Funding Overview
All Ph.D. applicants who wish to be considered for priority consideration for fellowships must submit all application materials by December 15. The Admissions Committee will review all applications received by this deadline and nominate students to the appropriate committees for review. Fellowship recipients are notified in mid- to late February and have until April 15 to accept offers.
Outstanding applicants to the graduate program are considered for full funding in the form of stipends, tuition remission and health insurance associated with teaching and research assistantships or fellowships. No special application is required.We seek a good match between the applicant’s research interests and the projects being carried out in the department. Selected admitted applicants will receive funding offers February through April.
Applications received by January 15 will be reviewed for admission and funding if funding is still available.We regret that we cannot make offers to all admitted applicants, but it is sometimes possible to make a second round of offers after the mid-April deadline for acceptance adhered to by all major U.S. graduate programs.
Research Assistantships
Many students are supported through research assistantships, awarded in the department or in other related units. Research assistants work under the supervision of a faculty member on research related to their areas of interest. For students entering the program, research assistant awards are determined by the Graduate Committee at the same time admission decisions are made. Students who have been recommended for financial assistance will have their files reviewed by faculty who have funding available. Therefore, it is not necessary to contact individual faculty about funding opportunities. The assistantships provide a stipend, tuition remission and health insurance coverage.
The Graduate Committee seeks to continue supporting those students who are making satisfactory progress in their studies. So, while it is not usually possible for the committee to make multi-year funding guarantees to incoming students, the presumption is that those students will continue to receive financial support.
Teaching Assistantships
The department seeks to provide a structured teaching experience for all students expecting to go on the academic job market. Several year- or semester-long teaching assistantships are awarded each year.
Fellowships
The department’s Ph.D. applicants have competed well for university-wide fellowships, awarded to outstanding students from the U.S. or abroad. The Graduate Committee screens all files completed by the December deadline and selects several candidates for nomination. No special application form is required.
The department also offers a graduate fellowship established in honor of Prof. Willard F. “Fritz” Mueller. This fellowship honors the legacy of path-breaking contributions by Prof. Mueller and his colleagues in the areas of industrial organization, food systems research and economic policy. It provides a full stipend, tuition waiver and health insurance for the first year of study. Applicants to the AAE graduate program should specify their interest in being considered for the fellowship; there is no special application form.
Other UW funding opportunities
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. Support the study of more than 60 modern foreign languages and provide a full stipend, tuition remission and health insurance. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible. A separate application to the relevant area studies program is required; the deadline is in early February.
Science and Medicine Graduate Research Scholars Program strives to enhance the experiences of underrepresented graduate students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and the School of Medicine and Public Health. SciMed GRS coordinates professional development opportunities and community gatherings of graduate scholars. Applicants may be eligible for Advanced Opportunity Fellowships administered through this program.