The department makes every effort to secure graduate teaching or research assistantship (TA/RA) funding for each admitted student. That funding covers the cost of tuition and also provides a monthly stipend for living expenses. There are also a limited number of University and college fellowships, which provide tuition and stipend benefits but do not require half-time work in a teaching or research assistant role. Generally speaking, the department does not admit students it cannot fund via assistantships or fellowships. In a typical year, the department faculty make a collaborative decision to fund a new cohort of 10–20 students from a pool of 100–150 applicants.
In some circumstances, prospective students who already have tuition and stipend support from their employer, agency, government, or other organization are admitted to the program. If you think this might apply to you, please contact us to discuss your specific situation before you apply.
Students in the 2-year M.S., 4-year Ph.D, and 5-year M.S. + Ph.D programs are funded for each year of study, assuming satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Additional information on stipend rates and insurance benefits for assistantships is provided by the Graduate School. NOTE: funding is for resident graduate students.
Deadlines for TA/RA funding
Funding is limited to two years M.S. students, to four years for Ph.D. students, and to five years for five-year Ph.D. students. Graduate assistantships consist of either teaching assistantships (TAs) or research assistantships (RAs). During the fall and spring semesters, the assistantships are 18 weeks in length each semester, with duties beginning one week before classes begin and concluding one week after the last day of class. TAs and RAs work 20 hours per week on average. Read more about graduate assistantships and funding in the Graduate Student Handbook.
To be considered for a university or college fellowship, or a teaching or research assistantship, your application is due by: December 1, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. ET.