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Poole College of Management
Economics Graduate (Grad ECON) Program

Assistantships & Fellowships

The NC State's Jenkins Graduate Economics Program offers financial awards to qualified doctoral students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships and, occasionally, fellowships. Awards are merit-based, determined by an applicant's academic history and predicted success in the program. We do not fund master’s degree students.

Students with teaching assistantship, research assistantship or fellowship are eligible for the Graduate Student Support Plan(GSSP). The GSSP provides health insurance and payment of tuition for a limited number of semesters. Note that students funded through the GSSP are required to pay their own fees.

General information about graduate assistantships can be found in the Graduate School’s administrative handbook.

Application for Assistantships and Fellowships

New doctoral applicants are considered competitively for a limited number of teaching and research assistantships.

Applicants to the doctoral program who wish to be considered for assistantship support must submit the completed application for graduate study to the Graduate School by January 1. There is no separate application for these assistantships; you need only indicate your preference to be considered for these awards on your graduate school application.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching Assistantships consist of helping faculty in grading student assignments and examinations and leading discussion sections for introductory economics classes. These assistantships are usually half-time, carry a stipend, and are typically awarded for the 9-month academic year (mid-August through mid-May). Each semester, TAs  will be evaluated by the professors they are assisting. Students on half-time TAs may not enroll in more than 9 credit hours per semester.

Research Assistantships

Grant funded research assistantships are available. Research assistants typically help designated faculty members with their grant-funded projects. The specific duties and responsibilities of the RA will be determined by the supervisor.

Fellowships and Awards

University funded, merit-based fellowships are available for exceptionally well-qualified first-year students. Again, these fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. In the past, our students have been regular recipients of the prestigious Andrews Doctoral Fellowship, University Provost’s Fellowship, University Graduate Research Fellowship, and Ward Fellowship.

A Note to Students Who Enter the Program Without Funding

All students (both domestic and international) who enter the program without funding should be prepared to absorb the full cost associated with completing graduate degree at NC State University. There is no guarantee that funding will be available or offered during your tenure at NC State. However:

  1. Students who enter the program without funding will become eligible for funding consideration once they pass written comprehensive examinations in microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory. There are only two opportunities allowed to pass these written exams.
  2. There is some chance for exceptional students to get funding the year immediately following a pass on the written exams, but these students will be competing against all other unfunded students who have also passed written exams.
  3. Odds for funding go up in subsequent years, especially for students who are doing particularly well in the program academically.
  4. Students who are offered funding will be appointed as either teaching assistants or research assistants. All assistantships consider the student’s previous academic performance; research assistantships are further based on ability of the student to contribute to a research project (this usually means strong computer and econometric skills) and the match in interests between the student and the professor directing the project.