Funding
The Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies offers funding to all admitted graduate students during each Autumn and Spring semester in the program. Students admitted to our MA program receive up to two years of GA funding, while PhD and Direct-to-PhD students receive five and six years of GA funding, respectively. Years of funding will be reduced by any years of fellowship received, including internal or external fellowships.
Graduate Associates perform 20 hours of work per week for the department and receive tuition and fee waivers, a health insurance subsidy, and a nine-month stipend (mid-August through mid-May). Students are typically assigned as Graduate Teaching Associates, although there are occasionally opportunities for Graduate Research Associate roles. Renewal of all types of funding is based on satisfactory performance of responsibilities. Students are not permitted to pay on their own unless they have exhausted departmental funding.
Departmental Funding - Graduate Teaching Associateships (50%)
Most Graduate Associates will serve as Graduate Teaching Associates (GTAs). GTAs are expected to fulfill a teaching position for 20 hours a week. Teaching assignments, which can range from assisting faculty in a larger class to teaching one class independently per semester, are determined by departmental need.
Teaching assignments are performed in exchange for tuition and fee waivers, a 100% health insurance subsidy, and a nine month stipend ($2,897/month for 2026-2027 academic year). Please reference University Registrar for current tuition/fee rates, as well as Student Health Insurance for their current rates.
Fellowship Funding
A fellowship is a financial award made by Ohio State to support students during a portion of their graduate program. Incoming fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic merit through university-wide competitions without respect to financial need. Graduate students cannot apply directly for these fellowships. The department takes fellowship consideration into account during the admissions process and will automatically nominate eligible students for fellowships.
Fellowships include a twelve-month stipend (amounts vary), as well as a tuition and fee waiver and a student health insurance subsidy.
PhD students who do not receive an incoming fellowship are eligible to later apply for the Presidential Fellowship. This dissertation year fellowship is the most prestigious fellowship awarded by the University.
External Funding
Some students enter the program with external funding, such as a Fulbright Fellowship. Students who have secured external funding should contact the WGSS graduate program coordinator, Laurel Clarkson, to notify us. Please note that external funding replaces departmental funding.
Standard MA Funding
The standard MA funding package is a GTA position for four semesters (Autumn and Spring semesters for two consecutive academic years). GTAs are expected to work for 20 hours a week in exchange for tuition and fee waivers, a 100% health insurance subsidy, and a nine month stipend ($2,897/month for 2026-2027 academic year).
Standard PhD Funding
The standard PhD funding package is a GTA position for 10 semesters (Autumn and Spring semesters for five consecutive academic years). The standard direct-to-PhD funding package is a GTA position for 12 semesters (Autumn and Spring semesters for six consecutive academic years). GTAs are expected to work for 20 hours a week in exchange for tuition and fee waivers, a 100% health insurance subsidy, and a nine month stipend ($2,897/month for 2026-2027 academic year).
The WGSS funding package includes a nine-month stipend that covers mid-August through mid-May, and we are unable to guarantee funding for summer term. Summer funding opportunities are limited with priority given to advanced PhD candidates, and students are notified of availability in the spring term preceding each summer term.
Fellowship students receive a twelve-month funding package, which includes summer funding for the year(s) they are on fellowship.
Funding provided by WGSS is allotted for the average time to degree within WGSS. For example, MA funding provided by WGSS is for two years as the average time to degree is two academic years. Students enrolled in dual degree programs that take beyond this average time to degree will still only receive WGSS funding for the average WGSS time to degree. Additional funding considerations for dual and combined programs are determined on an individual basis due to differentiating tuition and fee costs across The Ohio State University.