Financial Support

The two most common forms of support for graduate students are graduate research assistantships (GRAs) and graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs). Graduate research assistantships are offered to support work conducted on research projects under the supervision of one or more faculty members. Graduate teaching assistantships under faculty supervision are offered to start students on a track to acquire teaching experience. GRAs and GTAs are offered competitively, subject to available funds and faculty, and are usually limited to students pursuing Ph.D. degrees.

Unlike similar programs at some other land-grant universities, M.S. students will generally need to pay for their own tuition, fees, and living expenses.

Assistantships are awarded for nine months and can be renewed each year subject to normal progress criteria. PhD students who enter the program will generally receive funding for up to 5 years contingent on satisfactory academic progress and work performance. Graduate support is competitive with other schools and other grad disciplines at OSU. A GRA/GTA includes a tuition waiver. Students are responsible for student fees. Students receiving .49 FTE GRA support are expected to work an average of 255 hours per quarter.

Prospective students can apply for financial assistance at the same time they apply for admission, no later than January 15.

Fellowships and Scholarships

The department and University also award several graduate fellowships and scholarships to outstanding students. These include:

The Robert Johnson Fellowship: awarded to an outstanding graduate student in the program, with Ph.D. students at the dissertation stage receiving preference. The amount varies from year to year.

The Emery Castle Graduate Scholarships in Economics: awarded to graduate students in the program who have demonstrated excellence and/or show promise of performing well as a career economist. Both domestic and international students are eligible for these scholarships.

The Susanne Szentandrasi Fellowship: awarded to an outstanding student in Applied Economics interested in environmental and resource economics.  This fellowship was established in recognition of the commitment to excellence of Susanne Szentandrasi, a former Agricultural and Resource Economics graduate student. The award will be made annually and the amount will vary.

The D. Barton DeLoach Distinguished Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships: awarded on a competitive basis to outstanding graduate students in the program. The awards are given annually in the amounts of $2,000 and $15,000.

The Eric Englund Memorial Post-Graduate Scholarship: awarded annually to graduates of Oregon State University for postgraduate study in Applied Economics and Home Economics. The scholarship usually is divided between two candidates; one from each department. The award will be significantly increased for 2020/21 (from $2,000 to $30,000). More information here.

The Charles E. and Clara Marie Eckelman Graduate Fellowships: awarded to outstanding students in Applied Economics, Animal Sciences, Food Science and Technology, and Microbiology. The fellowship is for a student interested in working in the dairy industry upon graduation.

For more information on tuition costs and financial aid, see the OSU Graduate School page here.