Scholarships
Information about graduate scholarships, fellowships, and other awards administered through the Office of Graduate Studies is available on their website. Three scholarships are awarded to political science graduate students in particular:
- D. Paul Fansler Memorial Scholarship. Awarded to seniors and graduate students in Political Science and International Studies, with high promise of achievement in international affairs.
- Frank and Nadezda Munk Political Science Scholarship. Awarded to an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student in Political Science with a particular interest in international affairs.
- Ione E. Curtis Endowed Scholarship. Awarded to one or two incoming Political Science graduate students who have demonstrated a potential to excel in the graduate program.
Students are also encouraged to look off-campus for scholarship opportunities. The American Political Science Association lists a number of organizations and agencies that fund one or another aspect of graduate study, including at the master’s level. Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, also provides information about scholarships available to its members.
Student Loans
Applicants interested in financial aid should submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Financial Aid) when they submit their applications to the Office of Admissions. All universities require the FAFSA before determining eligibility for loans, scholarships, and grants. Information is available from PSU’s Office of Financial Aid.
Two types of student loans are most common for graduate students: Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans and Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. Interest on subsidized loans is paid by the Federal Government as long as the student is enrolled at least half time. Interest on unsubsidized loans accrues from the time of disbursement and become part of the student’s repayment obligation. International students are not eligible for these loans.
WICHE Program
Through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), Political Science master’s students from select Western states may enroll in qualifying graduate programs and pay tuition at the same rate as Oregon residents. The WICHE/WRGP tuition benefits are awarded to students who are a resident of one of the following states or territories for a minimum of one year immediately preceding their term of admission:
Alaska, American Samoa (AS), Arizona, California, Colorado, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Federal States of Micronesia (FSM), Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Republic of Palau (PW), South Dakota, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming.
Completed WICHE/WRGP Applications must be received by the Graduate School no later than four weeks before the start of the first term for which the student will receive the benefit.
Students must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward their degree.
For more information about the WICHE and WRGP programs, visit the Student Finance website.
Student Employment
Students in the master’s program are often hired as graders and assigned to some of the higher enrolling classes in the undergraduate program. Working as a grader exposes the graduate student not only to the subject matter of the political science courses, but also to pedagogy and course management. Graders are paid an hourly wage. Other hourly student jobs are posted on Portland State University's Handshake website.
There may be a very limited number of graduate assistantships available to master’s students. They have a competitive application process. Some assistantships are funded by the College, by faculty-supervised contracts, or by external grants in support of faculty research (the latter two sources are also known as “soft money”). They usually include both tuition remission and a stipend, the amount depending on the number of hours per week that the student is expected to devote to the project and calculated as a share of a full-time equivalent (FTE).
The Center for Public Service Fellowship recruits graduate students from PSU and other institutions to match with public service sponsors. CPS fellowships are designed to mobilize intelligence, fresh ideas, and energy of truly exceptional candidates who are passionate about public service, can adapt quickly, and work independently on Oregon’s public sector challenges. Sponsoring agencies include state and local governments, cities and counties, and nonprofit organizations. We outline both fellowship models below, providing additional insight and information into candidate eligibility, compensation, and program expectations.