Political Science Program – Graduate Student Financial Support
The Political Science Program offers three types of financial support to highly qualified graduate students. These are research, teaching, and editorial assistantships. Such support provides valuable opportunities for faculty-student professional collaborations that enhance academic learning, career choices, and professional development.
Research and teaching assistantships provide assistance to a faculty member or members in the conduct of their research or their courses and help students to develop their own teaching and public presentational skills. Editorial assistantships involve work on journal operations, notably on manuscript and review processing in collaboration with the editor. The Program currently sponsors 4 editorial assistantships – 3 with The American Journal of Political Science, and 1 with Electoral Studies.
Assistantships are competitive – eligibility includes a minimum GPA of not less than 3.0 and preferably 3.5 at time of entry and during continuation of the Program, as well as a combined GRE score of preferably not less than 1200, as well as related evidence of academic and communications skills at the time of application.
Assistantships typically are awarded starting in the Fall semester with the award covering the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Assistantships require registration for at least 9, and possibly 12, credit hours of coursework per semester, as prescribed by the UTD graduate catalog and the Political Science Program degree plan, and as advised and permitted by the Political Science Program Head.
Assistantships are awarded and renewable, contingent on satisfactory academic and assistantship performance and availability of funds, for a maximum of 99 semester credit hours of graduate coursework. This means enrollment, as well as strong and timely progress, in the Political Science Program and in its courses, as prescribed by the UTD graduate catalog and the Program degree plan, and as determined by the Program Head in consultation with the student’s 3-PAC (3-Person Advisory Committee) or, if a research assistantship, then the faculty Principal Investigator who holds the research grant. All assistants also are expected to know relevant university policy and procedures and important dates and holidays as listed in the University Schedule of Classes.
Assistants may receive one of three tiers of monthly stipend – approximately $1100 per month up to 30 semester credit hours of graduate coursework – approximately $1200 per month between 30 and 60 hours (which may include an earned MA or MS degree) – and, approximately $1300 per month between when a student passes the doctoral examinations (usually at 60 hours) and teaches his/her own course up to a maximum of 99 semester hours. Regardless of tier, fully funded students also receive in-state tuition and fees for approximately 9 credit hours of coursework per semester up to 10 consecutive semesters. Assistantships, together with required coursework, constitute a full-time position – this means that assistants do not hold employment outside of the university.
Expressions of interest in, or requests for information about, assistantships, as well applications, should be addressed to:
Harold D. Clarke, Political Science Program Head
Email: hclarke@utdallas.edu
Telephone: (972) 883-4891
or
Lynne Boyer, Political Science Program Assistant
Email: lynne.boyer@utdallas.edu
Telephone: (972) 883-2932
Inquiries about other forms of financial aid should be directed to the University’s financial aid office.
- Updated: February 9, 2007
- Email this page
- Submit feedback
