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Funding

PhD

Doctoral students enrolled in our programs normally complete their degrees within 5 years and receive full financial support for the duration of their graduate studies if they remain in good academic standing, make satisfactory academic progress towards the degree, and perform satisfactorily in their assistantship responsibilities.

This financial support is provided through a variety of sources including, Cornell Fellowships, external fellowships, and teaching and graduate research assistantships. Students in our program regularly apply for and receive external fellowships and grants. Cornell will supplement qualified external awards.

All eligible students in our field are strongly encouraged to prepare and submit external fellowship applications throughout the first two years of their degree programs.  If a student receives an external fellowship or grant, the GFA must be notified as soon as possible so appropriate arrangements can be made.

Failure to make timely, satisfactory academic progress may result in the loss of good academic standing, funding, and/or eligibility for future opportunities.

Students appointed to assistantships are subject to the terms of the CGSU‑UE Collective Bargaining Agreement. Students appointed to fellowships are not included in the bargaining unit and therefore not represented by the union.

MS

ME MS students generally do not receive financial support and are not typically appointed to graduate research assistantships.  In rare instances, an MS student may be appointed to a teaching assistantship, but this is not guaranteed.

Assistantships

Graduate School policies about assistantships are available here: https://policy.cornell.edu/policy-library/graduate-student-assistantships

  • TAs and GRAs are on the university calendar and not the academic calendar (see Vacation and Time Off for further details)
  • The expected maximum hours per week on TA/GRA duties is 20 (for GRAs, this represents time on activities not directly contributing to academic progress in the degree program)
  • The expected mean hours per week on TA/GRA duties is 15

Each student is responsible for tracking their own time and reporting to their supervisor any instances of exceeding the weekly maximum time or repeated instances of exceeding the weekly mean time spent on TA and non-academic GRA activities.  If a student is unable to resolve time overruns with their direct supervisor, they are encouraged to reach out to their DGS/ADGA/GFA.