least an 8 on the speaking portion of the IELTS. Current, admitted students have the option to take the OEAI to fulfill this requirement. This English requirement policy is required by the State of Illinois. Please be be aware that meeting these requirements does not guarantee a TA appointment. There is often more demand for TA positions than available slots, so students should work with their advisors to see what their funding situation will look like each semester.
Ta assignments are currently managed by the Graduate Programs Office and the Associate Head for Graduate Programs. Current students interested in a TA position for a future semester should be on the lookout for emails from GPO each semester. If you are not currently eligible to TA, please look out for an email to take the OEAI. Our office typically sends this out in February during the spring semester and October during the fall semester. Information about the OEAI can be found here.
Fellowships
MechSE offers prestigious fellowships to exceptional applicants. Additional merit-based fellowships are also awarded by The Grainger College of Engineering and the Graduate College at the University of Illinois. MechSE nominates outstanding applicants for all of these fellowships. Applicants are automatically considered for these awards; there is no separate application. Fellowships provide a monthly stipend and some will provide a tuition and fee waiver. More information on tuition and fee waivers can be found here.
Current students must complete the MechSE Fellowship Reporting Form to self-report their fellowship funding to the MechSE Graduate Programs Office each semester.
Please note that students must upload the fellowship/award offer letter, including the dates of the fellowship/award, directly into the MechSE Fellowship Reporting Form. If this is a renewal, please submit the renewal form received from the offering organization.
For assistance with fellowships or fellowship reporting, please contact mechse-grad@illinois.edu.
External Fellowships
Applicants should also consider fellowships for which they apply directly. A few which might be considered are:
AAUW (American Association of University Women) Fellowships
Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowships
GEM Fellowships
NASA Fellowships
National Science Foundation Fellowships (NSF)
Office of Naval Research Fellowships
Please check with the Graduate College Fellowships website for additional fellowships for which you may be eligible.