UCLA and Berkley

[WildeThing]

Hey all,

Sorry for flooding the forum with new topics but I have one more unrelated question. I have been looking at PhD programs in Literature and trying to figure out which guarantee funding. I see that some of you have mentioned that UCLA and Berkley (and Maryland and Princeton for that matter) offer full packages but when looking at their websites I have seen that they don't offer or don't guarantee full funding. Am I reading it wrong? Could someone help clarify this?

[echo449]

Both of those programs are fully funded. Almost all of the programs in the top 50 fund their students, and if you can't find information on the website, you can email the department for more information, assuming that it is unclear. 

[Warelin]

From UCLA:
"The Department of English admits a fully funded class and all applicants are automatically considered for a number of funding options. The Cota Robles Fellowship application is the only application that must be independently completed if you wish to be considered for this award."

 

[unræd]

Berkeley provides five years (two of which are teaching) of guaranteed funding in its initial admission packages--which is roughly comparable to elsewhere, although a lot of the peer departments it looks to are starting to offer six years. (Yale did last year, and Harvard did this year, I think.)

[echo449]

Oh! unræd's comment reminds me: many departments offer a funding package that is 5 or 6 on paper, with the understanding that you really need six or seven with the current market. So you'll see language like, "We fully fund our students for six years, and expect to offer an additional year of support." Typically that phrasing implies that everyone/almost everyone gets that year, and you can expect it barring another financial meltdown or bad progress on your part. The thing about that additional year is that it can come from a variety of things: a finishing fellowship, extra-teaching, an outside award, etc. So there's a little more hustle involved. 

[WildeThing]

Thanks guys. When I looked at the site their handbooks mentioned fellowships that didn't cover the whole program but maybe I read it wrong.

[Dr. Old Bill]

1 hour ago, WildeThing said:

Thanks guys. When I looked at the site their handbooks mentioned fellowships that didn't cover the whole program but maybe I read it wrong.

It's a question of terminology. In some programs, the whole package is considered a "fellowship"; in others you can have two "fellowship" years interspersed with other years...even though funding remains intact for all of them; in still other programs, fellowships are extra monies above and beyond the standard package. Ultimately, however, all of these programs have full funding...it's just that individual packages can differ.

[screamingacrossthesky]

As an additional thought, I have heard that it can prove more challenging for international students to be accepted at public US universities because they are ineligible to qualify for in-state tuition and are therefore more "expensive" for the department.  I have no hard facts to back this up (and maybe some of the folks at those schools could speak to whether or not this is true), but it is something that I have heard before, so I just thought I would mention it.  I know that there are, of course, international students at these schools, so this is not to discourage you, but as you are compiling your school list, it might also be worthwhile to include a number private schools where this would not be a factor.

[margeryhemp]

On 5/16/2016 at 6:40 PM, WildeThing said:

Hey all,

Sorry for flooding the forum with new topics but I have one more unrelated question. I have been looking at PhD programs in Literature and trying to figure out which guarantee funding. I see that some of you have mentioned that UCLA and Berkley (and Maryland and Princeton for that matter) offer full packages but when looking at their websites I have seen that they don't offer or don't guarantee full funding. Am I reading it wrong? Could someone help clarify this?

Hi! Just to reiterate what other people have said-- everyone at UCLA gets 5 years of funding guaranteed, and at least 2 of those years are fellowship years (and, unofficially, you can be supported via teaching assistantships or lectureships beyond 5 years). You also get at least 2 summers covered in your package, but (again unofficially) no one goes without summer funding, whether it's through a research fellowship (or assistantship) or summer TAing. If you have any questions about the UCLA department, feel free to reach out!

Edited May 24, 2016 by margeryhemp