Financial Assistance

M.A. and Ph.D. Applicants

The Department of History, the College of Arts & Sciences, and the University Graduate School provide financial support on a competitive basis for outstanding applicants at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels. Students are considered for these awards through the normal application process and do NOT make a separate application. Funding is also available for foreign language study. Students interested in applying for the Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowships will need to complete application with the individual area study program.

Continuing Graduate Students

Financial assistance available to continuing students includes fellowships, associate instructorships, course assistantships, editorial assistantships and miscellaneous grants.

Associate Instructorship and Course Assistantship

The department appoints a large number of associate instructors and course assistants each fall and spring term. An associate instructor, working under the guidance of a faculty member, usually leads discussion sections attached to a large, introductory undergraduate lecture course. A course assistant helps the instructor of an undergraduate lecture class at the introductory or upper levels, usually by grading students’ coursework. The Director of Graduate Studies assigns associate instructors and course assistants to particular courses in consultation with the instructors. To be assigned as an associate instructor or course assistant, a student should have a superior record in history and must be in good academic standing. International students and students whose primary language is not English are required to pass the special English Proficiency Examination for Associate Instructors before they can receive an appointment.

Research Assistantship

Faculty members occasionally hire research assistants on an hourly basis. Compensation for these positions does not usually include a fee remission.

Editorial Assistantship

Editorial assistantships are awarded by history journals on campus, including the American Historical Review, the Journal of American History, and the Indiana Magazine of History. Open positions are advertised and filled according to need. These positions are usually, but not always, awarded to more advanced students. Editorial assistants typically receive a stipend, health benefits and a fee scholarship. The Organization of American Historians, whose headquarters are in Bloomington, also employs students as graduate assistants.

Fellowships and Grants

The Department also distributes fellowships and grants-in-aid to help continuing students conduct pre-dissertation or dissertation research. These awards are granted on a competitive basis. Continuing students can apply for additional funding opportunities to assist with completion of the degree requirements, language study, and dissertation research. See the Fellowship List for more detailed information and links to sources of Fellowships/Grants.

GradGrants Center

The GradGrants Center (GGC) is a free service that provides Indiana University graduate students with one-on-one assistance with grant proposal writing (by appointment) and a centralized area to access funding information.