Financial support is available to graduate students in the form of a stipend, full tuition coverage, healthcare, and benefits. The primary sources of stipends come in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. For over 35 years, all Psychology graduate students in good standing have been funded for at least five years.
Teaching Assistantships
All graduate students are eligible for a teaching assistantship each year. Teaching assistantships are 9-month appointments with an approximate stipend of $21,000 plus tuition and student health insurance (current as of the 2023-2024 academic year). In addition, summer funding opportunities are available, supplementing the 9-month stipend with approximately $3,000 per year.
Research Assistantships
Graduate students often receive research assistantships with variable stipends (comparable to, but sometimes greater than, those of teaching assistantships) and duration. Research assistantships are usually provided by federal or state research grants awarded to a faculty member (in or outside of Psychology) or a center on campus (e.g., Markey Cancer Center, Center for Health Equity Transformation).
Fellowships
Several college or university fellowships are available on a competitive basis to incoming and continuing graduate students. All students admitted to the program are automatically considered for fellowship support. The dean of the Graduate School administers fellowships. The University Fellowship Committee makes awards upon the recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Departmental Admissions and Awards Committee. The stipend for fellowships varies, as does the duration of the award.
The Department of Psychology is also home to the Interdisciplinary Training in Alcohol Research grant. This NIAAA-supported T32 grant supports 2-year full research fellowships for graduate students whose research interests include the pharmacology of alcohol and alcohol use disorders. Students are also competitive for other interdisciplinary National Institutes of Health TL1/T32 fellowships on campus that provide focused research and professional training opportunities in Drug Use and Clinical and Translational Science. Our students have also been competitive for fellowships from the UK Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women.
Research and Professional Development Support
Some funds are available to support student-led research, including the thesis and dissertation. These funds may be used for equipment, supplies, postage, special software licenses, participant compensation, or other expenses. There are also funds available to support professional development activities, such as conference registration fees or workshop registration fees. The amount of money available differs across years, but this information is made available to everyone near the start of each academic year.
Dennis and Sarah McCarty Alcohol and Drug Dissertation Research Fund
The fund supports the doctoral dissertation research of graduate students. Students meeting the following criteria are eligible for the award:
- Accepted and enrolled in the University;
- Pursuing a doctoral degree in the department;
- Thesis or dissertation research interests in alcohol and other drug use or the prevention/treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders; and
- Demonstrated potential for academic success.
Robert S. Lipman Graduate Fellowship in Psychology
The fellowship shall be awarded to students who:
- Seek to conduct research in an area that is clearly related to substance abuse prevention and treatment, and
- Enrolled students in the graduate program must be in good standing and be making good progress toward their degree.
Robert S. Lipman Research Fund for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
The fellowship shall be awarded to students who:
- Seek to conduct research in an area that is clearly related to substance abuse prevention and treatment, and
- Have previous research experience, and
- Conduct a successful interview with departmental faculty.
Graduate Student Travel
Some funds are available to support graduate student travel to professional and scientific meetings to present the results of their research. Travel required for the collection of research data may also be supported. In recent years, the funds for travel are bundled with the funds for research and professional development and are not considered a separate, additional pot of money.
Other Sources of Funding
Advanced graduate students are permitted to teach undergraduate laboratories, and in some instances serve as the Instructor of Record for an undergraduate course. The number of these awards varies according to the needs of the department and the capability and interest of students. The appointment is for the semester and carries a prorated stipend. The recipient pays for all fees, but some tuition scholarships are available.
In cases in which the above forms of financial assistance have been exhausted, all efforts are made to place students in part-time jobs that are consistent with their particular interests and talents. Placements have included psychological testing positions at local psychiatric facilities and school districts and teaching assignments in nearby community colleges.
It should be noted that in the past all Psychology graduate students in good standing have been fully supported.