Funding and Awards

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At NIU, we provide financial support with graduate assistantships. We fund approximately fifteen M.A. and Ph.D. students each year with support from the Graduate School at NIU. Entering M.A. students normally receive two years of funding, while entering Ph.D. students usually get at least four. If a student enters as an M.A. student and continues on to the Ph.D., they can usually count on six total years of departmental funding. The deadline for students to apply for departmental funding is January 15 each year. In addition to assistantships, we also provide funding for summer research travel and for at least one academic conference per year. These awards are open to all graduate students, but they are competitive and limited by available funds. Students may also be able to support their work by winning university-wide fellowships or grants or by seeking outside funding sources.

Departmental Funding Opportunities

University Funding Opportunities  

External Funding Opportunities

Department Awards

  • Hugh Jameson Graduate Student Essay Prize
    • This prize recognizes the best research essay submitted by a graduate student in a history research seminar during the previous two semesters. Faculty who would like to nominate a student should submit his or her essay to the Department of History office. Students can also nominate themselves by submitting the Graduate Prize Cover Letter, and the essay to history@niu.edu. ($250 award)
  • James R. Shirley Graduate Article Prize
    • This prize is given for the best graduate student essay submitted for publication in a scholarly journal during the previous calendar year. Faculty who would like to nominate a student should submit his or her essay to the Department of History office. Students can also nominate themselves by submitting the Graduate Prize Cover Letter, and the essay to history@niu.edu. ($250 award)

Contact Us

Department of History
Zulauf 715
815-753-0131
history@niu.edu

Our office is open Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., except for a daily lunch break from noon-1 p.m.

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