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Support

The Department provides six years of full financial support (tuition + stipend + benefits) for all students who are admitted to the Ph.D. program, including international students, given satisfactory academic progress. Funding involves (non-teaching) fellowships as well as appointments as a graduate student instructor. All doctoral students enjoy two semesters of (non-teaching) fellowship in the first year and at least three additional semesters of fellowship support once work has begun on the dissertation. Doctoral students typically complete all pre-dissertation requirements in three years and finish the dissertation in five to six years. No funding is available for M.A. students.

Additional Support

As part of our commitment to inclusion and diversity, the Department may nominate applicants (with no special application process) for the Rackham Merit Fellowships, which provide more generous financial support and additional terms of (non-teaching) fellowship. The Merit program helps sustain a community of excellence that embraces students from many educational, cultural, geographic and familial backgrounds.

Summer support is offered to students in their first three years. Students who have achieved candidacy can receive summer support, and gain professional experience, teaching their own seven week introductory or intermediate-level courses.

The Department also provides funds for travel to professional conferences. The Bolter Fund helps meet occasional professional or personal needs. Students should follow the University's process for reimbursement. Contact the graduate coordinator for additional information.

Continuing students are urged to apply as well for competitive University fellowships. These include Humanities Institute Fellowships and IRWG Community Scholars Fellowships. Since 1984 sixteen Michigan philosophy graduate students have received the Charlotte W. Newcombe Fellowships in ethics, administered by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.