Funding
The UIC Philosophy Department places a very high priority on providing support for its PhD students. Students who are admitted will be offered five years of funding (contingent on remaining in good academic standing); we have provided at least a sixth year of funding to all who needed it for many years, and we aim to continue to do so. In particular, we recognize that students whose interdisciplinary work requires a year of study in another department often require additional support.
Teaching Assistantships are by far the most common form of financial support, but each year we have a small number of students on fellowships sponsored by the Graduate College. The Graduate College fellowships include the University Fellowship, Dean’s Scholar Fellowship, and various fellowships to promote diversity in higher education, including the Access to Excellence Fellowship, Pipeline to an Inclusive Faculty (PIF) Fellowship, and the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) Fellowship. Most of these carry a stipend of $26,000 as well as a tuition and partial fee waiver. More information is provided on the Graduate College Funding Overview page, as well as the UIC Graduate College Funding and Awards page.
Many applicants are understandably concerned about their ability to make ends meet as a graduate student. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions; we will answer them as best we can, and we can also put you into direct contact with current students. No one is better prepared to speak to this issue than a graduate student, and one of our own, Emily Lacy, has offered her perspective on living in Chicago on a graduate student salary. You can also contact her directly for more information.