Funding

Funding Opportunities for Doctoral Economics Students

A variety of fellowships and assistantships are available on a competitive basis for full-time PhD students. Assistantships generally require 20 hours of work per week. Amounts generally range between $10,000 and $18,000, with most of these awards providing for partial or full waiver of tuition. These awards are available both through the Department of Economics and through the affiliated Mercatus Center. Part-time teaching opportunities are also available for advanced PhD students.

Department-provided funding for doctoral students is contingent upon satisfactory performance in the program and continued funding is awarded under the expectation that students will be full-time students who will complete the degree in four years. Performance that interferes with satisfactory progress can lead to a revocation of an assistantship. Unsatisfactory performance is defined as:

  1. Poor academic performance as evidenced by a cumulative GPA below 3.0 (some awards require maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.5) will lead to a revocation of an assistantship or lectureship. Any recent unsatisfactory grades (C, F, IN) will lead to a revocation of an assistantship or lectureship. Recent is defined as the last completed semester.
  2. Failure to attempt and pass both the core exams in micro and macro theory after the first year in the program. 
  3. Failure to attempt and pass two field exams after the second year in the program.

Funding Opportunities for MA in Economics Students

Funding opportunities are available on a competitive basis for full-time MA in economics on-campus students. The application process for fellowships and assistantships is separate from the admissions process. Therefore, a separate application should be submitted to each opportunity an applicant is interested in.

Questions regarding funding opportunities for MA in economics students can be emailed to econgrad@gmu.edu.

The James Buchanan Fellowship: 

Available for MA Admissions from Fall 2019 through Fall 2022

The James Buchanan Fellowship is an opportunity for incoming full-time, on-campus students who are pursuing their MA in economics and who are interested in a career in public policy. At George Mason University, graduate students are considered full-time if they are enrolled in at least nine graduate credits per semester. This fellowship is competitively awarded based on overall application strength and provides support of up to $37,600 a year for two years. The fellowship has no work component and is intended to cover tuition and fees up to nine graduate credits a semester for a total of 30 credits and provide students with a stipend. Recipients will be required to submit an annual report regarding their progress and future plans, which will be due at the end of each spring semester.

Department-provided funding for MA in economics students is contingent upon satisfactory performance in the program and continued funding is awarded under the expectation that students will be full-time graduate students who will complete the degree in two years. Performance that interferes with satisfactory progress can lead to a revocation of the fellowship. Unsatisfactory performance is defined as:

  1. Failure to register for, and complete, the appropriate courses to complete your degree in a timely manner.
  2. Poor academic performance as evidenced by a GPA for the academic year below 3.5. Any recent unsatisfactory grades (C, F, IN) can also lead to a revocation of a fellowship. Recent is defined as the last completed semester.
  3. Failure to attempt and pass the comprehensive exam after the first year in the program.

How to Apply to the James Buchanan Fellowship

Applicants to the MA in economics on-campus option who are interested in applying for the James Buchanan Fellowship should submit a 2-page essay answering the question: How will a master of arts in economics and the James Buchanan Fellowship contribute to advancing and achieving your career goals?  Word documents or PDF files should clearly state the applicant’s name and email address as listed on their admission application. Essays should be emailed to econgrad@gmu.edu at the time your graduate application is submitted to George Mason.  Fellowship applications will be considered during admission decisions after the MA in economics application deadline. Only incoming first-year graduate students in the on-campus option are eligible to apply.

James Buchanan Fellowship: 

Available for Fall 2023 MA Admissions

James Buchanan Fellowship awards will be available for Fall 2023 MA Admissions. We will update this information soon when plans are finalized.  

The Mercatus Center's MA Fellowship

Mercatus Center’s MA Fellowship is a two-year, competitive, full-time program for on-campus students pursuing an MA in economics at George Mason University who are interested in gaining an advanced degree in applied economics in preparation for a career in public policy. MA Fellows have the opportunity to work as research assistants and coauthors with Mercatus scholars. This opportunity involves a work component.

How to Apply to the Mercatus Center’s MA Fellowship

Please review information on the Mercatus Center’s MA Fellowship webpage for program details and application requirements.

 

Last updated:  10/10/2019