University of Georgia

The Graduate Program in Political Science and International Affairs is able to offer a number of graduate assistantships to qualified applicants. Graduate assistantships include a tuition waiver (students are still expected to pay $25 in tuition per semester + student fees), stipend, and a work commitment as either a teaching or research assistant.

You must apply for all assistantships through the Departmental Graduate Office. Do not contact the Graduate School about financial support. Most graduate assistantships come from departmental funding sources (SPIA assistantships). Students who receive support from the Graduate School must be nominated by their department and go through a competitive process.

To apply, fill out the Graduate Assistantship Application and submit with the rest of your program application.  All applicants who submit an assistantship application will be considered for funding.

Applicants whose files are complete by December 1st are guaranteed consideration for the first round of awards. Students not receiving support during the first round are eligible in subsequent rounds if funding is still available. Awards follow the following timetable:

February
Exceptionally well-qualified applicants are nominated for a limited number of Graduate School Assistantships

Early March
Winners of Graduate School Assistantships are notified.

Mid-March
The first round of SPIA graduate assistantships are awarded to students.

Mid-April
If there are SPIA graduate assistantships available after the first round, a second round of offers is made.

May
Awarding of SPIA assistantships continues until all funds are exhausted.

Out-of-State Students

We are able to nominate a very limited number of out-of-state applicants for a Regent’s Out of State Tuition Waiver (ROOSTW), which waives the out of state portion of a student’s tuition.

Out-of-state applicants are automatically considered for these waivers when they apply to the program.

Recipients must enroll in 12 graduate credit hours per regular (fall/spring) semester.

International Students

We are able to nominate a very limited number of out-of-state applicants for a Office of Global Education (OGE) Out of State Tuition Waiver, which reduces tuition to in-state rates (as of fall 2022, $4,439 per semester).

International applicants are automatically considered for these waivers when they apply to the program.

Recipients must enroll in 12 graduate credit hours per regular (fall/spring) semester.

There are currently no other sources of funding available to international applicants other than assistantships and OGE waivers.

External Funding Sources

We encourage you to look for external sources of funding to supplement those we are able to provide. A few sources of interest are below.

  • The Southern Regional Education Board offers a Doctoral Scholars Program Fellowship for students wishing to pursue a PhD. The deadline to apply is March 31. Find more information on eligibility at their website.
  • The American Political Science Association has a Minority Fellows Program open for application in both Fall and Spring. This fellowship is open to undergraduate seniors, recent graduates, and other individuals in the process of applying for a PhD program and who are members of an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority. See their website for more details.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science & International Affairs

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