Financial Support

Financial support for graduate students is provided through University fellowships or Departmental assistantships. Contingent on satisfactory progress, the length of guaranteed student support is four continuous years for those with no prior graduate work. Three continuous years are guaranteed for those with one year or more of prior graduate work. In either case, it is almost always the case that students remain fully funded through their thesis defense.

Students are paid at a maximum 50% appointment level throughout their graduate school career. The full-time rate will increase after taking prelims, as well as after presenting the thesis proposal. The funding percentage is also dependent upon the funds that are available to the faculty member funding the student. Once the guaranteed four years of funding have been met, however, the department will reevaluate the funding percentage.

In addition to financial support, we also offer our graduate students a generous medical and family leave benefit (unique across the University).