<p>I got admitted to a MS program in mechanical/aerospace engineering beginning with the fall 2010 term. I want to do the thesis option and get funding, but after speaking with some professors about funding and research openings, they all told me that they don't currently have any openings and they usually reserve them for phD students. However, they mentioned that its not uncommon for MS students to start off unfunded but then get funding after a semester or two. I also heard funding and research openings depend alot on the professor. Would it be a good idea if I asked current students in the research groups of the professors I am interested in if they have experience of how tough it is for the MS students at my school to find an RA position?</p>
<p>you may also wish to ask if MS students are allowed to have TA-ships. In some schools these are reserved for doctoral grad students.</p>
<p>MS students can have TAships, but I think they’re mostly reserved for phD students. Anyways, so it won’t be awkward to just email some grad students about funding?</p>
<p>In the end, it comes down to the professor providing funding, not the current grad students. It can’t hurt to talk to current students about the type of research, etc. in a certain lab but I would be proactive about asking professors.</p>
<p>I’ve already emailed all the professors who research I was interested in but none of them had any current openings. I was just wondering if they were telling the truth when they mentioned that its not uncommon for MS students to start off unfunded but then get funding after a semester or two.</p>