Funding Opportunities for Prospective Students
Graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis. In addition, top students may be nominated for University or Liberal Arts fellowships and awards. Typical financial packages include a generous stipend plus tuition and 80% of health insurance costs. Assuming satisfactory progress, this support is granted for the duration of graduate study.
Breakdown of Possible Fellowships/Awards
Graduate Assistantships
- Awarded on a competitive basis
- Teaching and/or research assignments
- Assuming satisfactory progress, support is granted for duration of graduate study
- Tuition coverage
- Covers 80% of health insurance costs
- see health insurance for more information
- semester release in dissertation year
Sparks Fellowship
- Used for students in the Humanities
- Top students may be nominated by the graduate committee
- Provided by the College of the Liberal Arts
- Provides one year off from teaching and/or research assignments
- Tuition coverage
- Covers 80% of health insurance costs
- see health insurance for more information
- semester release in dissertation year
University Graduate Fellowship
- Top students may be nominated by the graduate committee
- Provided by the Graduate SchoolProvides one year off from teaching and/or research assignments
- Tuition coverage
- Covers 80% of health insurance costs
- see health insurance for more information
- semester release in dissertation year
Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards Program
- Top students may be nominated by the graduate committee
- Provides additional funding (“top-off” funding) for duration of program
- Provided by the Graduate School
- The first year provides a reduced teaching load of one course per semester (or equivalent assignment)
- Provides a summer stipend (provided you enroll for summer session)
- Tuition coverage
- Covers 80% of health insurance costs
- see health insurance for more information
- semester release in dissertation year
Graduate Scholars
- Provided for students already awarded assistantships or fellowships
- Top students may be nominated by the graduate committee
- Provided by the College of the Liberal Arts
- Provides additional funding (“top-off” funding) for two to three years
Additional Information
- The most common type of funding is a half-time teaching assistantship. For a half-time teaching assistantship (currently 3 courses over two semesters), students are expected to work 20 hours per week on teaching or research assistant activities. That expectation holds for both semesters. Students in their one-course-instruction semester are expected to translate any hourly gain in instructional workload to the areas of research or scholarship.
- The department provides travel funding for presentations at national and regional conferences.
- You will have the option of applying for summer funding (teaching or research).
- The College of the Liberal Arts makes travel and dissertation awards available to graduate students. Dissertation awards can be in the form of a research fund or one semester release time.
- The Department makes research awards available to graduate students for pre-dissertation projects.