The Geography Graduate Program offers competitive four- or five-year guaranteed funding packages to a select number of highly qualified doctoral students at the time of acceptance into the PhD Program. These awards are governed by the current contract for Graduate Workers at Rutgers, agreed between Rutgers University and the Graduate Worker Union (Rutgers AAUP-AFT). Updates Teaching Assistant and Graduate Assistant starting salaries can be found from University Human Resources. The 2023-24 Academic Year minimum salary in the updated contract (as of May 2023) for an academic-year (ten-month) appointment as a TA or GA is $35,335, rising to $36,395 in 2024-25 and $40,000 in 2025-26. All full-time Graduate Workers receive health benefits and full tuition remission. Guaranteed funding for MA/MS students is not typically available, although MA/MS students have found opportunities for TA/GAships or other funding opportunities in the past.
The Department also administers an annual competition for the MaGrann Geography Field Research Award, intended to support summer field or archival research by undergraduate and graduate students. Examples of previously supported projects can be viewed on the linked page.
Applications are due the second Tuesday of March to the chair of the MaGrann Research Committee and consist of a CV/resume, a short description of the proposed research and how it will contribute to the applicant's academic progress, a budget, and a list of other funds for which support has been sought.
The School of Graduate Studies also offers a range of funding opportunities for Graduate Students, including conference travel awards, a dissertation writing-year fellowship, and related grants. Many research centers on campus – including the area studies centers, Center for Cultural Analysis, Institute for Research on Women, Climate Institute, etc. – also provide year-long or summer research support.
