Information to Applying and Incoming Graduate Students
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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Only doctoral students are eligible for consideration for financial assistance. Regretfully financial assistance is very limited. There are a limited number of fellowships that are offered to first-year students. Second years students often qualify for teaching assistantships. For further information on loans and other forms of financial assistance please contact:

University of Pennsylvania Office of Student Financial Services
Center for Graduate/Professional Students' Finance
115 Franklin Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6270
(215) 898-2046

We encourage students to explore all the teaching opportunities and other research possibilities that are available at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia area as well as regional, national and international endowments in seeking sources for the support of their graduate education. In the past our students have successfully competed for Mellon, Javits, NSF, and FLAS (Foreign Language Area Studies) fellowships.

While non-US citizens are equally eligible with US citizens and residents for the limited funding available through the program, on average, this funding covers perhaps ¼ or less of the overall cost of a degree. It is therefore important that all prospective students thoroughly explore all sources of grants and loans for which they are eligible through national, regional, or special interest sources.

Contract research opportunities in folklore-related topics, while not abundant, do occur in the Philadelphia area, and we do our utmost to monitor and circulate job information.

Teaching assistantships in certain other departments, especially through the Writing Across the University Program, are available to selected graduate students. Some of our students create and teach their own courses in the English Department. If you are interested in doing so, please contact Professor David Espey at (215) 898-7360.

Employment Opportunities in Folklore

Folklore and Folklife and the University of Pennsylvania will provide the necessary assistance to students seeking employment after graduation, yet we cannot provide any assurances for employment. In the past, our graduates have obtained teaching positions in leading universities in the United States and abroad as well as in museums and local, state and federal agencies.

For more information about specific grant and scholarship opportunities, visit the Financial Support section of the Graduate Program Handbook.

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