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PhD Students Fellowships and Awards

Dissertations, academic leadership, global research, short term/summer.

Eligibility:

Open to graduate student women who want to do conduct research, pursue graduate studies, and more.

Application Deadline:

Varies by fellowship: November 1, November 15, or December 1

Charlotte W. Newcombe Fellowship

Open to late-stage PhD students in the Humanities or Social Sciences, focused on ethical or religious values, who are in the writing stage of their dissertation for a full-time, 12 month period.

November each year

German Chancellor Fellowship

BOpen to graduate students who “work in a field such as politics, business, media, administration, society or culture” and want to conduct an independent project in Germany for a period of one year. Must have completed their Bachelor’s no more than twelve years ago.

October each year

GSAS Dissertation Fellowships

A variety of GSAS research and writing dissertation fellowships.

NYUAD Dissertation Writing Fellowship in the Humanities and Social Sciences

NYU PhD scholars working in all areas of the Humanities and Social Sciences, with successful applicants taking advantage of working for the year with an NYUAD faculty member in their field. PhD only.

January each year

NYU Shanghai Graduate Fellowship

Awards are not limited to GSAS students; students from any NYU school or department are welcome to apply. PhD only.

Currently closed.

NYU Center for the Humanities Doctoral Fellowships

Doctoral student applicants must be nominated by their department. Ph.D. candidates who have completed all degree requirements except for the dissertation and are maintaining matriculation with full-time status in the humanities and arts disciplines in GSAS (including IFA, Performance Studies, and Cinema Studies) or the Steinhardt School are eligible to apply. PhD only.

Dissertation Fellowship in Women’s Studies

Open to graduate students who will complete their dissertation, focusing on women and gender studies, by the end of the fellowship term.

Fulbright Hays/Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program

GSAS PhD Students (focused on Modern Language and Area Studies) intending to conduct dissertation research in one or more countries. Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.

April each year (NYU Internal Deadline)

Dolores Zohrab Leibmann Fellowship

Open to graduate students who have a need for graduate school funding for 1-3 years. US Citizens only.

Early January each year (NYU Internal Deadline)

NYU Urban Doctoral Fellowship

Current and prospective doctoral students focused on urban research. Prospective PhD students must be nominated by the Director of Graduate Studies of their respective departments/schools. Current PhD students whose research interests focus on cities and urban issues may apply directly. PhD students only.

February each year

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)

Open to new or current graduate students early in their graduate programs who need financial support to study science and engineering subjects in a US institution for a fellowship period of 5 years.

Various dates in October depending on discipline

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships For New Americans

Open to graduate students who want to receive funding for their graduate studies in a US institution for a period of two years. Intended for immigrants and children of immigrants in the United States. You must be a New American who is 30 or younger by the application deadline.

Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship

Open to full-time, first or second year PhD students in Humanities and Social Sciences who want graduate program funding for up to three years (plus research and travel expenses). Be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident of Canada or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

December each year

Open to graduate students interested in intensive language study, cultural immersion and work in public service roles that are critical to U.S. national security. US Citizens only.

Late January each year

Critical Language Scholarship

Open to graduate students who want to study certain languages critical to US national security. Students also engage in cultural immersion programs. US Citizens only.

DAAD—German Academic Exchange Service

Any enrolled NYU graduate (Research Grant) and undergraduate student (Study Scholarship). US or Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

October each year (NYU Internal Deadline)

Harvard Academy Scholarships for International and Area Studies

Open to Social Science postdoctoral candidates who would like to carry out research projects, attend seminars, and expand their network while in residence in Cambridge, MA for a period of two years.

September each year

Luce Scholars

Those who have received a Bachelor’s degree prior to the year of the grant and both Master’s & PhD. U.S. Must be a US Citizen. Applicants should have a limited exposure to Asia and have a record of achievement, leadership ability, and a clearly defined career. Applicants must also be less than 30 years of age.

Provost’s Global Research Initiatives

NYU full-time faculty and graduate students, based in New York City, who wish to have NYU infrastructural support while conducting research abroad. Master’s and PhD. U.S citizens and international students are eligible to apply.

Summer 2023 Dissertation Writing Workshops: Thursday, March 2, 2023 Fall 2023 Research Institute Fellowships: Thursday, March 9, 2023 Spring 2024 Research Institute Fellowships: Thursday, September 14, 2023

Social Science Research Council (SSRC)

Open to graduate students with a focus on the Social Sciences who want to complete research projects, workshops and more.

Varies by award

Dean's Conference Fund

The Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) provides funds to graduate students in the humanities, social sciences and sciences for professional meetings and conferences to present invited papers or posters. GSAS Students only.

Multiple deadlines throughout the year

GSAS Summer Fellowships and Achievement Awards

Variety of summer fellowships for Master's and PhD students.

Alpine Fellowship

Open to GSAS or Tisch graduate students who want to attend an international conference hosted by the annual Alpine Fellowship Symposium in August.

March each year

Fellowship Funding 

Admission to the full-time doctoral program in Music and Performing Arts Professions includes a Steinhardt Fellowship. The full-time, PhD funding package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required coursework, coverage for maintenance of matriculation fees, and student health insurance (Gship level) through the fourth year. Admission offers provide complete details and questions can be addressed to Alex Clothier . 

Students are evaluated annually and must make satisfactory academic progress to merit continued funding.  

Upon accepting their offers, students should familiarize themselves with the details of their funding package. Tuition support covers the fall, spring, and summer semesters, and stipends are paid out over the nine-month academic year. Doctoral students who serve as teaching assistants or instructors of stand-alone courses receive compensation apart from their stipend.

Limited teaching and research opportunities are available during the summer months; these often are awarded to more advanced students. To earn extra money during the summer, students should begin their search for summer employment early in the spring semester and consult with their advisors.

Tax Status of Scholarships and Fellowships

The Departments of Music and Performing Arts Professions cannot assist in completing tax forms or answer tax-related questions.

Guidance from NYU is available from Louis Curcio, Senior Director Global Tax Compliance, Office of the Controller. You can access this document in Appendix C of the PDF version of the Doctoral Handbook . Please direct any questions regarding this document to the Office of Global Tax Compliance .

Information for international students regarding tax filing can be found on the Office of Global Studies Tax Website . 

Funding Dissertation Fieldwork 

Some dissertation topics require research outside of New York’s metropolitan area. As no internal funds are available to support field research, students should seek external funding, grants, and fellowships. Students should confer well in advance with their advisors, committee chair, and the graduate director if they plan to be in the field during the fall and/or spring semesters.

MPAP Doctoral Research & Travel Grant

The MPAP Doctoral Research & Travel Grant is available to support doctoral students for travel and other expenses associated with field research, presenting papers at scholarly and professional conferences, as well as expenses for creative projects directly related to doctoral study or professional development.

For these MPAP awards, there is a $1,000 limit per award (effective fall 2023). Requests are considered as funds are available. Students may only receive each award one time.  The deadline for applications is as follows:

October 1 (fall)

February 1 (spring)

May 1 (summer)

For Research Awards:

Funds can be used for advance payment of research-related costs (i.e. gift cards for research subjects; printing or other materials purchase) which must be paid for by the MPAP Administration OR an award can be made directly to the student (subject to applicable tax). Reimbursements are not possible .

Funds for research-related costs must be utilized during the requested time period (9/1/2023 - 8/31/2024)

The award is for one-time use during the graduate student’s academic career. Unused funds will not be available for future use. Funds are not available once the student has graduated.

Applications for advance payment of research-related costs must include a 1-page budget outlining the fees they wish to have covered by the award.

The application for the MPAP Doctoral Research Award is here .

For Travel Awards:

Funds for travel must be utilized during the requested time period (9/1/2023 - 8/31/2024)

Funds are intended to be used for advance payment of conference fees, accommodations, and/or travel. Reimbursements are not possible .

Applications must include a 1-page budget outlining the fees they wish to have covered by the award.

Proof of conference attendance will need to be provided within one week of return from the event. This will include a letter of invitation to the conference, conference program or name badge showing your name, and travel documents for MPAP-covered travel expenses--i.e. hotel receipt in your name, flight confirmation email, boarding passes. These will be submitted in a rolling PDF with a cover page outlining the contents, and then each document in succeeding pages.

Funds are subject to the same campus-wide travel rules applied to faculty and staff.

The application for the MPAP Doctoral Travel Grant is here .

MPAP Dissertation Finishing Award: 

This new award supports doctoral students working toward the completion of their dissertations. Three $ 4 ,000 awards will be granted. MPAP doctoral candidates whose degrees will be conferred in 2024 (January 202 4 , May 202 4 , or September 2024) are eligible. Final oral examinations must be completed during the Fall 2023, Spring 202 4 , or the Summer 2024 semester. MPAP's Doctoral Affairs Committee will serve as the review committee and will evaluate applicants based on their evidence of outstanding scholarship and their contributions to the field. Applications must include a CV, cover letter, and supporting documents as evidence, up to 10 pages in total.

Awardees w ill receive a $2,000 award up-front and a second $2,000 award upon the successful defense of their dissertation in time for September 2024 degree conferral. If a student fails to successfully defend their dissertation in time for the September 2024 degree conferral, their award will be canceled and no additional award will be made. Note that these awards may be subject to tax. The deadline is October 15, 202 3 . 

The application for the MPAP Dissertation Finishing Award is here .

NYU Funding Opportunities

The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) offers grants on a competitive basis to graduate students within the Steinhardt School to help defray the cost of various professional activities related to doctoral studies, such as attending professional conferences, research projects, art exhibits, musical performances, speaking engagements and so forth. These grants are awarded as reimbursements for expenses related to professional development activities.  

Grants are generally awarded twice a year, once in the fall semester, and once in the spring semester for activities completed prior to the application deadline. In previous years, the maximum amount of each award was $250. Funds can be used to cover conference fees, travel and accommodation expenses, and presentation supplies. No personal expenses, food, or beverages are covered. Please note that because these grants are competitive, there is no guarantee that funds will be awarded. 

Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Competitive Professional Development Reimbursement 

Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is dedicated to fostering the professional development of Steinhardt graduate students. On a competitive basis, funding is offered to defray via reimbursement the cost of activities such as conference participation, research projects, art exhibits, musical performances, and speaking engagements. The maximum amount of awards is $1,000. Deadlines are in December (fall) and April (spring).

NYU Summer Dissertation Writing Program

Doctoral students in any discipline may apply for summer intensive dissertation-writing workshops held at the Berlin, London, Paris and Washington, D.C. institutes. Only advanced students are eligible. Students are expected to be in the final stages of writing and not requiring any topic-specific research support; it is strongly recommended that students apply only after completing two or more chapters, with plans to defend the following year. The application deadline is in early February. No applications will be considered before January.

Each site hosts an average of six doctoral students for six weeks, usually mid-June to mid-July. Participants must commit to work intensively and exclusively on writing their dissertations; full-time residence, without the interruption of family or friends, is required. For on-site participants, travel and dormitory housing are provided, as are a per diem subsidy ($50), office space, and modest administrative support.

The structure of each workshop is determined by the needs of the group and supported by an on-site faculty advisor. Students can expect to participate in weekly discussions as well as regular one-on-one meetings. The application deadline for 2023 is March 2. Email [email protected] for more information.

NYU Research Institutes at the Sites: Faculty & Graduate Students

The Research Institutes were created to support NYU full-time faculty and graduate students, based in New York City, who wish to have NYU infrastructural support while conducting research abroad. Faculty should be on leave or have extramural funding and graduate students (in all degree programs) should be on fellowship or have other external support.

GRI institutes have been established at NYU's sites in Athens, Berlin, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, and Washington, D.C.  Most locations support, on average, five faculty and five graduate students.

Each Research Institute draws together a disparate group of university faculty and graduate students, giving priority to those who have a research-related need to be in a given location (archives, collections, colleagues, etc.), and/or are applying for the first time. Applicants may request to spend one month or longer at a GRI Institute at any time during a fall or spring semester. Scholars may hold only one GRI fellowship per academic year.

Faculty and graduate student fellows at GRI Research Institutes are given office space, modest administrative support, one round-trip, economy ticket from New York to the site (to be booked through the GRI program), and a per diem subsidy intended to partially defray living costs. Per diem rates for the Research Institutes are as follows: Athens, Berlin, Florence, London, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, and Tel Aviv are set at $75 per day; Washington, D.C. is set at $70 per day. Regardless of the length of the fellowship, the per diem may not exceed 90 days.

Applications for all institutes are considered on a rolling basis; fellowship notifications are announced three times a year (fall, early spring semester, late spring semester). As space is limited, applicants are encouraged to register their interest as far in advance as possible. Apply for the Research Institutes at the Sites

The deadline for Spring 2024 applications is Thursday, September 14, 2023 .

Steinhardt Office of Research and Doctoral Studies Awards 

Students are encouraged to review the Steinhardt Office of Research and Doctoral Studies Awards and Grants Website for additional funding opportunities including the following:

Steinhardt Doctoral Research and Travel Grant: This grant is for fully matriculated Steinhardt doctoral students and provides a maximum of $1,500 for travel and other expenses associated with field research, presenting papers at scholarly and professional conferences, as well as expenses for creative projects directly related to doctoral study or professional development. Requests are considered as funds are available. Preference is given to first time awardees. The deadlines are October 1 (fall), February 1 (spring), and May 1 (summer). Find the application link on the Awards and Grants Website

Mitchell Leaska Dissertation Award: This award honors the legacy of Mitchell Leaska, a distinguished professor who taught English and Humanities at NYU Steinhardt for almost 40 years. The award is available to students nearing completion of their dissertation whose doctoral programs are in applied psychology (counseling, developmental, PSI), educational sociology, social studies education, mathematics education, or science education. A $5,000 stipend is awarded to one recipient per semester, excluding summer. The deadlines are October 15 (fall) and March 1 (spring). Apply for the Mitchell Leaska Dissertation Research Award

Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Award: This award honors graduate students for their contribution to the creation and delivery of exceptional learning environments. All Steinhardt doctoral students who have taught at least one credit-bearing course, either as a teaching assistant or instructor of record, and who are nearing completion of their degree requirements are eligible for this award. Nominees must be in good academic standing, as determined by department and school regulations. Recipients of the award receive $1,500. The deadline is March 1. Apply for the Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Award

Steinhardt Dissertation Finishing Award: This award supports doctoral students working toward the completion of their dissertations. Three $10,000 awards will be granted in Steinhardt’s areas of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Steinhardt PhD candidates whose degrees will be conferred in 2024 (January 2024, May 2024, or September 2024) are eligible. Note that students in Years 4-6 are prioritized. Final oral examinations must be completed during the Fall 2023, Spring 2024, or the Summer 2024 semester. Steinhardt's Senior Leadership Team will serve as the review committee and will evaluate applicants based on their evidence of outstanding scholarship and their contributions to the field. Recipients received $3,000 upon notification of award (November/December 2023) and the remaining $7,000 after the successful completion of their final oral exam (no later than August 2024). The deadline is October 15, 2023 - Apply now! 

Outstanding Dissertation Award: Steinhardt's Outstanding Dissertation Award honors one student each year based on the recommendation of the Doctoral Affairs Committee. Steinhardt doctoral students who graduated or will graduate during the current academic year (September, January, or May) are eligible. Nominations must be submitted by the candidate’s dissertation committee chairperson with the endorsement of the entire final oral commission. Download the Outstanding Dissertation Nomination Award Form (Faculty Use Only)

Program-specific Funding Opportunities

Educational theatre: swortzell permanent fund scholarships.

This scholarship honors the legacy of Nancy and Lowell Swortzell, distinguished professors who founded the Program in Educational Theatre at NYU Steinhardt in 1966 and taught in the program for 40 years. Doctoral students may receive scholarships from this fund twice during their studies. Up to a $5,000 bursary will be awarded to students and applied to their account in one of four areas: Service-based Merit, Academic Merit, Artistic Merit, or to attend study abroad programs offered by the Program in Educational Theatre. This scholarship can only be applied towards tuition and/or registration fees for NYU courses. The deadlines are early April (fall), early November (spring), and late January (summer). Application instructions will be sent over the Educational Theatre list serve; interested students should email Dr. Jonathan Jones .

Music Technology Scholarship Opportunities

For scholarships available to students in the Music Technology Program, students should contact their academic advisors.

External Funding Opportunities 

NYU’s Office of Sponsored Programs Website provides information on both internal and external funding opportunities. 

The Steinhardt Office of Doctoral Studies maintains a List of Funding Opportunities External to Steinhardt that includes information about funding opportunities, fellowships, foundation and grant databases, and proposal management. 

Many deadlines for dissertation fellowships occur in late summer or early fall. Those seeking funding for dissertation research should begin researching potential grants during their second year. International students are encouraged to include their country of citizenship in their searches for funding opportunities, as many governments offer funding to students studying outside their home country.

A sample list of external grants and deadlines: 

·         National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant: various 

·         Fulbright U.S. Student Program: various 

·         Mellon / ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships

·         Wenner-Grenn Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grants: May, November 

·         Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowships: November 

·         American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowships: November 

NYU Steinhardt defines any source of funding provided outside of departmental funds to be “external funds.” This includes grants through Steinhardt or NYU. Those intending to apply for external funding are required to notify the Steinhardt Office of Research and Doctoral Studies and provide the following information no later than 30 days before the deadline:

·         Name 

·         Department 

·         Faculty Advisor 

·         RFO or link to online information. 

This step is required due to the rules the University has regarding the use of external funds. In some cases, the terms, conditions, and rules of the grant will affect internal funding packages and departmental responsibilities. The department will work to ensure that students receive the maximum benefits of external support. 

Additional External Funding Opportunities:

AAUW (American Association of University Women) Dissertation Fellowships 

AERA (American Educational Research Association) Dissertation Grants

CAORC - Council of American Overseas Research Centers

Charles Babbage Institute, Tomash Fellowship in the History of Information Technology

Charlotte Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship (for "study of ethical and religious values in all areas of human endeavor")

Chateaubriand Fellowships  ("To allow American doctorate students to benefit from an experience in a French University")  

Coordinating Council for Women in History Awards

Council for European Studies Pre-Dissertation Fellowship Program

Critical Language Scholarships - Summer Institutes (US State Department) 

Josephine De Karman Fellowships

EUSA Ernst Haas Fund Fellowship Competition (EU-related dissertation research)

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowships, Williams College for underrepresented groups to promote diversity on college faculties

Hagley Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society Dissertation Fellowships (must use Hagley’s collections)  

Lemelson Center/Smithsonian (history of invention/innovation)

Mellon/ACLS (American Council of Learned Societies) Fellowship and Grants

NSF (National Science Foundation) – list of fellowships and grants

NSF: Grad Research Fellowships in Social Sciences  *(not dissertation)

National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Program – research on education and learning

SSRC (Social Science Research Council): Fellowships & Opportunities

SSRC (Social Science Research Council): Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship  

Tinker Foundation – Mostly related to Latin American Studies

United States Institute of Peace: Dissertation Fellowships

Woodrow Wilson Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in Women's Studies

Wyeth Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship / Smithsonian (traditions of American Art)

NYU Steinhardt Fully Funded PhD Program In Education

The PhD Program in Education at NYU Steinhardt is a full-time, on-campus program that offers a rigorous course of study and the opportunity to work with faculty who are leading scholars and practitioners in their fields. You will have access to the broader resources of NYU, including the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, which allows you to pursue interdisciplinary courses and work with faculty from other programs within NYU.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is offered in Educational Communication and Technology, Educational Leadership, Higher Education; Human Development/Childhood Education; Politics and Education; Research Methodology; Social Context of Education; and Teaching and Learning.

I’m writing this blog because I got accepted into the NYU Steinhardt Fully Funded PhD Program In Education, and I want to share my experience with anyone who is thinking about applying or who is interested in the application process.

For students who want to take their education beyond just a degree, NYU Steinhardt offers you an opportunity to earn a PhD in Education from one of the nation’s most distinguished universities. A fully funded program, our PhD in Education will train you to become an educator, researcher, and advocate for change in education. As a PhD candidate, you’ll build your knowledge base while working with leading researchers, teachers and thinkers at the forefront of education research.

Your Ph.D. funding may come in the form of a variety of scholarships and scholarships that are available to international and domestic students, and there are also fully sponsored online Ph.D. programs available to those students who are unable to do so in the study center due to their already full schedule. They can go ahead to learn at their own pace and still make their dreams come true.

NYU Steinhardt offers fully funded programs for a PhD program in Education. The university offers 21 different PhD programs in education and awards packages covering the full payment of tuition and a yearly living stipend of $25,000. Students are mentored by a scholarly and supportive community dedicated to the art and science of pedagogy. All PhDs go through core courses and then select a concentration on which to write their dissertation. Students will work closely with a research advisor as they complete there dissertation and will have access to NYU’s resources as they research their thesis.

Right here on College learners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on New York University PhD Programs, nyu steinhardt phd stipend, NYU PhD Acceptance Rate, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

At NYU Steinhardt, we believe that a doctorate degree in education should be fully funded. We want to help you become the best teacher and/or education researcher you can possibly be. That’s why every student who is admitted into our PhD program in Education Leadership, Policy, and Politics receives full funding. Our program seeks to prepare students for careers as researchers and higher education faculty members through rigorous coursework and research opportunities. Every student works with a faculty advisor who supports them in developing their research skills and interests. In fact, students have the opportunity to work alongside faculty members, who are respected leaders in their fields of study, on their own research projects. In addition, students are encouraged to participate in grant-funded research projects and can also receive support from the department’s peer-mentoring program and writing group. Students are also provided with professional development workshops in areas such as teaching and grant writing. When they complete the program, students are prepared for an academic career or another leadership position in public policy or politics.

Funding Opportunities

The steinhardt fellows program.

The basic full-time PhD funding package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance through your fifth year. We provide full details with our offer of admission.

Research Assistantships

Some doctoral students may be appointed to a Research Assistantship. Research Assistants are funded by external grants and work with a principal investigator on a funded research project. Unlike Steinhardt Fellows, Research Assistants agree to work 20 hours per week on an ongoing research project, typically with a team of faculty and other students. Research Assistants may not perform additional work assignments such as teaching or grading.

For the duration of the assistantship, Research Assistants receive funding that includes a stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance.

Other Expenses to Consider

Beyond what is covered by your Steinhardt Fellowship or Research Assistantship, you may have additional expenses that you should keep in mind as you plan your budget. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Late registration fees
• Tuition for undergraduate courses
• Tuition for graduate courses not applicable to your degree
• Tuition for courses in excess of the total point requirement for your degree
• Tuition for courses completed after the end of the fifth year
• Tuition for courses and fees used to maintain official enrollment for study leading to a degree after the end of the fifth year; see doctoral student policies for more information
• Student health insurance for students beyond the fifth year (note that students who are employed by NYU, such as Research Assistants or Adjunct Instructors, may receive health insurance as an employee benefit)

New York University PhD Programs

ur goal is to prepare scholars who can be effective leaders and agents of change in their fields—professionals who will have an impact on the lives of children and adults, on educational policy and practice. To this end, we offer opportunities for you to work closely with leading researchers in such areas as applied social psychology; bilingual/bicultural education; educational communication and technology; educational theatre; early childhood education; elementary and secondary education; globalization studies; higher education administration; mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education; music

The next step involved short essays and letters of recommendation. Once those were all turned in, I had to set up an interview with one of the faculty members in the department. This interview helped me determine if the program was right for me, and it also let them assess whether or not they wanted to give me an offer of admission.

The basic full-time PhD funding package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance through your fourth year. We provide full details with our offer of admission.

• Tuition for courses completed after the end of the fourth year
• Tuition for courses and fees used to maintain official enrollment for study leading to a degree after the end of the fourth year; see doctoral student policies for more information
• Student health insurance for students beyond the fourth year (note that students who are employed by NYU, such as Research Assistants or Adjunct Instructors, may receive health insurance as an employee benefit).

nyu steinhardt phd stipend

For more than 40 years, the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development has offered fully funded PhD programs in a broad range of specialties in education. We take pride in the fact that, unlike other schools of education around the country, we offer a full range of financial support (tuition, stipend, benefits) to all of our doctoral students.

Full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD students without alternate funding sources are eligible for a generous funding package that includes a scholarship and tuition remission.

The basic full-time, PhD funding package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance through the fifth year. Complete details are provided with each offer of admission.

Some doctoral students may be appointed to a Research Assistantship. Research Assistants are funded by external grants and work with a principal investigator on a funded research project. Unlike Steinhardt Fellows, Research Assistants agree to work 20 hours per week on an ongoing research project, typically with a team of faculty and other students. For the duration of the assistantship, Research Assistants receive funding that includes tuition remission for required course work, student health insurance, and a stipend. Research Assistants may not perform additional work assignments such as teaching or grading.

Awards and Grants

Doctoral research and travel grant.

This grant is for fully matriculated Steinhardt doctoral students and provides a maximum of $1,500 for travel and other expenses associated with field research, presenting papers at scholarly and professional conferences, as well as expenses for creative projects directly related to doctoral study or professional development. Requests are considered as funds are available. Preference is given to first time awardees. The deadlines are February 1 (spring), May 1 (summer) and October 1 (fall). Apply for Summer 2022.

Mitchell Leaska Dissertation Research Award

This award honors the legacy of Mitchell Leaska, a distinguished professor who taught English and Humanities at NYU Steinhardt for almost 40 years. The award is  available to students nearing completion of their dissertation whose doctoral programs are in applied psychology (counseling, developmental, PSI), educational sociology, social studies education, mathematics education, or science education.  A $5,000 stipend will be awarded to one recipient per semester, excluding summer. The deadlines are October 15 (fall) and March 1 (spring). Apply for the Mitchell Leaska Dissertation Research Award.

Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Award

This award honors doctoral students for their contribution to the creation and delivery of exceptional learning environments. All Steinhardt doctoral students who have taught at least one credit-bearing course, either as a teaching assistant or instructor of record, and who are nearing completion of their degree requirements are eligible this award. Nominees must be in good academic standing, as determined by their department and school regulations. Recipients of the award receive $1,500. The deadline is March 1. Apply for the Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching Award.

Steinhardt Dissertation Finishing Award

This new award supports doctoral students working toward the completion of their dissertations. Three $10,00 awards will be granted in Steinhardt’s areas of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Steinhardt PhD candidates whose degrees will be conferred in 2022 (January 2022, May 2022, or September 2022) are eligible. Final oral examinations must be completed during the Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or the Summer 2022 semester. Steinhardt’s Senior Leadership Team will serve as the review committee and will evaluate applicants based on their evidence of outstanding scholarship and their contributions to the field. The deadline is October 15, 2021. Apply for the Steinhardt Dissertation Finishing Award. 

Outstanding Dissertation Award

Steinhardt’s Outstanding Dissertation Award honors one student each year based on the recommendation of the Doctoral Affairs Committee. Steinhardt doctoral students who graduated or will graduate during the current academic year (September, January, or May) are eligible. Nominations must be submitted by the candidate’s dissertation committee chairperson with the endorsement of the entire final oral commission. Download the Outstanding Dissertation Nomination Award Form (Faculty Use Only).

Phi Delta Kappa Doctoral Dissertation Award

The Phi Delta Kappa Doctoral Dissertation Award provides support of $1,200 for the completion of a dissertation in the area of educational leadership, teaching and learning, or music education. Doctoral candidates with approved dissertation proposals, UCAIHS clearance (if required) and in good academic standing are invited to apply for the award. The deadline is February 20. View the application criteria or download the application.

Selected List of Funding Opportunities External to Steinhardt

• NYU’s Summer Dissertation Writing Program
• Cross-NYU Urban Doctoral Fellowship Program
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Science Foundation
• National Institutes of Health
• Institute of Education Sciences
• Social Innovation Fund
• Microsoft Research
• Scholarships.com
• Student Scholarship Database
• Unigo Directory of Scholarships
• Institute of International Education
• International Education Financial Aid
• ExpandEd Schools – Find Funding
• Grant Forward
• Penn Hill Group Federal Grant Opportunities

NYU PhD Acceptance Rate

We created this blog for individuals interested in pursuing their doctorate in educational leadership or continuing their education in a related field. In this space, you’ll find updates about all things related to NYU’s EdD program—from application deadlines and events to faculty insights and research findings. We will also share articles that we think might interest you, including content on important issues facing education today, such as gender and social equity, individualized learning models, and more.

By combining my experience as a secondary math teacher with my passion for computational thinking and data-driven decision making, I hope to have a meaningful impact on education policy and close the achievement gap.

How hard is it to get into NYU PhD?

How hard is it to be accepted in NYU for graduate school? If by hard you mean an acceptance  is between 5% and 10% , then NYU is hard. The other answers stated that NYU is not hard if you decent grades and good standardized test scores, but using the cited statistics, 90% to 95% applicants are rejected. The program typically takes  five years  to complete. Will a prior master’s degree or MBA reduce the time it takes to complete the Ph. D.

What percentage of applicants are admitted to the PhD program?

The program admits approximately 5-8 students to the PhD Program each year. The admit rate is  around 5% .

How competitive is NYU PhD program?

How competitive are admissions? We typically  receive over 350 applicants , and make offers of admission to about 30-35 students.

How hard is it to get into NYU Steinhardt?

In 2020, NYU’s acceptance rate fell to a record low:  15% . That means that NYU admits 15 out of every 100 applicants. An acceptance rate of just 15% means that NYU is highly selective—and getting even more so.

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NYU Graduate Students Win Dissertation Completion Fellowships from American Council of Learned Societies

Four NYU graduate students have been named winners of the American Council of Learned Societies’ Dissertation Completion Fellowship competition, the New York-based organization announced.

Four New York University graduate students have been named winners of the American Council of Learned Societies’ Dissertation Completion Fellowship competition, the New York-based organization announced.

ACLS made 70 awards, which include a $30,000 stipend, plus up to $8,000 for research and university fees, to graduate students in their final year of dissertation writing. Fellows were selected from nearly 1,000 applicants.

“Scholars at this critical juncture of their professional development need the uninterrupted time to write and complete their dissertations that this fellowship provides,” said Matthew Goldfeder, ACLS director of fellowship programs. “ACLS enlists a panel of senior scholars, who themselves represent the diversity of the humanities, to select fellows poised to make significant contributions to knowledge and discourse over their careers.”

This year’s NYU fellows and their dissertation titles are:

• Lee Elizabeth Douglas, Department of Anthropology, “Producing Historical Knowledge in a World of Absence: Forensic Science, Cultures of Documentation, and the Politics of Memory in Post-Franco Spain” • Tamara Kneese, the Steinhardt School’s Department of Media, Culture, and Communication, “Digital Afterlives: Patterning Posterity through Networked Remains” • Samuel Galen Ng, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, “Embodying Pain: The Politics of Black Mourning in the United States, 1917-1955” • Maria Vinogradova, the Tisch School of the Arts’ Maurice Kanbar Institute of Cinema Studies, “Amateur Cinema in the Soviet Union, 1957-1991: History, Ideology, and Culture”

This program is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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Dissertating Like a Distance Runner: Ten Tips for Finishing Your PhD

The above photo is of Sir Mo Farah running past Buckingham Palace into the home stretch of the London Marathon. I took the photo two days after my viva, in which I defended my PhD dissertation. Farah become a British hero when he and his training partner, Galen Rupp, won the gold and silver medals in the 10k at the London Olympic Games.

I had the honor of racing against Rupp at Nike’s Boarder Clash meet between the fastest high school distance runners in my home state of Washington and Rupp’s home state of Oregon. I’m happy to provide a link to the results and photos of our teenage selves since I beat Galen and Washington won the meet. (Note: In the results, ‘Owen’ is misspelled with the commonly added s , which I, as a fan of Jesse Owens, feel is an honor.) By the time we were running in college—Rupp for the University of Oregon and myself for the University of Washington—he was on an entirely different level. I never achieved anything close to the kind of running success Rupp has had. Yet, for most of us mortals, the real value in athletics is the character traits and principles that sports instill in us, and how those principles carry over to other aspects of life. Here I want to share ten principles that the sport of distance running teaches, which I found to be quite transferrable to writing my doctoral dissertation.

To provide some personal context, I began as a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham in 2014. At that time my grandparents, who helped my single father raise my sister and me, continued their ongoing struggle with my Grandfather’s Alzheimer’s. It was becoming increasingly apparent that they would benefit from having my wife and I nearby. So, in 2015 we moved to my hometown of Yakima, Washington. That fall I began a 2/2 teaching load at a small university on the Yakama Nation Reservation as I continued to write my dissertation. Since finishing my PhD four years ago, in 2018, I have published one book , five research articles , and two edited volume chapters related in various ways to my dissertation. As someone living in rural Eastern Washington, who is a first-gen college grad, I had to find ways to stay self-motivated and to keep chipping away at my academic work. I found the following principles that I learned through distance running very helpful.

(1) Establish community . There are various explanations, some of which border on superstitious, for why Kenyan distance runners have been so dominant. Yet one factor is certainly the running community great Kenyan distance runners benefit from at their elite training camps, as discussed in Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way . Having a community that values distance running can compel each member of the community to pursue athletic excellence over a long period of time. The same can be said for academic work. Many doctoral researchers have built-in community in their university departments, but for various reasons this is not true for everyone. Thankfully, alternative ways to establish community have never been easier, predominantly due to technology.

Since my dissertation applied Aristotelian causation and neo-Thomistic hylomorphism to mental causation and neural correlates of consciousness, I found it immensely helpful to meet consistently with neuroscientist, Christof Koch, and philosopher of mind, Mihretu Guta. Mihretu does work on the philosophy of consciousness and Christof propelled the dawn of the neurobiology of consciousness with Francis Crick . Though Mihretu lives in Southern California, we met monthly through Skype, and I would drive over the Cascade Mountains once a month to meet with Christof in Seattle. As my dissertation examiner, Anna Marmodoro, once reminded me: the world is small—it’s easier than ever before to connect with other researchers.

It can also be helpful to keep in mind that your community can be large or small. As some athletes train in large camps consisting of many runners, others have small training groups, such as the three Ingebrigtsen brothers . Likewise, your community could be a whole philosophy department or several close friends. You can also mix it up. As an introvert, I enjoyed my relatively small consistent community, but I also benefitted from attending annual regional philosophy conferences where I could see the same folks each year. And I especially enjoyed developing relationships with other international researchers interested in Aristotelian philosophy of mind at a summer school hosted by the University of Oxford in Naples, which Marmodoro directed. For a brief period, we all stayed in a small villa and talked about hylomorphism all day, each day, while enjoying delicious Italian food.

Whatever your community looks like, whatever shape it takes, what matters is that you’re encouraged toward accomplishing your academic goal.

(2) Know your goal. Like writing a dissertation, becoming a good distance runner requires a lot of tedious and monotonous work. If you don’t have a clear goal of what you want to achieve, you won’t get up early, lace up your running shoes, and enter the frosty morning air as you take the first of many steps in your morning run. There are, after all, more enticing and perhaps even more pressing things to do. Similarly, if you don’t have a clear goal of when you want to finish your dissertation, it is easy to put off your daily writing for another day, which can easily become more distant into the future.

(3) Be realistic about your goal . While it is important to have a clear goal as a distance runner and as a doctoral researcher, it is important for your goal to be realistic. This means your goal should take into account the fact that you are human and therefore have both particular strengths and limitations. Everyone enters the sport of distance running with different strengths and weaknesses. When Diddy ran the city it would have been unrealistic for him to try to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon, as Eliud Kipchoge did . If Diddy made that his goal, he probably would have lost all hope in the first mile of the marathon and never finished. Because he set a more realistic goal of breaking four hours, not two hours, he paced himself accordingly and actually finished.

The parent of two young children who is teaching part-time can certainly finish a dissertation. But the parent will have a greater likelihood of doing so with a reasonable goal that fits that individual’s strengths and limitations. If the parent expects to finish on the same timescale as someone who is single with no children nor teaching responsibilities, this will likely lead to disappointment and less motivation in the middle of the process. Motivation will remain higher, and correspondingly so will productivity that is fueled by motivation, if one’s goal is realistic and achievable.

Another element of having a realistic goal is being willing to adapt the goal as your circumstances change. Sometimes a runner might enter a race expecting to place in the top five and midway through the race realize that she has a great chance of winning (consider, for example, Des Linden’s victory at the Boston Marathon ). At that point, it would be wise to revise one’s goal to be ‘win the race’ rather than simply placing in the top five. At other times, a runner might expect to win the race or be on the podium and midway realize that is no longer possible. Yet, if she is nevertheless within striking distance of placing in the top five, then she can make that her new goal, which is realistic given her current situation and will therefore sustain her motivation to the finish line. Sara Hall, who could have and wanted to crack the top three, held on for fifth at the World Championships marathon because she adjusted her goal midrace.

The PhD candidate who initially plans to finish her dissertation in three years but then finds herself in the midst of a pandemic or dealing with a medical issue or a family crisis may not need to give up on her goal of finishing her dissertation. Perhaps, she only needs to revise her goal so that it allows more time, so she finishes in five years rather than three. A PhD finished in five years is certainly more valuable than no PhD.

(4) Know why you want to achieve your goal . My high school cross-country coach, Mr. Steiner, once gave me a book about distance running entitled “Motivation is the Name of the Game.” It is one of those books you don’t really need to read because the main takeaway is in the title. Distance running requires much-delayed gratification—you must do many things that are not intrinsically enjoyable (such as running itself, ice baths, going to bed early, etc.) in order to achieve success. If you don’t have a solid reason for why you want to achieve your running goal, you won’t do the numerous things you do not want to do but must do to achieve your goal. The same is true for finishing a PhD. Therefore, it is important to know the reason(s) why you want to finish your dissertation and why you want a PhD.

As a side note, it can also be immensely helpful to choose a dissertation topic that you are personally very interested in, rather than a topic that will simply make you more employable. Of course, being employable is something many of us must consider. Yet, if you pick a topic that is so boring to you that you have significant difficulty finding the motivation to finish your dissertation, then picking an “employable dissertation topic” will be anything but employable.

(5) Prioritize your goal . “Be selfish” were the words of exhortation my college cross-country team heard from our coaches before we returned home for Christmas break. As someone who teaches ethics courses, I feel compelled to clarify that “be selfish” is not typically good advice. However, to be fair to my coaches, the realistic point they were trying to convey was that at home we would be surrounded by family and friends who may not fully understand our running goals and what it takes to accomplish them. For example, during my first Christmas break home from college, I was trying to run eighty miles per week. Because I was trying to fit these miles into my social schedule without much compromise, many of these miles were run in freezing temps, in the dark, on concrete sidewalks with streetlights, rather than dirt trails. After returning to campus following the holidays, I raced my first indoor track race with a terribly sore groin, which an MRI scan soon revealed was due to a stress fracture in my femur. I learned the hard way that I have limits to what I can do, which entails I must say “no thanks” to some invitations, even though that may appear selfish to some.

A PhD researcher writing a dissertation has a substantial goal before her. Yet, many people writing a dissertation have additional responsibilities, such as teaching, being a loving spouse, a faithful friend, or a present parent. As I was teaching while writing my dissertation, I often heard the mantra “put students first.” Yet, I knew if I prioritized my current students over and above finishing my dissertation, I would, like many, never finish my dissertation. However, I knew it would be best for my future students to be taught by an expert who has earned a PhD. So, I put my future students first by prioritizing finishing my PhD . This meant that I had to limit the teaching responsibilities I took on. Now, my current students are benefitting from my decision, as they are taught by an expert in my field.

While prioritizing your dissertation can mean putting it above some things in life, it also means putting it below other things. A friend once told me he would fail in a lot of areas in life before he fails as a father, which is often what it means to practically prioritize one goal above another. Prioritizing family and close friendships need not mean that you say ‘yes’ to every request, but that you intentionally build consistent time into your schedule to foster relationships with the people closest to you. For me, this practically meant not working past 6:00pm on weekdays and taking weekends off to hang out with family and friends. This relieved pressure, because I knew that if something went eschew with my plan to finish my PhD, I would still have the people in my life who I care most about. I could then work toward my goal without undue anxiety about the possibility of failing and the loss that would entail. I was positively motivated by the likely prospect that I would, in time, finish my PhD, and be able to celebrate it with others who supported me along the way.

(6) Just start writing . Yesterday morning, it was five degrees below freezing when I did my morning run. I wanted to skip my run and go straight to my heated office. So, I employed a veteran distance running trick to successfully finish my run. I went out the door and just started running. That is the hardest part, and once I do it, 99.9% of the time I finish my run.

You may not know what exactly you think about a specific topic in the chapter you need to write, nor what you are going to write each day. But perhaps the most simple and helpful dissertation advice I ever received was from David Horner, who earned his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford. He told me: “just start writing.” Sometimes PhD researchers think they must have all their ideas solidified in their mind before they start writing their dissertation. In fact, writing your dissertation can actually help clarify what you think. So “just start writing” is not only simple but also sage advice.

(7) Never write a dissertation . No great marathoner focuses on running 26.2 miles. Great distance runners are masters of breaking up major goals into smaller goals and then focusing on accomplishing one small goal at a time, until they have achieved the major goal. Philosophers can understand this easily, as we take small, calculated steps through minor premises that support major premises to arrive at an overall conclusion in an argument.

Contained within each chapter of a dissertation is a premise(s) in an overall argument and individual sections can contain sub-premises supporting the major premise of each chapter. When you first start out as a doctoral researcher working on your dissertation, you have to construct an outline of your dissertation that maps out the various chapters and how they will relate to your overall conclusion. Once you have that outline in place, keep it in the back of your mind. But do not focus on writing the whole, which would be overwhelming and discouraging. Rather, focus on writing whichever chapter you are working on. The fastest American marathoner, Ryan Hall, wrote a book that sums up the only way to run long distances in the title Run the Mile You’re In . And Galen Rupp discusses in this interview how he mentally breaks up a marathon into segments and focuses on just finishing one segment at a time. Whatever chapter you’re writing, make it your goal to write that chapter. Once you’ve accomplished that goal, set a new goal: write the next chapter. Repeat that process several times and you will be halfway through your dissertation. Repeat the process a few more times, and you will be done.

By the time you have finished a master’s degree, you have written many chapter-length papers. To finish a dissertation, you essentially write about eight interconnected papers, one at a time, just as you have done many times before. If you just write the chapter (which you could call a “paper” if that feels like a lighter load) you’re writing, before you know it, you will have written a dissertation.

(8) Harness the power of habits . Becoming a great distance runner requires running an inordinate number of miles, which no one has the willpower to do. The best marathoners in the world regularly run well over one hundred miles a week, in addition to stretching, lifting weights, taking ice baths, and eating healthy. Not even the most tough-minded distance runner has the gumption to make all the individual decisions that would be required in order to get out the door for every run and climb into every ice bath apart from the development of habits. The most reliable way around each distance runner’s weakness of will, or akrasia , is developing and employing habits. The same can be true for writing.

If you simply try to write a little bit each weekday around the same time, you will develop a habit of writing at that time each day. Once you have that habit, the decision to write each weekday at that time will require less and less willpower over time. Eventually, it will take some willpower to not write at that time. I have found it helpful to develop the routine of freewriting for a few minutes just before starting my daily writing session of thirty minutes during which I write new content, before working on editing or revising existing content for about thirty minutes. My routine helped me develop the daily habit of writing, which removes the daily decision to write, as I “just do it” (to use Nike’s famous line) each day.

I have also found it helpful to divide my days up according to routines. As a morning person, I do well writing and researching in the morning, doing teaching prep and teaching during the middle of the day, and then doing mundane tasks such as email at the end of the day.

(9) Write for today and for tomorrow . Successful distance runners train for two reasons. One reason—to win upcoming races—is obvious. However, in addition to training for upcoming races, the successful distance runner trains today for the training that they want to be capable of months and years ahead. You cannot simply jump into running eighty, ninety, or one-hundred-mile weeks. It takes time to condition your body to sustain the stress of running high mileage weeks. A runner must have a long-term perspective and plan ahead as she works toward her immediate goals on the way to achieving her long-term goals. Similarly, for the PhD researcher, writing a dissertation lays the groundwork for future success.

For one, if the PhD candidate develops healthy, sustainable, productive habits while writing a dissertation, these habits can be continued once they land an academic job. It is no secret that the initial years on the job market, or in a new academic position, can be just as (or more) challenging than finishing a PhD. Effective habits developed while writing a dissertation can be invaluable during such seasons, allowing one to continue researching and writing even with more responsibilities and less time.

It is also worth noting that there is a sense in which research writing becomes easier, as one becomes accustomed to the work. A distance runner who has been running for decades, logging thousands of miles throughout their career, can run relatively fast without much effort. For example, my college roommate, Travis Boyd, decided to set the world record for running a half marathon pushing a baby stroller nearly a decade after we ran for the University of Washington. His training was no longer what it once was during our collegiate days. Nevertheless, his past training made it much easier for him to set the record, even though his focus had shifted to his full-time business career and being a present husband and father of two. I once asked my doctoral supervisors, Nikk Effingham and Jussi Suikkanen, how they were able to publish so much. They basically said it gets easier, as the work you have done in the past contributes to your future publications. Granted, not everyone is going to finish their PhD and then become a research super human like Liz Jackson , who finished her PhD in 2019, and published four articles that same year, three the next, and six the following year. Nevertheless, writing and publishing does become easier as you gain years of experience.

(10) Go running . As Cal Newport discusses in Deep Work , having solid boundaries around the time we work is conducive for highly effective academic work. And there is nothing more refreshing while dissertating than an athletic hobby with cognitive benefits . So, perhaps the best way to dissertate like a distance runner is to stop writing and go for a run.

Acknowledgments : Thanks are due to Aryn Owen and Jaden Anderson for their constructive feedback on a prior draft of this post.

• Matthew Owen

Matthew Owen (PhD, University of Birmingham) is a faculty member in the philosophy department at Yakima Valley College in Washington State. He is also an affiliate faculty member at the Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan. Matthew’s latest book is Measuring the Immeasurable Mind: Where Contemporary Neuroscience Meets the Aristotelian Tradition .

• Dissertating
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• Sabrina D. MisirHiralall

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Media studies phd receives nyu's outstanding dissertation award.

Harris Kornstein, who completed their PhD in Media, Culture, and Communication in Fall 2021, has received the highly competitive university-wide NYU Award for Outstanding Dissertation on the Topic of Inequality .

Kornstein's dissertation, "Queer Enchantment: Contours, Cruising, Crystal Visions, and Other Queer Tactics for (Not) Being Seen," examines the intersections of queerness and surveillance capitalism, proposing “queer enchantment” as a set of for avoiding, mitigating, and directly challenging observation. Drawing on digital media theory and queer studies, Kornstein documents creative queer/trans cultural practices like drag performance, queer-run transportation networks, and mystical spiritual practices like tarot and astrology that counter both social and digital forms of control. Contrary to traditional discourses of privacy or transparency, queer enchantment techniques operate less by withholding data or opting out, and rather by taking advantage of the paradoxical hyper- and in-visibility that many queer and trans people playfully modulate through affect, play, and allure—ultimately overwhelming both the senses and the sensors.

Harris Kornstein is currently an Assistant Professor of Public & Applied Humanities at the University of Arizona.

Photos from Kornstein's dissertation, on using drag makeup techniques to confound facial recognition algorithms.