Political Science Graduate Program
Graduate Program Cost of Study
For each academic year, graduate tuition and fees for full-time graduate students can be found on the Virginia Tech Bursar's website. In addition to tuition costs, students pay fees to cover access to the student center and health facility as well as unlimited rides on the local bus system. The cost of books is not included in these costs. Students with assistantships have their full tuition waived. They are responsible for fees and books each semester. Online students are not subject to fees.
Financial Assistance
The Department of Political Science offers qualified students assistantships awarded on the basis of academic merit. Students who are awarded assistantships receive monthly stipends in exchange for assisting faculty in teaching or research. Students with assistantships have the full cost of tuition covered.
Students must enroll for at least twelve hours of graduate credit each semester to be eligible for financial assistance and must make acceptable progress toward the degree to have assistance renewed from semester to semester. Students may apply for more than four semesters of financial assistance. However, there are a limited number of awards available, and students cannot depend on receiving support for more than four semesters., The degree can be completed in that time in most instances. Assistantships are not usually available for summer terms.
To be considered for financial assistance, students should send a written or e-mailed request to the Director of Graduate Studies (see the Information Request page for addresses). Requests for assistance should be received by March 31 of the calendar year in which students plan to enter the program.