Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are intended to support full time students. The department attempts to provide financial support to all students who request it. When this is not possible, the department uses the following order of priority to provide funding to students. Of course, the continuation of support in any of the following categories is always contingent upon the availability of funds and adequacy of student's performance as a graduate assistant.

• Students in the first priority are those to whom the department has assured funding upon admission. These students are recruited with funding conditional on "normal progress" in the program, by which is meant activities that lead to the completion of a Master's degree in two years and the completion of a Ph.D. in three years.
• Students in the second priority are those who were not recruited with funding, but who are making normal progress toward their degrees.
• Students in the third priority are those who, for whatever reason, do not fit either of the higher priorities. For example, these students might have exhausted the funding provided them, or are not making normal progress in the program. There are a number of reasons students may not make normal progress toward degrees and the department will assess the individual circumstances of each student to make a funding decision. Students may have funding extended for one year beyond the two and three-year limits when funds and assignments have warranted and when normal progress was not possible for reasons beyond the student's control. Additional support beyond the second year of M.S. study or the third year of Ph.D. study will require a petition, jointly written by the graduate student and his/her major professor, indicating the reasons why additional support is required and the student's progress plan for the following year. The petition should be submitted to the chair of the department. An extension of one year will be given serious consideration, if three conditions are met:
  • The student is making good progress toward the completion of the degree program.
  • The student has been performing well in his/her assistantship work
  • The departmental need and funding exist.

Additional Resources:

Department of Sociology Scholarships

LAS College Scholarships
(this page contains links to many useful financial aid resources)