The UCI School of Social Sciences provides funding to admitted doctoral students through normative time to degree. Funding may take the form of teaching assistantships, graduate student researchships, or fellowships.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching assistants assist the supervising faculty member by conducting discussion, laboratory or quiz sections that supplement faculty lectures. They assist in grading assignments or examinations, and may provide input into the development of assignments or exams, and hold office hours. Graduate students must complete the TA application process before each quarter they plan to work as a TA.
Graduate Student Researchships
Graduate student researchers are academically qualified and registered graduate students, enrolled full-time, who perform research related to his or her degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. They may or may not collaborate in the publication of said research. GSR positions do not have an application process, but are part of a planned, documented and mutual agreement between the student and the faculty member.
UC Irvine Graduate Division provides fellowships in varying amounts. Some internal fellowships require nominations from the student’s academic department. In this case, students will need to be aware of departmental deadlines which are usually earlier than that of the Graduate Division. It is the student’s responsibility to contact his or her department/school for departmental deadlines. Please note that most of these awards have specific eligibility requirements.
Conference Travel Funds
Once per academic year, students can apply for up to $500 from the School of Social Sciences for conference travel. To do so, please fill out this survey application.
The UCI Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) offers travel grants up to $1,000 each for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows attending conferences or institutes related to pedagogy in higher education. Please visit DTEI Teaching Development Conference Grant for more information.
Need-Based Financial Aid
Apply for need-based financial aid (grants and loans) through the UC Irvine Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships; application process begins with the FAFSA.