Graduate Funding | Department of Sociology

We automatically consider applicants for both admission AND financial support. Admitted students are typically offered a multi-year funding package as part of their offer of admission. The vast majority of our students are funded throughout their entire time in the program.

Non-native English Speakers must meet certain criteria to be eligible for Teaching Assistantships. The requirements can be found in Graduate School Memo 15.

Teaching Assistantships:

The primary form of departmental funding is a teaching assistantship. Teaching assistants aid faculty in teaching one or more courses. Duties frequently entail leading discussion sections in undergraduate courses. TAs work approximately 20- hours a week and receive a tuition waiver and a stipend for the nine-month academic year.

Student Instructors:

After completion of the M.A. and a UW pedagogy course (SOC 502), graduate students can teach their own sociology courses. These classes are primarily taught over the summer and offer an opportunity to develop a teaching portfolio.

Research Assistantships:

Faculty research projects supported by external funding sometimes employ graduate student assistants. Research assistantships are typically awarded to students who have completed their first year of study. RAs work approximately 20-hours per week and receive a tuition waiver and a stipend for the nine-month academic year.

Department Fellowships and Awards

Most departmental fellowships are awarded to incoming students and do not require an application. Departmental awards are given to current students in recognition of their accomplishments within the program. To learn more visit the Departmental Awards page.

Reader/Grader

Reader/Graders Academic Student Employees covered by the UAW/UW collective bargaining agreement. They are paid $32.21/hour.

Office of Student Financial Aid

The UW Office of Student Financial Aid is the best source for information about guaranteed student loans.

Possible External Funding Sources

There are many external funding opportunities you can research independently for graduate students in Sociology. You would benefit from getting to know the external organizations listed below and familiarize yourself with their forms of support, requirements, and deadlines.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) and AAUW International Fellowship (Deadline November 15)

ASA Doctoral Disertation Research Improvement Grant program

ASA Minority Fellowship Program

Center for Engaged Scholarship

Dissertation Fellowship in Women’s Studies

Ford Foundation Fellowships (including Dissertation Fellowship and Predoctoral Fellowship)

Inter-American Foundation Research Fellowship Program

Institute for Citizen Scholars Fellowships

Harry Frank Guggenheim Emerging Scholar Awards

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

The Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy (horowitz-foundation.org)

National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program