PhD programs on Boston University’s Charles River Campus benefit from a model of full funding. This system guarantees all PhD students in good standing five years of stipend support and health insurance. This approach reflects BU’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers across the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and engineering. The twelve-month guaranteed stipend for 2024-2025 is $45,000. Students receive health insurance through Aetna Student Health, and full tuition and student services fees are also covered.
Students may be funded from a variety of sources, and most students receive funding from a combination of:
- Teaching fellowship: students oversee the lab or discussion components of an undergraduate course
- Research fellowship: students work on a project funded by a faculty-secured grant
- Non-service fellowship: students receive funding to focus primarily on their degree coursework in the first year with no departmental research or teaching responsibilities
U.S. students may also secure external funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NOAA, NASA, and non-profit foundations. International students may also secure funding from home countries.
The Graduate School provides full details about these sources.
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