<p>I am an incoming high school senior considering Engineering as a college major (notably Chemical engineering, or Optical engineering if I get accepted and decide to go to U-Rochester). I love the idea of going to get a PhD, however, I don't know if I could live on such a low stipend. I however want to be as well educated as I can be - so a master's seems like the ideal next step. However, I would not be able to afford two years of full-on master's tuition after my undergrad, regardless of the type of financial aid I get for undergrad.</p>
<p>Is it common for MS engineering students to receive any type of funding, through research or teaching (similar in the way to PhDs)? Especially if it is a thesis-based degree. </p>
<p>Masters candidates receive funding (on average) less often and at lower levels than PhD students, and overall funding tends to be better (in frequency and amount) at “better” programs/schools. That having been said, funding for research-based masters degrees is common but not the norm overall. As for coursework-only degrees… well, those you either pay out of pocket or (more frequently) do part-time while your employer pays.</p>
<p>I won’t go into more detail because, frankly, by the time you are ready to make decisions on this, you will have long forgotten that you even posted these questions.</p>
<p>Common for MS students? Not really. You have to be an exceptional candidate and engineering is tough. DD is an engineering grad and her employer is paying for her MSEE.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. I just want to keep as many options open to me as I can. a BS may be all I’ll need when I graduate. Although yes I have heard it is more common for an employer to pay for a part-time MS, something that sounds pretty good to me.</p>