Graduate Studies: Financial Support
Teaching and research assistantships
The Linguistics Program, the College of Arts and Letters, and other units in the University offer various support options for students admitted to degree programs.
Teaching assistantships are available to assist faculty in introductory Linguistics classes and in general education courses offered through the Center for Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities (CISAH).
Qualified students are also eligible for assistantships in the Language Learning Center, the Writing Center, the English Language Center, and Center for Language Education and Resarch (CLEAR), or for special research projects under the supervision of individual faculty. Information about assistantships in these areas is made available periodically, as opportunities arise.
Research and teaching assistantships are renewable if the student holding the assistantship is making satisfactory progress toward the degree (minimum GPA 3.25). Half-time assistantships require an average of 20 hours of work per week and students must be enrolled for a minimum of six credits per semester for each semester in which they hold an assistantship.
Compensation for teaching and research assistants includes competitive stipends, health insurance, and a tuition waiver. Students are eligible for support for up to five years, with a maximum of two years at the MA level.
Current information and application procedures for teaching assistantships in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages can be found at: http://www.msu.edu/~linglang/ta.htm. Information and application procedures for assistantships in the College of Arts and Letters can be found at: http://www.cal.msu.edu/portals/AcadUnitGAs.htm . And information and application procedures for assistantships in the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities can be found at: http://cisah.msu.edu/GEP04.html.
Fellowships
The Graduate School and the College of Arts and Letters each offer a limited number of graduate fellowship packages, which include a total of at least four years of support, available on a competitive basis to outstanding applicants. More information can be found at: http://www.msu.edu/user/gradschl/ufellows.htm (for the Graduate School award) and http://www.cal.msu.edu/portals/RecruitmentFellowshipInfo.htm (for the College of Arts and Letters award). Students must be nominated for these awards by the graduate program into which they are admitted.
Information about other sources of support through the College of Arts and Letters is available at http://www.cal.msu.edu/portals/GraduateFunding.htm.
Cooperative Programs with other Universities
Doctoral students at Michigan State University are eligible to apply for admission to the Traveling Scholar Program, sponsored by the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), comprised of the Big Ten Universities and the University of Chicago. The Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Studies (MIGS) Program enables graduate students of Michigan institutions offering graduate degree programs to take advantage of unique educational opportunities at other Michigan institutions offering graduate degrees.
Travel Support
Students who present papers at academic conferences or who need to travel in conjunction with their research may apply for financial assistance to the Linguistics program, the College, and the Graduate School. Most receive support for at least one trip per academic year. There is additional support for research travel abroad.
