Graduate students in the School of Freshwater Sciences may qualify to receive financial support in the form of Fellowships and Research Assistantships. These positions are awarded on a competitive basis. Awards are often renewable for students making satisfactory progress in their degree programs. Students may also apply for other forms of financial aid such as loans by contacting the Office of Financial Aid or a third party. All applicants to a graduate program will automatically be considered for each of these types of awards.
- Research Assistantships: Faculty members often have support for research assistants as part of their research funding. A limited number of RAs are available for Atmospheric Science MS and PhD students and Freshwater Science MS thesis track and PhD students. Prospective students are encouraged to contact faculty with whom they share research interests early in the application process to learn about possible research assistant opportunities. Research assistantships include full tuition remission, state-sponsored health insurance, and a monthly stipend. Learn more about research assistantships.
- Distinguished Graduate School Fellowship: Outstanding applicants at the M.S. or early Ph.D. levels may apply for UWM Graduate School’s Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowships. This fellowship pays a 9-month stipend, remits all tuition, and offers health insurance. This fellowship is not renewable. Our School’s internal application deadline is in December. General GRE scores are required.
- Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship: Outstanding applicants may apply for UWM Graduate School’s Distinguished Dissertation Fellowships. This fellowship is for current UWM PhD students who have either achieved dissertator status or will do so by the start of the academic year of the award. The DDF is a one-year, non-renewable fellowship. Our School’s internal application deadline is in December.
- Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) Fellowships: These fellowships are available to qualified new and continuing graduate students who are members of groups underrepresented in graduate study or who are otherwise disadvantaged minority applicants. These awards include a 9-month stipend, full tuition remission, and offer health insurance coverage and may be renewed for two to three years, depending on the level of study. Our School’s internal application deadline is in December. More here.
- Atmospheric Science Teaching Assistantships: Some graduate students in the Atmospheric Science M.S. and Ph.D. programs are supported by teaching assistantships. These positions include a remission of all tuition, a stipend, and the opportunity for health insurance coverage. These positions may be financially augmented by Chancellor’s Graduate Student and/or Research Excellence Awards.
- Additional Financial Support Opportunities: Professor Evans has information on additional external funding for Atmospheric Science graduate students at his Graduate Scholarships, Fellowships, and Post-Doctoral Fellowships web page.
Applying for Financial Support
Prospective students who complete all parts of the application process will automatically be considered for those forms of financial support for which they are qualified, except for the Graduate School’s fellowships (which require a separate application).
Support Decisions
Initial decisions on support are typically made in early- to mid-March, with numerous additional offers being made through the month of April depending on the response to early offers and the availability of funds. Teaching assistantships are normally awarded on an academic year basis with contracts beginning in the fall semester. Research assistantships may be offered on an academic year or annual basis. Support for students who wish to begin their studies in the spring semester is not often available and is generally limited to faculty-supported Research Assistantships.