Finances

All Molecular Plant Sciences Program students receive financial support through one or more of the ways described below. All students on assistantships or fellowships receive health insurance and a tuition waiver.

Ph.D. Program Research Assistantships

This program enables students who have chosen a research area to enter directly into a faculty member’s laboratory and begin research their first year. Prospective students must be nominated for this assistantship by the faculty member whose lab they wish to enter, so it is essential that interested applicants contact faculty members directly to discuss their research.

Rotating Research Assistantships

Students with this type of assistantship spend their first year rotating through 3 to 4 different laboratories and finding an advisor by the end of their second semester.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships are available through the School of Biological Sciences and the Department of Chemistry. Students who are interested in a teaching assistantship should indicate which subject area they prefer on their Molecular Plant Sciences Program application materials. International students must pass an English exam before they are eligible for a teaching assistantship, and thus are usually not eligible for this assistantship their first year. Students with TA appointments can complete lab rotations during their first year or enter directly into a faculty lab.

NIH Protein Biotechnology Training Program Fellowships

Students who wish to be considered for these fellowships should indicate their interest on their Molecular Plant Sciences Program application materials. Exceptional U.S. applicants will be nominated for these awards, which provide two years of support (subsequent support is provided by the student’s faculty advisor). The fellowships require students to rotate through four laboratories during their first year. An internship and additional coursework, which may be integrated with the Molecular Plant Sciences Program requirements, are also required. Learn more: NIH Protein Biotechnology Training Program .

ARCS Fellowships

U.S. citizens who have a GPA of 3.5 or above and meet other qualifying conditions may be eligible for a prestigious ARCS fellowship, which provides $7,500 the first year and $5,000 for two consecutive years (in addition to any research or teaching assistantships received). If you qualify for an ARCS fellowship and are interested in finding out more information, please contact The MPS Acadcemic Coordinator.

Additional funding sources

Information about many sources of additional funding is available from the WSU Graduate School. Scholarship awards may also be available from academic colleges and departments.

WSU Graduate School Fellowships and Scholarships

Students in molecular plant sciences can receive WSU Graduate School fellowships or scholarships that pay for significant portions of their education.

Travel Awards

Graduate students have the opportunity to get stipends to attend conferences and meetings through the Graduate Student Travel Award Program.

Departmental and College Scholarships

The College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) awards scholarships to graduate students in molecular plant sciences. Students training in laboratories within the Institute of Biological Chemistry are eligible for fellowships from the John and Maggie McDougall Memorial Fund and the Loyal H. and Helen Davis Fellowship. Some faculty advisors also have support for graduate students through the Agricultural Research Center.

For more information about assistantships and financial support, please contact the MPS Academic Coordinator.