Some sources of financial support most commonly available to Sociology graduate students are listed below. The sums awarded and conditions of awards may change, so you should check with the Director of Graduate Studies or the Graduate Administrator for updated details.
Departmental Funding
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Teaching Fellowships (TF): Most students are funded through graduate teaching assistantships or teaching fellowships during their academic career. All students holding TA or TF positions are expected to devote 20 hours a week to their assigned teaching duties. In addition to teaching the fall and spring terms, students are also eligible to teach in the summer term. However, there are strict requirements for eligibility and limited summer teaching positions.
Graduate Student Assistants (GSA): Graduate student assistants should perform the duties assigned to them by the department. As with TA and TFs, students are expected to devote 20 hours a week to their assigned duties.
Graduate Student Research Assistants (GSR): Graduate student researchers should perform the duties assigned to them by the department. Students are expected to devote somewhere between 1 and 20 hours a week to their assigned duties, as determined by their faculty supervisor.
Social Movements Fellowship: Incoming students with outstanding undergraduate academic records may be offered one of these fellowships, which provide support for the first year of graduate training without imposing a teaching or research work requirement.
Social Science Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (SSDDF): Each year the department awards a limited number of SSDD fellowships on a competitve basis. These fellowships allow students to devote one year of research for their dissertation.
Summer Fellowships: Each fall, graduate students can apply for departmental summer fellowships, which may be used for travel, language study, pre-dissertation field research, or other academic activities.
Departmental Awards
Graduate Student Teaching Prize: This prize is presented annually to a PhD student whose teaching has been outstanding. Applicants must have taught two or more independent courses. Senior students are especially encouraged to apply as this serves as a unique opportunity to prepare a teaching portfolio for use when applying for a job. The recipient is chosen by the Graduate Committee and receives recognition at a department ceremony along with a monetary prize.
Norman P. Hummon Research Prize: This is presented annually to a PhD student whose research has been outstanding. Applicants who have prepared a research paper, thesis, or other specific work for which the faculty nominated the student would be the main material submitted, along with a nominating letter from the faculty member. The recipient is chosen by the Graduate Committee and receives recognition at a department ceremony along with a monetary prize.
Non-Departmental Funding
K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship: In 1994, the University of Pittsburgh established the K. Leroy Irvis Fellowships to enhance the academic excellence and diversity of the Pitt's graduate student body and prepare doctoral students for academic and research careers. Each year, schools select distinguished doctoral applicants who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement to participate in this prestigious program, which provides a non-duty bearing fellowship for the student’s first year of doctoral study as well academic guidance and cohort-based mentoring throughout the student’s doctoral studies.
Andrew Mellon Fellowship: This is a research fellowship for advanced students undertaking dissertation research or writing the thesis. No teaching is required.
Alfredo D. and Luz Maria P. Gutierrez Fellowship: This is a research fellowship open to students of Latin America whose work addresses social and public policy questions. The Latin American Center handles this award.
Provost's Development Fund: These university-level fellowships are awarded to U.S. citizens on the basis of need and merit to provide development opportunities for women, minorities, and disadvantaged students pursuing a doctorate. They generally carry a stipend and tuition for two terms. Continuing students are eligible to apply.
Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship: The FLAS fellowship is available to American citizens studying East Asian, East European/Russian, Latin American, or West European history. The fellowship requires no teaching and usually assumes the student will take advanced language training during the tenure of the fellowship.
Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program: The purpose of this program is to enable University of Pittsburgh students to have an in-depth immersion in another culture for at least five weeks. It is important that applicants choose a program that will maximize their contact with the populace abroad and be accepted by the University for credit.
Dean's Tuition Scholarship: This award is given by the Arts and Sciences Office of Graduate Studies to defending graduate students who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need.