The department is typically able to award four or five graduate assistantships to each incoming class. Each assistantship provides a tuition waiver plus a yearly stipend. The stipend for the 2022-23 academic year is roughly $14,300, and the tuition waiver covers the portion of tuition calculated as the instructional charge. Graduate assistantships are renewable for a second year, provided that the student makes good academic progress and conforms to other university policies governing graduate assistantships. Graduate assistants are assigned indirect instructional duties, which typically include grading, tutoring, proctoring exams, and holding office hours. Information about how to apply for a graduate assistantship is available at applying to the program.
NIU also awards a variety of non-renewable one-year graduate tuition waivers on a competitive basis. Please note that the tuition waivers are not awarded by the philosophy department; instead, they awarded and administered centrally by NIU's Graduate School. Only admitted students are eligible to apply for Graduate School tuition waivers. If you are admitted to the M.A. program, you will receive instructions on how to apply.
Most of our incoming students receive departmental graduate assistantships or Graduate School tuition waivers.
Some students also work as graduate assistants for other units. Human Resources maintains a list of student job openings on campus.