Funding your Degree

Financial Assistance for All Students

All Biological Sciences Ph.D. students, including international students, receive financial assistance for at least five years (assuming satisfactory progress). This support is in the form of fellowships, research assistantships, and/or teaching assistantships. Each type of funding provides a stipend, tuition remission, and heath benefits. Students are expected to complete their Ph.D. within five years. In some cases financial support is extended to a sixth year. The 12 month stipend for a 2009-2010 first year students is $22,779. Full tuition remission (10 credits each semester) is included but students must pay mandatory fees of approximately $540 each semester. Support includes access to health and dental insurance and a prescription drug plan.

Criteria for Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships

Fellowships are offered on a competitive basis. Students who apply by the deadline are automatically considered for fellowships. There are no separate financial disclosure forms to fill out as part of the graduate application process.

Teaching assistantships require students to assist a faculty member in teaching a course or lab section.  Benefits of teaching assistantships include building communication and organizational skills as well as resume enhancement for academic, government, or private sector jobs. It is also delightfully rewarding to explain concepts to students and then witness their excitement as ideas ‘click’ and their questions are resolved.