Graduate School Admissions

Financial Awards

Teaching and Research Assistantships (GTA / GRA)

Graduate Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants are student employees. Follow the steps below to begin:

  1. Speak with your supervisor or department head about submitting the GTA/GRA contract on your behalf
  2. Complete and submit all paperwork requested by the student employment coordinator
  3. It is important to complete and return student employment paperwork before beginning work. Students should not begin working until all paperwork is turned in to Student Employment
  4. For more information, please visit the Student Employment webpage

It is important to complete and return your student employment paperwork on time. Student employees are not allowed to begin work until all necessary paperwork is complete and turned in. Incomplete paperwork is unable to be processed and may delay your paychecks.

International students must have a United States Social Security Card to work on campus. The Social Security Administration General Information and Services may be reached by calling 1-800-772-1213. The Butte Office is located at 2201 Harrison Avenue and may be reached by calling 1-888-632-7068.

Other Information about Student Employment

  • Timecards are submitted every other week for graduate students who are being paid hourly.
  • GTA/ GRA positions are paid an automatic stipend once all paperwork is processed by payroll
  • The student pay period is biweekly. Students are paid on the Wednesday that falls two weeks after the end of a pay period.
  • Teaching and Research Assistants will receive ten (10) paychecks per semester: September-January for Fall employment; January-May for Spring employment.
  • Graduate students must carry at least nine (9) credits unless they have a GTA or GRA, which require at least six (6) credits.
  • Student employees cannot exceed 20 hours of work per week between all of their campus jobs.

Assistantship Continuation

  • Eligibility to continue an award is determined by the Department on a semester-by-semester basis and is based upon the following criteria as well as the availability of funds: 1) satisfactory progress toward the degree; 2) maintaining a 3.0 Grade Point Average; and 3) continued registration for at least 6 credits at the 4000-5000 level for the duration of this award.
  • Because award funds are very limited and there are other applicants who are also interested in receiving funding, we ask that you confirm your acceptance of these awards by signing and returning your award letter immediately.

Tuition Waivers

Tuition Waivers are given by the department and waive either In-State Tuition and/or Out-of-State Tuition. Eligibility to continue an award is determined by the Department on a semester-by-semester basis and is based upon the following criteria:

  1. Availability of funds
  2. Satisfactory progress toward the degree
  3. Maintaining a 3.0 Grade Point Average
  4. Continued registration for at least 6 credits at the 4000-5000 level for the duration of the award. (Enrollment in fewer credits during the final semester is acceptable, if the student is taking all the credits needed to complete the degree. This enrollment exemption will not extend to future semesters if the student does not complete the degree that term)

Note that in accordance with BOR policy 940.41, the Montana Tech Graduate Student Tuition Policy sets tuition for graduate students who are Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) or Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) receiving GTA or GRA support of at least $4,000 per semester at the resident tuition level. Thus, GTAs and GRAs who are not Montana residents are awarded a TARA waiver equal to the difference between resident and non-resident tuition. The TARA waiver is limited to four semesters for a master's student.

Little Scholarship

The Ronald & Jessie Little Graduate Endowed Scholarship was established for Montana Tech graduate students who have returned to school after working in industry for a minimum of eight (8) years. Apply for the Little Scholarship if you received your Bachelor's Degree more than eight years ago and have worked in industry since you graduated.

WRGP-WICHE

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) was established over 55 years ago to promote the sharing of higher education resources among Western states. One of the programs established is the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). WRGP makes many high quality graduate programs available at reasonable cost to students in 15 Western states. More importantly, it includes a wide range of graduate programs designed around the educational, social, and economic needs of the West.

Montana Technological University has all of our on-campus graduate degrees offered at 150% of resident tuition for all students attending from WICHE states. Our Master of Science programs are in Ecological Restoration; Electrical Engineering; Environmental Engineering; General Engineering with options in mechanical or civil; Geosciences with options in engineering geology, geology, geological engineering, hydrogeology, hydrogeological engineering, geochemistry, and geophysical engineering; Industrial Hygiene; Materials Science and Engineering; Metallurgical Engineering; Mining Engineering; and Petroleum Engineering. We have PhD programs in Earth Science and Engineering and in Materials Science and Graduate certificates in Restoration and Computer Science.

The following states participate in WICHE/WRGP:

  • Alaska 
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • North Dakota
  • Northern Marianas Islands
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

Students enrolling through WRGP are eligible to enroll at resident rates of tuition in these 15 states, and are not required to demonstrate financial need.

The following programs are part of the WRGP-WICHE Program at Montana Tech:

  • Metallurgical/Mineral Processing
  • Geosciences

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