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University Financial Support

Temple provides financial support in the form of assistantships, externships, fellowships and internships. Assistantships, externships and internships are awarded through departments based on need and fit. Interested applicants should consult with advisors or department chairpersons about the application process for their desired position.

Endowed scholarships, awards and prize funds may also be available to graduate students at Temple University. These are determined at the school and college level. To determine availability, contact the school or college to which you are applying.

Fellowships

Various fellowships are awarded through Temple’s Graduate School each February to students newly admitted for the fall term. To be nominated by their department, students must have exceptional academic records. Fellows receive support, including a stipend and tuition, for a minimum of four years as a doctoral student, with shorter terms for those enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts degree program.

During the period of support provided by the Graduate School, fellows perform no service. During the years that support is provided by the department, fellows are required to perform up to 20 hours of service per week as a research or teaching assistant.

Doctoral and Master of Fine Arts applicants interested in being nominated for a fellowship are encouraged to submit their application and supporting materials to their program of interest early, but no later than Dec. 15. They should also contact the department of application to request consideration as a fellowship nominee.

Temple offers the following two fellowship opportunities for graduate students.

Presidential Fellowships

Intended for only the strongest incoming doctoral and Master of Fine Arts candidates, either domestic or international.

University Fellowships

Intended to support newly admitted doctoral and Master of Fine Arts students who demonstrate high potential for success in their chosen fields. Both domestic and international students are eligible.

Assistantships, Externships and Internships

Assistantships, externships and internships include the following opportunities.

Academic Internships

Academic interns engage in academic, performance and professional activities that are central to the student’s instructional program and directly relate to the degree program (e.g., clinical practice, musical or theatrical production). These activities must be directly supervised by a faculty member and/or preceptor in the student’s school or college and cannot be classified as research or teaching.

Future Faculty Assistantships

Future faculty assistants receive annual funding as newly matriculating underrepresented domestic research doctoral or MFA students. Appointed by their school or college, they serve as teaching assistants or research assistants for the fall and spring terms. Each then spends the summer engaged in a research-mentored or creative project experience through funding from the Graduate School. Domestic research doctoral or MFA applicants who are eligible for this funding include

  • ethnic minorities underrepresented in their discipline, as defined by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH);
  • women underrepresented in their STEM fields, also as defined by NSF and NIH; and
  • those who are other-abled.
Graduate Externships

Graduate externs provide service that may involve academic and professional experiences or development. These activities are not directly supervised by a faculty member/preceptor in the student’s degree program.

Research Assistantships

Research assistants engage in research activity supervised by a faculty member or researcher on a sponsored project.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistants instruct, lecture and supervise academic activities in the classroom, laboratory, studio, theater, or tutorial or recitation section; provide academic support in a laboratory, office or studio; or work in another academic instruction setting.

First Summers Research Initiative

The First Summers Research Initiative is a competition for summer research awards for domestic doctoral students at Temple University who are traditionally underrepresented in their fields of study. These awards provide eligible students with funding for the pursuit of research activity in the first, second and/or third summers of their graduate studies. The award is valued at $6,000, if funding is available. Applicants can apply each summer until they achieve candidacy, although preference is given to first-time applicants. The application is due annually in March. Refer to the Graduate School calendar for the specific due date.

University Grants

The Doctoral Dissertation Completion Grant and Master of Fine Arts Project Completion Grant offer significant financial support to promising students who want to accelerate completion of their degree. Applicants apply for the award as their final term approaches. The award allows students to devote themselves full time to the completion of their dissertation or master’s project.

These grants are awarded once during the fall, spring, and summer terms. An application must be submitted by the student and the department. When applying, applicants must acknowledge that, if selected as an award recipient, they become ineligible during both the period of award and beyond for any other funding from Temple University, including as a teaching assistant, research assistant, academic intern, graduate extern, student worker, adjunct faculty, or non-tenure track faculty.

Nominations are due to the Graduate School in October each year for the upcoming spring term and in March for the following summer or fall term, if funding is available. Refer to the Graduate School calendar for specific nomination due dates.

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Grant

Departments nominate doctoral students who have completed all requirements for the degree, except the required dissertation, and are advanced to candidacy. Nominees are expected to complete and defend their dissertation in the semester of application. The award includes a stipend, single coverage health insurance, and one credit of tuition remission.

Master of Fine Arts Project Completion Grant

Departments nominate students who have completed all requirements for their degree, except the required project. Nominees must be in the final semester of their program and able to complete the required project in the semester of application. The award includes a stipend, single coverage health insurance, and one credit of tuition remission.