Doctoral Assistantships
The Warner School offers graduate assistantship opportunities as the primary form of financial support for full-time PhD students. These assistantships allow students to engage in teaching, research, or other academic activities, enriching their graduate experience during their first four years of full-time study.
Assistantships provide unique apprenticeship opportunities for students to collaborate closely with faculty, staff, and peers. These experiences support students' educational goals and career aspirations while contributing to the Warner School’s mission. Financial support through assistantships includes a combination of a stipend, full or partial tuition waiver, and a health fee waiver.
Levels of graduate assistantships:
- Full Assistantship: Requires 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Partial Assistantship: Ranges from 5 to 15 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Full-time PhD students who are participating in a full assistantship (20+ hours/week) will have their health insurance covered by the University.
Doctoral assistantships are intended to provide not only financial support, but also invaluable learning experiences for students – helping them build their resumes and be more competitive upon graduation. Therefore, our doctoral assistantships are designed to contribute to the preparation of future education scholars and leaders, by providing opportunities to:
- Perform supervised teaching responsibilities, which may include a range of supportive roles in a course taught by a Warner faculty member or being the main course instructor under the mentoring and oversight of a faculty member. This can also include supervisory responsibilities of students engaging in internships, or interacting with K-12 students in some of our outreach programs or other instruction-related responsibilities.
- Play a supporting role in research projects conducted by faculty members, whether or not they are supported by an external grant. This may include a variety of responsibilities depending on the nature of the project, as well as the preparation and background of the research assistant.
- Participate in a supporting role in other projects and operations of relevance in preparing for a faculty or leadership role within a college or university (such as institutional research, admissions, external relations, mentorship/support of new students, etc.) or other advanced career opportunities within your chosen field.
Decisions regarding doctoral student support are made at the time of admission and will be included in the offer letter (although the specific assignment will not). These award offers are typically guaranteed for three years, assuming good academic progress, and in many cases can be extended for additional years.
The best doctoral applicants each year will also be automatically selected during the admissions process to compete for one of these prestigious University-wide fellowships:
- Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull University Fellowships: These four-year fellowships are awarded each year to 10-12 incoming doctoral students with exceptional academic credentials and talent in research, in disciplines throughout the University.
- Provost’s Fellowships: These four-year fellowships are intended to attract talented members of underrepresented groups, who intend to pursue careers in university teaching and research, to Rochester’s doctoral programs.