Students pose inside a gigantic wheel that they fabricated.

Assistantships and Fellowships

Assistantships and Fellowships

The School of Industrial Design has several financial support options for students. This may be through collaboration with a faculty member, research advancement, merit support, and general support.

About half of Georgia Tech’s graduate students are employed as graduate research or teaching assistants (GRAs and GTAs), including four out of five doctoral students.  

In the School of Industrial Design, on average, approximately 60% of master's students are supported through either a GRA or GTA position in a given semester.  

We also offer fellowships and scholarships for accomplishments and outstanding academic achievements.

Graduate students hold up centrifuge parts that they designed and prototyped.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs)
and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs)

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs)

These assistantships provide a modest stipend and lower tuition, and are usually awarded through the students' major departments. In the School of Industrial Design, on average approximately 60% of master's students are supported through either a GRA or GTA position in a given semester.  

Most GTA jobs are paid from Georgia Tech operating funds (state funds). They provide an opportunity for students to develop teaching skills in apprenticeship with a member of the faculty.  Available GTA positions are typically advertised to graduate students in the School of Industrial Design just before the semester in which they are available, and any graduate student may apply. The positions are competitive and generally filled based on an interview with the supervising faculty member and the applicant’s level of knowledge/background in the class material.

The vast majority of GRA jobs are funded by grants or contracts that come from outside Georgia Tech. They provide an opportunity for hands-on research experience and usually an opportunity to learn teamwork.  Research assistants are typically hired directly by the faculty member who is, or soon will be, building a team to work on a particular funded project. If you are interested in GRA support, you should meet with faculty members in your area of interest to inquire about project openings.  

To be hired as a GRA or GTA, you must be a full-time student. Most assistantships require 13-20 hours per week of work. The minimum stipend for 2018-2019 for doctoral students was $1,454 per month and the minimum for master’s students was $959 per month. These rates apply independent of the number of hours. More information about workload and other policies can be found in the policy library.

 

A student prepares a fellow student's face for 3D scanning.

Libowsky Fellowships

Libowsky Fellowships

Irving Libowsky was a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and one of the founders and chairman of the Board of Governors of the Atlanta Furniture Mart. In honor of his fervent commitment to design, the Libowsky Fellowship Fund was established in the School of Industrial Design at Georgia Tech.

The School of Industrial Design awards several Libowsky Fellowships each year. The fellowships are presented to incoming graduate students based on a combination of academic standing, achievements, and career goals as articulated in the letter of application to the program. The Libowsky Fellowship is a one-time award for new MID applicants. Four Libowsky Fellowships were awarded in 2018, the inaugural year of the award.

 

A graduate students works on a scan of his face that will be 3D printed.

Herbert P. Haley Fellowship

Herbert P. Haley Fellowship

The Herbert P. Haley Fellowship recognizes significant accomplishments and outstanding academic achievements for students in the Master of Industrial Design program. 

The Haley Fellowship is a one-time-only merit award of up to $4,000. The fellowship amount is paid in two disbursements for the academic year awarded. The Haley Fellowship is a topper award which may be held in conjunction with other funding, e.g., assistantships or fellowships, if applicable. Students receiving fellowships must be enrolled full-time and must maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for the fellowship funding.

 

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