Graduate Funding Opportunities

Assistantships

Teaching and research assistantships, available to doctoral students in all departments, provide tuition exemption and a living stipend. Duties may include teaching, laboratory supervision, participation in faculty research, and other related activities. Teaching and research assistantships require up to twenty hours of work per week. If you are participating in faculty research that fulfills degree requirements, you may apply for a research assistantship. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of academic merit.

Fellowships

Fellowships are financial and intellectual awards for academic merit that provide stipends to be used by fellows to further their research. If you are awarded a fellowship, you are expected to devote time to your own work, and you are not required to render any service to the University or donor. You may publish research produced by your fellowship work. As a fellow, you may not engage in remunerative employment without the consent of the Dean. Applicants should contact the department directly for information.

Institutional Grants

Institutional grants are awarded to graduate students on the basis of academic merit. Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic standing.

Provost Diversity Fellowship

The National GEM Consortium

Additional Opportunities

Prospective students should explore external funding opportunities they may be eligible for. 

Columbia Engineering is proud to offer fellowships that support our mission to bring an engineering impact on humanity. 

Dean’s MS Academic Excellence Fellowship

The Dean’s MS Academic Excellence Fellowship is a partial tuition fellowship and is awarded by the academic departments based on merit, to recognize students who will go on to become leading figures in the next generation of engineers and applied scientists. No separate application is required to be considered for this award. 

Graduate Fellowship in Engineering for Change

This Graduate Fellowship in Engineering for Change is a partial tuition fellowship designed to support Master of Science students who have experienced extraordinary challenges during their endeavors in the field of engineering, and who demonstrate financial need. Students may apply for this award after submission of a Columbia Engineering application.

Shardashish Interschool Fellowship

The Shardashish Interschool Fellowship (SIF) is made possible by the generous support of the UNM (Uttambhai Nathalal Mehta) Foundation.  The UNM Foundation is committed to expanding educational opportunities at all levels. Believing that education and health are cornerstones of societal development, particularly in a developing country like India, the UNM Foundation expends significant resources in both these areas. The intention of the Shardashish fellowship at Columbia University is to make available the best of global educational opportunities to bright and committed students who are economically challenged.  Beneficiaries of “Shardashish” (blessings of Mother of Knowledge) must push their existing boundaries to achieve and excel.  The expectation of Shardashish fellows is that they will maximize their learning opportunities and once successful will pay it forward, through enabling others. The SIF provides financial assistance to master’s students with a strong established commitment to India and its future. Applicants must have demonstrated financial need and preference shall be given to students who demonstrate a commitment to India. Funding is for one year, varying in amount depending on the particular program, financial need, and application submissions. The maximum amount is $50,000 for that one year. The award will be applied to tuition and fees. Students may apply for this award after submission of a Columbia Engineering application.

The Behring Foundation Fellowship

The Behring Foundation and Columbia Engineering established the Behring Foundation Brazil Financial Aid Fund with the intent of enabling the education of more students and helping to build a critical mass of committed high-potential individuals to advance the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Brazil. The Behring Foundation Fellowship awards Masters students enrolled at Columbia Engineering up to $40,000 USD towards tuition and fees. No separate application is necessary. 

The National GEM Consortium

The National GEM Consortium is a network of leading corporations, government laboratories, top universities, and top research institutions that enables qualified students to pursue graduate education in applied science and engineering. Columbia Engineering provides funding for a select number of students awarded the GEM Full Fellowship (students selected for employer sponsorship). To be considered for this award, it is required that a student is selected by a GEM Employer, which will provide two paid internships. After admission to a Columbia Engineering MS program and securing employer sponsorship, Columbia Engineering will make GEM Fellowship offers. Students may begin the application process via eGEM , GEM’s online application system, prior to submitting an application to Columbia Engineering. Students must select Columbia Engineering via the eGEM portal; no separate application is required to be considered for this award.

Columbia's academic departments have a number of part-time positions that are open to students each semester. Students should contact the academic departments directly to inquire about these positions and apply accordingly. Columbia Engineering's Office of Graduate Career Placement offers students many resources in their search for an on-campus job. Casual on-campus jobs are open to any Columbia student, regardless of financial aid package or citizenship. Examples of on-campus jobs include:

Teaching Assistant (TA)

A Teaching Assistant is an individual who assists a teacher with instructional responsibilities. A TA role is roughly 20 hrs./week with significant responsibilities, including extensive interaction with students. 

Course Assistant (CA)

Course Assistantships are roughly 10-15 hrs./week, including interaction with students. These are generally filled by MS students who have a specific type of experience. 

Lab Assistant (LA)

Lab Assistants help students during undergraduate teaching lab sessions and grading. An RA role is roughly 10 hrs./week and is generally filled by students who have taken the course. 

Grader (GR)

A Grader primarily deals with homework assignments, solutions, and potentially some assistance with assignments. A Grader role is roughly 10 hrs./week.

The Yellow Ribbon Program supplements the base benefits of The Post-9/11 GI Bill® by allowing educational institutions to enter into dollar-for-dollar matching agreements with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Participation in this supplementary program is determined by Columbia’s participating schools on a first-come, first-serve basis and is available only to students who meet the 100% eligibility level for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. For more information, please visit the Columbia University Veteran Affairs.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.