Ph.D. Funding Information

Taubman College provides full funding to all students admitted to our doctoral programs. We provide four years of funding, which includes a full tuition waiver, health insurance, and a generous stipend package that combines both fellowship funding and a graduate assistantship, as long as you’re making satisfactory progress toward your degree. Funding also includes a stipend for your spring/summer terms. We do not require an additional application for financial aid.

We encourage students to apply for additional external sources of support when available. We also nominate students for University fellowships when they are eligible.

Students who bring external funding with them at the time of admission should specify this funding to the Doctoral Studies Office so that program staff may consult with faculty and construct a coordinated funding package.

Review an Example Doctoral Funding Chart

Assistantships

Doctoral students are eligible for Graduate Student Instructorships (GSI), and typically hold those within the Architecture Program. The number of positions that are available depends on the program’s teaching needs for the particular term. Ph.D. students are required to apply for GSI positions each term, indicating their course preferences. Assignments are negotiated and often required by the Architecture chair, the Ph.D. in Architecture director, and the individual teaching faculty who require a position.

Students within the program are eligible for Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA) positions as well as hourly research positions, and typically hold those within Taubman College. The number that is available varies depending on the amount of sponsored research that is currently in progress. Assignments are negotiated by the Architecture chair, Ph.D. in Architecture coordinator, and the faculty director of the research project.

Research Funding

A limited amount of funding is available to students for research-related expenses in connection with theirdissertation or thesis work. Students should submit a request for a Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant. These grants are designed to support Rackham graduate students who need assistance to carry out research that advances their progress toward their degree. A doctoral student is eligible for two Rackham Graduate Student Research Grants during their graduate program, one before candidacy and one as a candidate. Students who receive a master’s award will not be eligible as a pre-candidate.

Conference Funding

The program encourages the development and presentation of papers at conferences and professional meetings when those papers relate to a student’s academic program. Students are eligible for support for one national or international conference per academic year. If a student has had a paper or poster accepted, he/she should submit prior to the conference date a request for a Rackham Conference Travel Grant. These grants are intended to assist doctoral students to participate in and attend conferences and professional meetings.

If a student has had a paper or poster accepted for any additional conferences during that academic year or has been invited to serve on panel, he/she should submit prior to the conference date a request to Ph.D. in Architecture. That request should include a copy of the acceptance to participate at the conference, a detailed budget, and a letter from their advisor commenting on how the conference participation is relevant to the student’s research or graduate studies.

Rackham Graduate School Funding

The Rackham Graduate School provides many sources of financial assistance to help doctoral students meet educational and living expenses. Learn more here.

University of Michigan Funding

One of the benefits of the University of Michigan is the various other funding sources throughout the different university departments, schools, institutes, and colleges.

Other Funding Sources

Student Expenses

The Office of Financial Aid establishes standard student budgets each year as a basis for awarding financial aid funds. These budgets reflect typical “modest but adequate” expense patterns of University of Michigan students based on research conducted by the Office of Financial Aid. Actual expenses will vary based on your lifestyle and level of enrollment.

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