Financial Support

Through a combination of departmental and university fellowships and graduate student employment, the Center for and Department of Middle Eastern Studies offer students many resources to finance their graduate education.

All applicants and current students are automatically considered for University fellowships, internal scholarships, in-state tuition waivers, and academic employment.

Doctoral-specific funding packages

Over the course of five years, our Ph.D. students are supported through a combination of fellowships and teaching appointments, as well as competitive external fellowships or other academic appointments for various centers and departments across the college and campus. With the exception of the targeted and centrally administered fellowships competitively offered by the Graduate School, each cohort of students receives similar funding packages. 

Master's-specific funding packages

We encourage our students to apply for fellowships and scholarships that contribute to areas of national need, such as the Critical Language Scholarship, Boren, Fulbright, and FLAS fellowships. Many Master's students have received such fellowships in the past. The funding tied to these scholarships will drastically reduce yearly tuition rates by almost half and students are supported with monthly stipends during the award period.

Funding Committee

The Department Chair and Center Director annually appoint the members of the funding selection committee, which is composed of faculty members representing each of the areas of study. Applicants and current students are evaluated for admission and funding through the merits of their application, their overall academic performance, language acquisition, and genuine potential for future academic achievement. Funding will vary year-by-year and is dependent upon annual instructional budgets and fellowship allocations.