Students who only complete their preliminary examinations at the September sitting are not guaranteed a Teaching Assistantship. That will depend on whether any funds remain unallocated.

Fourth Year Students

Funding is only available for fourth year students who have completed their "thesis prospectus" by July 31 at the end of their third year. (A "thesis prospectus," formerly known as "admission to candidacy," requires a successful thesis proposal defense, and completion of all course work and field papers.)

The nature of the funding is a Teaching Assistantship in the Fall and Winter Quarters, followed by a University Fellowship in the Spring Quarter. The latter requires the student’s dissertation committee chair to certify by February 15 that the student is expected to enter the job market in their fifth year. The form can be obtained from the Graduate Secretary's office, or downloaded in PDF format. In the absence of such certification, the student will be funded as a Teaching Assistant in the Spring Quarter.

In addition, the Department awards the Robert Eisner Memorial Fellowship to one fourth year student. To be eligible, students have to have met the standard requirements for departmental funding. This award recognizes a student who has distinguished his or herself in both teaching and research.

We cannot guarantee that Teaching Assistant funds will be available for students whose thesis prospectus is completed after July 31. In any event, a Teaching Assistantship will not be awarded for any quarter in which the student has not completed the thesis prospectus. For example, a student completing the prospectus in November of the fourth year will not receive funding for the Fall Quarter, and will only be funded in the Winter and Spring Quarters if there are any unallocated Teaching Assistantships remaining.

Fifth Year Students on the Job Market

Students need to reaffirm that they will be on the job market by asking their dissertation committee chair to submit a form by July 31 certifying that a satisfactory draft of a job-market paper has been submitted. The form can be obtained from the Graduate Secretary's office, or downloaded in PDF format.

The nature of the funding is a University Fellowship in the Fall and Winter Quarters, followed by a Teaching Assistantship in the Spring Quarter. If the student withdraws from the job market prior to the ASSA meetings, the Winter Quarter fellowship will be converted to a Teaching Assistantship.

Fifth Year Students Not on the Job Market

In the event that there are still funds available after all of the qualified younger students and the job-market fifth year students have been funded, other fifth year students will be supported. To be eligible, the fifth year student must have completed the thesis prospectus (this is a Graduate School continuation requirement) and must be making good progress in his/her thesis. These students will perform Teaching Assistant duties in every quarter that they are funded.

If the student’s dissertation committee chair certifies by February 15 that the student is expected to enter the job market in their sixth year, the Spring Quarter Teaching Assistantship will be converted to a University Fellowship. The form can be obtained from the Graduate Secretary's office, or downloaded in PDF format. (However, if the student took advantage of a University Fellowship in the Spring Quarter of their fourth year, they are not eligible again in their fifth year.)

Teaching in the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) evening program is available to fifth year students at the same stipend and tuition coverage as students performing Teaching Assistant duties. Appointments are made by SCS based on departmental advice. Appointments to these positions are based on demonstrated teaching ability and not on financial need.

Sixth Year Students on the Job Market

Students need to reaffirm that they will be on the job market by asking their dissertation committee chair to submit a form by July 31 certifying that a satisfactory draft of a job-market paper has been submitted. The form can be obtained from the Graduate Secretary's office, or downloaded in PDF format. Advanced students are eligible for a maximum of three quarters of University Fellowship. Any remaining quarters of eligibility that the student has not used in their fourth or fifth year can be used for sixth year funding. (The Department suggests that students give priority to taking a fellowship in the Winter Quarter, as they will be traveling and will not be able to undertake alternative funding such as Teaching or Research Assistantships.) If the student withdraws from the job market prior to the ASSA meetings, any remaining quarters of fellowship will be withdrawn. Students will be funded as Teaching Assistants in other quarters, but only if there are still funds available after all of the qualified younger students have been funded

Sixth Year Students Not on the Job Market

In the event that there are still funds available after all of the qualified younger students, and the job-market sixth year students, have been funded, other sixth year students will be supported. To be eligible, the student must be making good progress in his/her thesis. These students will perform Teaching Assistant duties in every quarter that they are funded. University Fellowships are not available to sixth year students who are not on the job market.

Seventh and Higher Year Students

In the unlikely event that there are still funds available after all of the qualified younger students have been funded, seventh and higher year students will be supported. However, University Fellowships are not available, even in the event that the student is on the job market.

SUMMER QUARTER FUNDING

First Year Students

A student’s admission letter will indicate whether or not they have been awarded a Summer Graduate Fellowship at the end of the first year. Unfortunately, we cannot make additional fellowships available to unfunded students. However, funding in the summers at the end of the second through fourth years depends on the student’s progress, and not on the nature of first year funding.

Second through Fourth Year Students

The Department has a budget of Summer Graduate Fellowships to support some, but not all, students in the summers at the end of their second through fourth years. Priority will be given to fourth year students who have indicated that they will be on the job market in their fifth year. We will then allocated the remainder of the budget starting with the second year students. Students can guarantee summer funding by obtaining a Research Assistantship, or teaching in the Summer Session (the Summer Session stipend will be supplemented to the level of a Fellowship).

The Graduate School and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences has the following requirements for recipients of Summer Graduate Fellowships. Students must:

• have been eligible for departmental funding during the previous academic year,
• be intending to register in the following Fall Quarter,
• conduct academic pursuits, and submit a report on these activities by the start of Fall Quarter,
• limit any work for pay outside of Northwestern University to a maximum of 120 hours between June 15 and September 15, and
• not take more than three weeks of "vacation" or non-research time away from campus (it is permissible to be absent from campus to conduct research).