Funding

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 GPA for the academic year below 3.0 (some awards require maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.5). Any recent unsatisfactory grades (C, F, IN) can also lead to a revocation of an assistantship.
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.
4. Students receiving department-provided funding are required to schedule a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies during each spring semester while on funding to review and discuss progress. This meeting must be scheduled by the student after spring break but before the last day of classes.

Limited funding for MA students is available through the Mercatus Center MA Fellowship Program.

Last updated:  03/01/13