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Syracuse University Graduate Fellowships
Graduate Fellowships support graduate training for those with truly outstanding qualifications and the potential to make significant contributions in their future professions. The dean of the Graduate School selects University Fellows based on the recommendation of a faculty advisory committee. Very few awards are available each year. Graduate students in all academic fields are eligible for Syracuse University Graduate Fellowships if they have the necessary qualifications.

Fellowships consist of an academic year award of $18,000 for 2004-05, plus a full-tuition scholarship of up to 30 credits for the academic year. Fellowships are usually awarded for more than one year. A typical fellowship includes a year of study, followed by a year of teaching or a research appointment, followed by a third year of tuition support. University Fellows must pursue graduate study and research full time. They are not required to work or teach on campus and may not work for pay elsewhere while on fellowship. 

For more information, visit the Graduate School's webpage about University Funding Resources.

Graduate Scholarships
Graduate scholarships support graduate education for students with superior qualifications. Academic departments recommend students to receive these scholarships. In many cases, the awards provide full tuition for the academic year. Scholarship recipients study full time and may not hold another academic appointment except, in some instances, and assistantship, associateship, or internship related to the program of study. Awards are given for one academic year. 

Applicants should write to their academic department or program for information about graduate scholarships.

Applicants may write to their academic department or program for information about graduate assistantships.

Departmental Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistants help faculty members teach or conduct research. They spend an average of 20 hours per week doing this and devote the rest of their time to their courses of study. This combination of service, study, and research is a full-time assignment.

Students holding a full graduate assistantship (20 hours of work per week) may not have another job and may have no award other than a scholarship. Graduate assistants are paid, but the amount varies according to the academic department and degree program. Students also receive a Graduate School tuition scholarship of up to 24 credits. The spouse of a graduate assistant may take up to six credits for free under the University’s remitted tuition program. Students must notify their own academic program if they seek a graduate assistantship in a different department.

Graduate assistants should register for no more than nine credits a semester during the academic year. The six remaining credits of the tuition scholarship may be used during the following summer semester. Assistants may also apply through their departments for a summer fellowship award to help support their summer study and research. The number of summer fellowship awards is very limited.

Students whose native language is not English and who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Teaching assistants (TAs) must participate in the Graduate School TA Program, a nationally recognized program that helps teaching assistants prepare for their teaching assignments. Universities throughout the United States have used Syracuse’s TA training program as a model. The program begins in the middle of August and consists of an intensive 10-day orientation for the 300 new TAs entering the University each year. The program continues to help all TAs throughout the year. (International students have a longer orientation of up to 15 days.)

Since 1992, the Graduate School has extended professional development opportunities for TAs through the Future Professoriate Project. Founded with nearly $1 million from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education, this project offers training to faculty teaching mentors and special seminars and workshops for graduate  students who plan careers in college teaching. Applicants may write to their academic department or program for information about graduate assistantships.

Maxwell Dean's Summer Assistantships
Each year the Maxwell School offers a small number of Dean’s Summer Assistantships to outstanding new graduate students. These one-time awards support students during their first summer in residence to assist Maxwell faculty members who are engaged in research in areas of interest to these students. The awards are made by the departments and programs.

Graduate Traineeships
Some academic programs receive government grants to train full-time matriculated graduate students. These traineeship positions pay awards of various amounts and/or remitted tuition. The academic unit associated with the grant chooses the recipients. Applicants interested in traineeships should write to their academic department or program to inquire about their availability.

Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowships
The Academy for Educational Development sponsors graduate fellowships to encourage undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to enter careers in public policy and international service. Applicants who are PPIA fellows and are admitted to Syracuse University receive a full-tuition scholarship covering as many as 40 credits and mandatory fees. Fellows are able to complete the M.P.A. or M.A. in international relations in 16 or 12 months, respectively.

For further information, contact the Public Administration Program, 215 Eggers Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244–1090, USA.

Snow Fellowships in Nonprofit Management
Public Administration annually awards the John Ben Snow and Vernon Snow Fellowships in Nonprofit Management to two qualified, entering M.P.A. students seeking careers in nonprofit management. The stipend of $15,000 (in 2006-07) is accompanied by a 40-credit tuition scholarship. Application deadline is February 1.

Applications should be sent to the Department of Public Administration, 215 Eggers Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244–1090, USA.

Other Fellowship and Scholarship Programs
The University often gives tuition awards to students who have won grants from programs such as Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN), Jacob K. Javits Graduate Fellowships, National Science Foundation Fellowships, and Harry S. Truman Scholarships.

This page current as of: August 7, 2006