Funding Opportunities
Graduate Funding and Assistantships
All admitted students are considered for financial assistance in the form of graduate assistantships or fellowships. Graduate assistantships provide a nine-month stipend, tuition, some fees, and a medical insurance benefit. Students are assigned to a mix of teaching and research assistant positions during their time in the program.
Our funding packages are competitive with those at other universities, and the cost of living in West Lafayette is lower than in many areas of the country. Learn more about the favorable cost of living compared to other universities.
Students who receive departmental funding packages are guaranteed up to five years of support, provided they make normal progress in the program. Departmental funding decisions are based on academic merit rather than financial need.
CLA Recruitment Fellowships
The Department Admissions Committee nominates applicants for recruitment fellowships through the Andrews, Ross, and Lynn fellowships. All applicants are considered.
Graduate School Recruitment Fellowships
Fellowships listed below that provide fewer than five years of Graduate School support are normally paired with additional departmental funding in the form of a graduate assistantship. This combination can provide up to five years of guaranteed funding, provided the student makes normal progress in the program.
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Provides supplemental financial support to outstanding PhD applicants who demonstrate strong potential to contribute to their discipline and to university priorities.
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Supports outstanding graduate recruitment, including eligible students applying to the interdisciplinary Ecological Sciences and Engineering Program.
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Provides a one-year Graduate School award for eligible master's applicants, typically paired with an additional year of departmental assistantship support.
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Graduate Excellence Fellowship
Provides a competitive four-year funding package for outstanding incoming PhD-track students, including salary, tuition coverage, and a medical insurance supplement.
Direct-Apply Fellowships
The following fellowship requires a separate application through the Graduate School.
Charles C. Chappelle Fellowship
This one-year fellowship supports Purdue undergraduate alumni pursuing graduate study and further research at Purdue. Recipients are selected based on character, intellectual ability, and promise of degree attainment.
The fellowship includes a stipend, graduate tuition scholarships, payment of most fees, and a medical insurance supplement. For eligible PhD students, it is normally paired with an additional four years of graduate assistantship support, providing a total of five years of funding.
Professional Development and Research Support
The department, college, and university provide numerous funding opportunities for research support, conference travel, and summer methods programs. Students in our program typically receive conference travel funding from the department and can apply for additional support through the college.
The Purdue Graduate School provides information about additional fellowship and assistantship opportunities, as well as resources and strategies to help graduate students secure funding and support their research.
The Purdue Graduate School Fellowship Office offers resources for fellowship applicants and current fellows, including grant-writing skill development and support for fellowship administration. The office also oversees direct-apply fellowships.
College of Liberal Arts Graduate Research Resources include Bilsland Dissertation Fellowships, the Ross Lynn Scholar endowment for research assistantships, and mentoring for graduate students interested in applying for internal and external grants and fellowships.
The CLA PROMISE grant program supports graduate student research, scholarly activity, and conference travel, promoting innovation and scholarly excellence in graduate education.
The Office of Graduate Professional Development offers additional resources, including grant-writing workshops, competitions, internship support, and other professional development opportunities.
Continuing Student Fellowships
Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship
Provides support to outstanding PhD candidates in their final year of doctoral study. Recipients are expected to focus full-time on completing their degree requirements during the fellowship period.
Ludwig Kruhe Fellowship
Supports doctoral candidates in eligible Purdue programs, including Political Science, who are pursuing research related to global issues and international relations. The fellowship provides a one-year award package for the final year of study, including a stipend or salary, tuition, payment of most fees, and a medical insurance benefit.
Additional Research and Training Support
Political Science graduate students may also be eligible for the following opportunities:
- ICPSR — Provides support for summer training through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research's Summer Program in Quantitative Methods.
- IQMR — Provides support for summer training through the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research.
- CLA PROMISE — Supports graduate student research, scholarly activity, and conference travel through the College of Liberal Arts.