Funding
1. Fellowship Funds
It is the department’s practice that all admitted students receive two years of fellowship support. Fellowships cover living expenses, university fees, health insurance, and out-of-state tuition if needed. The first year of fellowship is taken in the first year of the program, and the second year of fellowship is normally taken in the fourth year. The university awards some multi-year fellowships to highly qualified students, and has a number of dissertation-year fellowships that are awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants and entering students should consult UCLA Graduate Division’s website on Financial Support for Entering Graduate Students.
2. Teaching Assistantships
In years when students do not receive fellowship support, they are awarded teaching assistantships which provide a salary in addition to covering university fees and health insurance. Summer teaching may also be available. If teaching performance is satisfactory and a student is maintaining normal progress in the program, it is possible to receive up to five years of TA support in the Department of Philosophy.
3. Funding for Non-Permanent-US-Resident Students
Until recently, given the constraints on funding to public universities, the UCLA Department of Philosophy has been constrained in the funding we could offer to graduate students who were not citizens or permanent residents of the US. Thanks to a new funding commitment made to our department, we can now do better. In keeping with our efforts to build a diverse community and link its discussions with a global conversation, the UCLA department intends to guarantee a minimum of six years of tuition and support at a highly competitive level to every incoming PhD student, irrespective of citizenship and residency status.
4. US Citizens and Permanent Residents not from California
Non-resident tuition fellowships are available to out-of-state US students in their first year only. Because the department will not pay more than one year of non-resident tuition for US citizens, it is extraordinarily important that all graduate students who are US citizens begin to establish “California residency for tuition purposes” before the first day of their first quarter on campus. More information can be found at the Registrar’s website, here.
5. Other Financial Assistance and Fellowship Opportunities
Both the university and extramural agencies offer various awards which are frequently obtained by our graduate students. Students are strongly encouraged to apply. Information can be found on UCLA Graduate Division’s page on Financial Support.