It is our goal to provide every student with the financial support they need to focus on their studies. All students admitted to the PhD program in history are provided with a six-year funding package consisting of full tuition, stipend, and medical and dental insurance.
The plan combines six terms of fellowship support with six terms of appointment as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), as well as summer support during the first six years. Students who have advanced to candidacy may receive up to $10K funding for research, study, and travel, and all students are eligible for supplemental funding to attend conferences and prepare for the job market.
Beyond the sixth year, most graduate students in our program receive additional support for the time required to complete the dissertation, including teaching opportunities, departmental fellowships, and tuition-only fellowships. Funding is conditional upon satisfactory progress toward the degree and satisfactory fulfillment of teaching obligations.
Research Support
The University of Michigan offers many forms of research support for graduate students across different departments. Rackham Graduate School provides opportunities for conference travel grants, research and travel funds, and specific programs for international research. Our advanced graduate students have had substantial success securing generous multi-term fellowships from Rackham Graduate School, the U-M Institute for the Humanities and the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies. Finally, many Area Studies Centers offer graduate student funding for research, travel, and language study; students should contact the appropriate center directly.
Students are also encouraged to apply for funding from outside sources. Such awards provide financial assistance and recognize our students' accomplishments and promise as researchers and teachers. To reward our students who secure external funding, the program provides health insurance and "top-up" fellowships to a level equal to what would have been received from the department for the period of time covered by the grant, if necessary.
History graduate students have secured grants from several prestigious external organizations, including the Fulbright Foundation, Javits Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Mellon Foundation, National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) to name just a few.
U-M College of LSA International Travel Policy
All U-M students traveling abroad for university-related purposes (i.e., participating in study, research, or internship programs organized or supported by LSA departments/units or for which LSA in-residence credit is granted) are bound by the College of LSA International Travel Policy.
To receive funding/credit for their international experiences, students are required to:
- Register their travel in the MCompass Travel Registry
- Purchase U-M’s Travel Abroad Health Insurance and upload card to MCompass
- Provide contact information in case of emergency on MCompass
- Submit a safety plan if traveling to a U-M Travel Warning/Restriction destination. (Safety plans must be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to departure and MUST be approved before funding can be released)
Learn more about the requirements and find travel resources on the LSA Travel website. You can also find additional resources on Global Michigan.
