PhD Funding

We are pleased to offer a generous multi-year funding package of up to five years, which includes tuition, paid stipends, and health care.

PhD students are funded through a combination of tuition scholarships, and research and teaching assistantships. While students gain hands-on research and teaching experience, assistantships supported by the School of Social Work are paid as stipends during the eight-month academic year.

Throughout the doctoral program, additional funding is available to our students who present at professional conferences, are engaged in research as part of their coursework, incur dissertation-related expenses, and enter the job market.

PhD students are also encouraged to apply for additional sources of funding from within and outside Boston University. Previously, students in our program have received competitive pre-doctoral fellowships from organizations such as the Doris Duke Foundation and the Council on Social Work Education.

Students may also fill out a FAFSA and apply for federal aid through the Office of Financial Aid.