Graduate Research

A Carnegie R1 institution, UTA is recognized as one of the top research universities in Texas, and our research profile continues to rise nationally and internationally. We have been providing excellent training for master’s and doctoral students for decades and we offer a wide array of graduate-level degrees and research programs in each department. The College cultivates opportunities for graduate students to work alongside world-class faculty in state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories.

Getting started

Identify your area of research interest. One of the most important things a student interested in graduate school needs to do is to identify the area or areas in which they want to concentrate their research studies.

Find a faculty advisor. After being accepted into a UTA master’s or doctoral program, a student’s next step is to find a faculty advisor for their research. Reach out via email to faculty who are conducting research in your area of interest and see if they have a position open in their lab group. You can also talk to other students who are engaged in research to learn about their experiences. Once you’ve found a faculty member whose research program aligns with your interest, and they agree to be your mentor, you’re ready to start working on research and developing your thesis or dissertation project.

Funding your research

UTA offers various resources which can help students pay for their graduate education, many in the form of scholarships and fellowships. Examples include:

STEM Tuition Fellowship

Select College of Science graduate students are eligible to participate in the STEM Fellowship program, designed for doctoral degree seeking students, which will afford them significantly reduced tuition and a graduate assistantship. The Fellowship includes monthly stipend, 75 percent tuition coverage and in-state tuition rate.

Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship

This fellowship is intended to support doctoral students in the final stage of completing their doctoral dissertations. The Fellowship includes a stipend and tuition at the in-state rate.

I-Engage Mentoring (IM) Program

The I-Engage Mentoring (IM) Program provides funding for doctoral and doctoral-bound students to gain teaching and mentoring experience by serving as a research mentor to a UTA undergraduate student. Undergraduates will have the opportunity to work closely with a graduate student mentor on either the mentor's research/creative project or on their own research/creative project. Graduate students receive a $400 stipend during the term in which they participate in the project.

IM Program details

College, Department Scholarships

In addition, the College of Science and each department also offer scholarships, for which students can apply through the Mav ScholarShop. Departments also award certain scholarships to selected students chosen by department committees.

GTA and GRA Positions

Doctoral students are also eligible for Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions, which typically transition to Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) positions once they begin their research. These stipends can cover the vast majority of students’ living expenses while they are working on their dissertation projects.

External Funding

The College of Science is proud of our graduate students and their accomplishments. Many of our students have received funding from outside sources, including these highly competitive programs: