Graduate Funding

Ph. D. Assistantships

The Department supports all admitted Ph.D. students with an assistantship, the stipend for which in 2020-2021 is $16,000.00 plus a University tuition waiver and student health insurance. Normally, Graduate Teaching Assistantships are awarded to incoming doctoral students, and are renewable upon satisfactory performance for three years, with the possibility of additional years of funding dependent upon a student’s academic progress, teaching effectiveness, and availability of department funds. The graduate committee, in consultation with the faculty, will automatically consider admitted Ph.D. students for the department’s Graduate Research Assistantships—the Civil War Era Research Assistantship and the Robbins Fellowship in Appalachian History. The graduate committee may decide to nominate a few of the strongest admitted Ph.D. students for the University Graduate Fellowship Programs: the prestigious Arlen G. and Louise Stone Swiger Fellowship, the W. E. B. Du Bois Fellowship, and the University Provost Fellowship, which include higher stipends and no teaching responsibilities for three years.   

M.A. Graduate Service Assistantships

In partnership with the West Virginia and Regional History Center, Monongalia County Courthouse, WVU Press, and WVU Libraries, the Department of History has been able to arrange graduate assistantships for several M.A. students.  These Assistantships are competitive and in some cases are open to students in other degree programs. Graduate Assistantships for M.A. students may come with a stipend, tuition waiver, and student health insurance.  All admitted M.A. students who apply by the February 1st deadline are considered and do not need to apply separately.  Additional university-wide graduate assistantships are listed through Handshake.

For more information about Graduate Assistantships and employment at WVU https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/funding-and-cost/graduate-assistantships

Student Scholarships

The Department of History normally is able to offer the following awards for graduate students entering the M.A. program. Students applying to the M.A. program in history will be automatically considered as eligible for these awards and do not need to apply separately. 

Ruth Regina Hale Canaga Awards

Awarded to two outstanding female graduate students in American history and/or public history. Awards are usually given to entering M.A. graduate students for one year, and may include nomination for a university tuition waiver.

Dennis H. O’Brien Graduate Student Award

Awarded to outstanding graduate students focusing on European history. Normally awarded to entering graduate students, but may be given to currently enrolled graduate students with financial need.

Anna Traubert Graduate Fellowship

The fellowship is given to an entering graduate student with the highest grade point average in history.