Graduate Funding and Support

The Department of Political Science awards funding and support for our graduate program on a competitive basis.

If you would like to request funding, please send, as part of your application, a one page letter indicating the type of funding and why the department should support you. Please see below for the types of support and funding that may be available. Please refer to our application page for more details on the application process: http://yf5.minghuojie.com/artsandletters/politicalscience/application. 

Our primary support is the awarding of a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA). Only a limited number of students can be GTAs, and the number available each year can and does change.

A GTA award can be full-time or part time.  

A full-time award includes a full tuition waiver for 9 graduate credits each semester during the academic year.  You are responsible to pay all corresponding student fees. In addition, you will be given a stipend of $6,000 per semester to work no more than 20 hours per week for a professor in a large enrollment class. Health issuance is available for full-time GTAs.

A part-time award includes a 50 percent tuition waiver each semester during the academic year.  You are responsible to pay the remaining tuition and all corresponding student fees. In addition, you will be given a stipend of $3,000 per semester to work no more than 10 hours per week for a professor in a large enrollment class.

Each award is subject to review at the end of the semester by your assigned professor.  This recommendation will influence future awards for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position.

Each year the department may have additional awards. Only GTAs are eligible for the Presidential Fellowship and the Provost Fellowship.  

Presidential Fellowship:

In addition to the graduate research or teaching assistantship, the recipients of this fellowship will receive $5,000 each year for two years. The fellowship is automatically renewable for the second year given excellent progress toward the degree by the student. Only newly admitted full-time students are eligible to receive the fellowship. 

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Excellent academic record
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in previous degree
  • Excellent letters of recommendation
  • Newly admitted full-time graduate student  

Provost Fellowship:

In addition to the graduate research or teaching assistantship, the recipients of this fellowship will receive $2,500 for one academic year. Only newly admitted full-time Masters and Doctoral students are eligible to receive the fellowship. 

Eligibility Criteria

  • Excellent academic record
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in previous degree
  • Excellent letters of recommendation
  • Newly admitted full-time graduate student  

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Dean's Fellowship:

Awarded in recognition of outstanding potential for first-year MA, MM or MFA. This is a one-year supplement to the Department's regular GTA stipend.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Excellent academic record
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in previous degree
  • Excellent letters of recommendation
  • Newly admitted full-time graduate student 

The Justin Flippen Memorial Scholarship:

This Scholarship is awarded to a student with an interest in studying law to support equity and social justice.