Pass-through master's/PhD students in good standing are generally funded for five years. Students who enroll only for the PhD are usually funded for three years. When resources are available, we also offer funding to students in our terminal master's program.

Students can receive funding by working for the department in a variety of ways.

Teaching Assistantships
Graduate student teaching assistantships (TA) require up to 20 hours per week of assisting sociology department professors and instructors. TA positions come with a paid stipend and up to 9 hours (full-time enrollment) of paid tuition. In order to qualify for this tuition benefit, a student must be in good academic standing and be a full-time graduate student (9 credit hours).

Teaching Fellowships
Advanced graduate students may also work as Teaching Fellows (TFs) where they serve as the primary instructor for an undergraduate course. The Graduate Director and/or Department Chair works with students to assign courses based on students' interests and the department's teaching needs. TF positions come with a paid stipend and up to 9 hours (full-time enrollment) paid tuition. Teaching fellowships not only provide funding for graduate students, but also valuable teaching experience for those interested in future employment as faculty members.

Research Assistantships
Graduate students in the master's, pass-through, or PhD programs may also work as research assistants (RAs) supporting faculty-led research projects. These positions are often funded through internal or external grants and are administered by individual faculty members. RAs assist in the full capacity of research, from data collection to data analysis and the writing of articles. Funding for RA positions may vary depending on the source, but they generally come with a paid stipend and up to 9 hours (full-time enrollment) paid tuition.

Summer Funding
The department aims to fund all students who express a need for summer funding, but availability of TA, TF, and RA positions vary during the summer. There are some Teaching Assistant (TA) positions available in the five-week summer sessions and a few Teaching Fellow (TF) positions for doctoral students. These positions pay between $2500 - $2800 for one summer term. International applicants with questions about work and funding should visit international.unt.edu.

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Our department and UNT offer a number of grants and resources to fund graduate student research (theses and dissertations) and conference travel. We also offer numerous scholarships and awards to recognize outstanding students, teaching assistants, and teaching fellows.

Academic Achievement Scholarship (In-State Tuition Scholarship)
The Academic Achievement Scholarship (AAS) from the Toulouse Graduate School is a one-year, $1,000 scholarship that begins only during the fall semester. Recipients who are international or non-resident may be eligible to pay Texas resident tuition during the terms of the scholarship. If all scholarship requirements are met during year one of the award, the student will automatically receive a one-year renewal of the scholarship, pending availability of funds.

Eligibility: Doctoral and Masters students who are newly admitted and have completed less than 12 hours toward their degree may be considered for the award. Standardized test scores and admissions information are taken into consideration when awarding students. Only fully admitted students will be considered to receive the award; undecided and pending students are ineligible. In the past, successful candidates have had a graduate admission GPA of at least 3.5. 

Application Process: Fully admitted graduate students who meet the eligibility requirements should apply through the Eagle Scholarship Portal to be considered for this opportunity. Upon submission, applicants will be auto-matched for consideration provided they meet the eligibility criteria. For more information on the application process and requirements for maintaining the scholarship once awarded, click here.

Departmental Scholarships
There are several other departmental scholarships for which students may apply. The general scholarship application can be used to apply for all graduate scholarships, and applicants should include their academic CV/resume. The general application opens on September 1 and is due March 1 to sociology@unt.edu. Please use the subject line "Graduate Scholarship Application" in your email application. Contact the department at 940-565-2296 for more information.

Sociology Scholarship General Application (pdf)
Sociology Scholarship General Application (docx)

Graduate Scholarships:

• Alvin C. Dorse Scholarship
• Hiram J. Friedsam Graduate Scholarship
• Lynne Killgore Scholarship
• David H. Malone Graduate Scholarship
• Rudy R. and Jean Seward Scholarship

Note: Applicants to the below scholarships must submit both the Sociology Scholarship General Application and the supplemental application forms.

• Jennifer Hester Popescu Sociology Teaching Assistant/TA Excellence Award - Requires TA Supplemental Application
• Jennifer Hester Popescu Sociology Teaching Fellows/TF Excellence Award - Requires TF Supplemental Application

Departmental Grants

Thesis and Dissertation Small Research Grants
The Department supports students who have research expenses related to their thesis and dissertation projects. To apply for these funds, complete the Thesis and Dissertation Small Research Grant Application form linked below, email it to your major professor for a signature of approval, and then send the signed form to the Department Chair, Matthew Painter (matthew.painter@unt.edu), and CC sociology@unt.edu. Indicate in the subject line of the email that you are attaching a Thesis and Dissertation Small Research Grant Application. The Department Chair will make the final decision regarding the awarding of grant funding.

Thesis and Dissertation Small Research Grant Application (pdf)

Travel Grants
The Department encourages students to present their work at major professional conferences. Departmental funds are available for travel each year with the following limits. Note that matching travel funds are often available from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies.

• Terminal masters students are eligible for a total of one conference trip while in the program at a cost of up to $1,500 from the department
• Pass-through and PhD-only students are eligible for one conference trip per year while in the program, at a cost of up to $1,500 from the department.

Access the travel funding application form below and submit it to the Administrative Coordinator for review.
Travel Funding Request

Poster Printing Grant
As part of our mission to support students’ research activities, the Department of Sociology will cover up to $50 toward the cost of printing posters for academic poster sessions for up to 5 students per fiscal year (September 1 through August 31). Recipients of this award should work closely with the department’s Administrative Coordinator, Phila Tarlton (Philachon.Tarlton@unt.edu), to arrange printing. Do not pay for printing before consulting with Phila to ensure you use an approved vendor or university office.

To apply, fill out the form linked below and send it to sociology@unt.edu with the subject "Application for Department Poster Printing Award":

Application for Departmental Poster Printing Award (pdf)
Application for Departmental Poster Printing Award (docx)
 

If you are a returning Peace Corps graduate student, you may be eligible for the Returned Peace Corp Volunteer Scholarship. Please contact sociology@unt.edu for application details.