Assistantships & Fellowships

Each year, a certain number of incoming graduate students are awarded merit-based financial assistance from Emerson College. Merit-based awards are offered to full-time applicants who are judged to be exceptionally well qualified for graduate study based upon their comprehensive academic credentials, including professional promise and past academic excellence. Merit-based awards are distributed as Presidential Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships.

Guidelines for applicants seeking merit-based financial assistance:

• The application for admission must be completed as early as possible and before the priority merit aid deadlines.
• Applicants do not have to complete a separate application to be considered for merit aid.
• Both domestic and international students are eligible for merit awards.
• Offers of merit aid cannot be deferred until a later semester, even when an accepted student defers his/her admission to the College.
• Students receiving merit-based awards must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.20 each semester.
• Award recipients should be aware that this aid may affect any need-based federal loans they are also receiving.

Presidential Fellowships

Presidential Fellowships are offered to a small number of incoming full-time graduate students who have demonstrated the highest degree of academic excellence.  Distributed in $7,000 increments by semester (fall and spring)*, fellows receive the award based upon the length noted below.  Presidential Fellows receive this merit aid award without having to satisfy an on-campus work requirement.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistants receive awards of $5,000 per semester* (fall and spring) and are assigned to academic or administrative departments for 10 hours per week for 13 weeks per semester, performing research, working with faculty, or providing administrative support.

Duration of Award

Presidential Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships are awarded for continuous semesters, excluding summer.  The length of the award varies by program:

• Communication Management: Three semesters
• Communication Sciences & Disorders: Four semesters*
• Creative Writing: Four semesters
• Global Marketing Communication & Advertising: Two semesters
• Health Communication: Three semesters
• Integrated Marketing Communication: Three semesters
• Journalism: Four semesters
• Media Arts: Three semesters
• Publishing & Writing: Three semesters
• Theatre Education: Four semesters

*Award amounts may vary for Communication Sciences & Disorders