IFA (and in general, PhD) Funding

[accordingtowhat]

I've been reading/hearing a lot about the problematic state of the Institute of Fine Arts in terms of funding students. Is this the case for PhD students (and not just MA's)? Any specifics? I've been unable to find any info, especially since the dept's website says "The Ph.D. program is designed for six years of full-time, fully-funded study."

 

Being new to the graduate game — is it common to expect to be fully funded + a stipend for most PhD programs or are there any notable exceptions? Any advice that one should consider financially before embarking on a PhD? Thanks!

[Neuro_Dave]

Fully funded tends to mean that you will receive a stipend as well as tuition waiver for some degree of teaching/research/work while taking classes and obtaining your Ph.D.  MA students tend to have smaller stipends with less benefits and a shorter amount of time in which they can earn their degree and receive funding. 

 

Not sure about your institution in general.  Some Universities will accept you for their program, but not have available funding for you though.  They will always let you know this in advance though.  Typically this is not going to be the choice you want to make for graduate school though.  The exception to that, being whether this particular program is 100% doing the research/work that you want to be working on throughout graduate school, and no other choices are really available to you. 

 

For that reason, as well as the competitive nature of grad program, you should apply to several that interest you. 

 

Financially speaking...be ready to have to pay a lot of first month bills before you stat your program.  Especially if you're moving into a new home/apartment/room with new expenses.  Even if your program is fully funded with a tuition waiver you will likely have at least $1000 worth of institution fees and health insurance fees to pay for every semester.  You also won't typically have access to federal student loans until a few weeks into the semester, and your first paycheck (depending on the Univeristy) might not be received until the end of your first month.  SAVE OVER THE SUMMER.  Or take out private loans before hand.  I would avoid those if at all possible though...

[Conscia Fati]

I've been reading/hearing a lot about the problematic state of the Institute of Fine Arts in terms of funding students. Is this the case for PhD students (and not just MA's)? Any specifics? I've been unable to find any info, especially since the dept's website says "The Ph.D. program is designed for six years of full-time, fully-funded study."

 

Being new to the graduate game — is it common to expect to be fully funded + a stipend for most PhD programs or are there any notable exceptions? Any advice that one should consider financially before embarking on a PhD? Thanks!

I have not heard that the IFA has had problems funding its PhD students, although I do have friends in their MA program who did not receive funding. Everyone whom I know who is in their PhD program has full funding.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Conscia Fati

[Hegel's Bagels]

This is information a few years old and so could benefit some fact checking from members here who have recently dealt with the IFA PhD program. But, in any case, IFA's Art History PhD program is notorious for not having guaranteed funding (and MA is absolutely no funding). The way I understood it - first year or so (maybe two years?) PhD students will receive stipend + tuition waiver. After that, funding is competitive. That means you are competing with your cohort for $ to pay rent, etc. Eek. Like I said, this might have changed in the past few years but I have not heard otherwise. It would be well worth your time to email or call the department and ask for more specific information about their funding.

Also, IFA's funding is very unusual and not like other PhD programs. The reason the funding situation is weird is because IFA takes a really large class of students while others usually only take as many as they can afford (around 4-7 students per year). Funding varies from program to program but if you are accepted to one that does not offer tuition waiver + stipend for at least the first 4-5 years then think hard before attending. Most other schools (at least the ones I've been accepted to in the past and the ones colleagues have gone off to) offer this. And if you're really lucky you just might get healthcare thrown in too!

[JosephineB]

I've been reading/hearing a lot about the problematic state of the Institute of Fine Arts in terms of funding students. Is this the case for PhD students (and not just MA's)? Any specifics? I've been unable to find any info, especially since the dept's website says "The Ph.D. program is designed for six years of full-time, fully-funded study."

 

Being new to the graduate game — is it common to expect to be fully funded + a stipend for most PhD programs or are there any notable exceptions? Any advice that one should consider financially before embarking on a PhD? Thanks!

Are you going there in the Fall or is this just a general question? If you were admitted to the program check with your POI and your award letter. If your award letter says you get 6 years of funding, you should be guaranteed six years of funding as long as you satisfy the program requirements.

[accordingtowhat]

Thanks all! I'll have to get in contact with them directly but that really helped.

Are you going there in the Fall or is this just a general question? If you were admitted to the program check with your POI and your award letter. If your award letter says you get 6 years of funding, you should be guaranteed six years of funding as long as you satisfy the program requirements.

Just a general question — it's one of the programs I'm most interested in, so I wanted to gauge its practicality before getting too invested in it. Thanks for your help!

[crossedfingerscrossedeyes]

This is information a few years old and so could benefit some fact checking from members here who have recently dealt with the IFA PhD program. But, in any case, IFA's Art History PhD program is notorious for not having guaranteed funding (and MA is absolutely no funding). The way I understood it - first year or so (maybe two years?) PhD students will receive stipend + tuition waiver. After that, funding is competitive. That means you are competing with your cohort for $ to pay rent, etc. Eek. Like I said, this might have changed in the past few years but I have not heard otherwise. It would be well worth your time to email or call the department and ask for more specific information about their funding.

Also, IFA's funding is very unusual and not like other PhD programs. The reason the funding situation is weird is because IFA takes a really large class of students while others usually only take as many as they can afford (around 4-7 students per year). Funding varies from program to program but if you are accepted to one that does not offer tuition waiver + stipend for at least the first 4-5 years then think hard before attending. Most other schools (at least the ones I've been accepted to in the past and the ones colleagues have gone off to) offer this. And if you're really lucky you just might get healthcare thrown in too!

This has changed within the past couple of years (from friends who attend there). They've restructed the program to be more in line with other graduate programs where they have started taking less PhD students (12 were accepted in my friends' cohort) with a guaranteed stipend. I don't remember how many years you get the stipend, at least 4. I don't think they offer any funding to their MA students nowadays.

[orangejuice]

I was admitted to IFA's phd program this year, they offered me guaranteed stipend funding for 5 years that was comparable to other programs in the city. There was no teaching requirement as well (although if one wishes one can fet the experience) The funding issue -- at least now -- seems to be applicable to only the MA program now. It seems that they shoot for only about 10-12 students each year now.

[accordingtowhat]

I was admitted to IFA's phd program this year, they offered me guaranteed stipend funding for 5 years that was comparable to other programs in the city. There was no teaching requirement as well (although if one wishes one can fet the experience) The funding issue -- at least now -- seems to be applicable to only the MA program now. It seems that they shoot for only about 10-12 students each year now.

Great to know — thanks! Are you currently enrolled at IFA/would you mind sharing some general thoughts on the program?

[Hegel's Bagels]

This has changed within the past couple of years (from friends who attend there). They've restructed the program to be more in line with other graduate programs where they have started taking less PhD students (12 were accepted in my friends' cohort) with a guaranteed stipend. I don't remember how many years you get the stipend, at least 4. I don't think they offer any funding to their MA students nowadays.

 

 

I was admitted to IFA's phd program this year, they offered me guaranteed stipend funding for 5 years that was comparable to other programs in the city. There was no teaching requirement as well (although if one wishes one can fet the experience) The funding issue -- at least now -- seems to be applicable to only the MA program now. It seems that they shoot for only about 10-12 students each year now.

I'm glad to hear that they have restructured their financial packaging. They have such a great program; it was absurd that they didn't have a great financing plan to go with it. Thanks for the info guys.