Graduate Programs

Financial Assistance

Doctoral program applicants for fall admission compete for teaching assistantships and fellowships. In order to be considered for an award, the application file must be complete by January 2. This means that the following items must be attached to your online application on or before January 1: application, official GRE scores, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, Statement of Purpose and writing sample.

Teaching Assistantship awards are highly competitive; several assistantships are awarded to fall applicants each year. Although all application materials are reviewed and considered, GRE Scores and GPA are integral to decision-making for TA awards. Present competitive scores are for admission will be at least 600 Verbal, 600 Quantitative and 5.0 Analytic; however, the average combined score for applicants awarded financial assistance is 1308 with 5.1 Analytic Writing. The tables for current GRE scores comparable to these requirements are located at the ETS website.

Continuing Doctoral Students

Teaching assistantship awards are highly competitive and are awarded based on academic record, seniority and availability of assistantships. Occasionally a one year or one semester award will be made based on department need. Continuing students applying for a teaching assistantship must have no incomplete grades. Deadline for application is February 1.

Current TAs

Renewal of a teaching assistantship/associateship depends on the length of the original award, academic progress, teaching record and College of Arts and Sciences limitations. Incomplete policy: any incomplete that is older than 8 months disqualifies a current TA from applying for the renewal of a teaching assistantship. Deadline for application for renewal is February 1.

Teaching Assistantship Details

Teaching assistantships consist of: a $17,830 stipend distributed over the course of the Fall and Spring semesters via biweekly paycheck in exchange for 20 hours of work per week and a tuition waiver that covers all tuition for nine credit hours except for “student fees.”   As of Fall, 2019, fees for nine graduate-level credit hours not covered by the GA tuition waiver total approximately $800.00.

Fellowships and scholarships

The Presidential Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) is the best internal fellowship awarded at USF. The top applicant for Fall admission to the Philosophy Doctoral Program is nominated for the PDF. The PDF is $32,000 per year for five years with tuition waiver, $1,000 of travel funds, plus other perquisites. Philosophy nominees compete with the best prospective graduate students from across the University for this award, with a decent rate of success.  Several current and recent graduate students have benefitted from the Graduate Student Success Fellowship and the Delores Auzenne Fellowship.  

More Fellowships and Scholarships

Information regarding several fellowships not mentioned on this page appears on the Graduate Studies page.