Northern Illinois University
Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Teaching and Research Assistantships

We award a large number of full and part time graduate teaching and research assistantships each year. Teaching assistant duties include classroom teaching under appropriate levels of faculty supervision, assisting with undergraduate laboratory sections, or working with undergraduates enrolled in independent study, who are assisting with faculty research. Research assistants are involved in the research programs of faculty members to whom they are assigned and to whom they are responsible.

Graduate School Fellowships

The Graduate School offers a limited number of fellowships awarded annually on a university-wide competitive basis to graduate students whose performance has been outstanding. These awards include University Fellowships for students working on M.A. degrees and Dissertation Completion Fellowships.

Special Support for Minority Students

The Graduate School provides funds on a matching basis with the department for a number of Rhoten Smith Assistantships for minority students. These assistantships carry stipend levels and duties consistent with other assistantships in the department.  Other programs are available to support minority students. The Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship is a federally funded program that provides three full years of support. The Illinois Minority Graduate Incentive Program (IMGIP) and the Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program (ICEOP) are state supported programs that provide one year of support that can be renewed for two and three years, respectively. The Carter G. Woodson Scholars Program (CGWSP) is funded locally by NIU and is reserved for doctoral level students with expressed interest in academic careers. The maximum length of tenure for the CGWSP is two years. All of these fellowships are competitive and open to minority students in all graduate departments. In addition to access to these special funds, minority students are of course eligible for the usual financial assistance available in the department.

Other sources

Research assistantships are occasionally available on faculty research grants.

Stipends

Full time (20 hours per week) stipends vary from $1372.06 per month to $1392.06 per month depending upon level of training and nature of the assistantship duties. Depending on the availability of funds, assistantships may be awarded on a half time basis, with a corresponding reduction in hours and stipend amounts. Assistantships may be available on a nine month to twelve month basis. All assistantships include tuition remission for the academic year plus a summer session. Students are responsible for the payment of fees and necessary insurance. Historically, the clinical program has supported all first year students with the vast majority of our students continuing to receive funding until they depart for internship.

Tuition & Fees

• Graduate Tuition and Fees
• PSYC 604, 606, 640, 642, 646 and 654 have additional lab fees ranging from $25-$35 per course.