For general information about costs and financial assistance, see Tuition and Funding on the Graduate School website. Prospective students (both MA and PhD) wanting to be considered for teaching assistantships and fellowships must complete and submit their application by February 1.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships are available to history graduate students. In a typical year, three or four teaching assistantships become available for incoming students and are awarded on a competitive basis during the admissions process. Graduate students holding teaching assistantships typically teach in the department's undergraduate survey sequences of American History and Western Civilization.

MA Teaching Assistantships

MA teaching assistantships are renewable for up to two years of total funding, pay approximately $10,000 a year, and include a tuition waiver and waiver of the registration fee. Other fees charged by the university—including for health insurance—are not covered. Renewal of teaching assistantships is dependent on strong academic performance, meaningful progress toward degree, and faithful execution of teaching duties. Please consult the department's Annual Student Review process.

PhD Teaching Assistantships

PhD teaching assistantships are renewable for up to five years of total funding, pay approximately $16,000 a year, and include a tuition waiver and waiver of the registration fee. Other fees charged by the university—including for health insurance—are not covered. Renewal of teaching assistantships is dependent on strong academic performance, meaningful progress toward degree, and faithful execution of teaching duties. Please consult the department's Annual Student Review process.

Special Doctoral Fellowships

The department offers two special fellowships for doctoral study. The George and Jane Dennison Fellowship covers tuition and fees and pays a yearly stipend of approximately $25,000. The Moser-McKinney Fellowship covers tuition and fees and pays a yearly stipend of approximately $16,000. Each fellowship is renewable for up to five years of total funding. As part of their training, fellowship recipients are expected to assist in the teaching of one course each year. Renewal of doctoral fellowships is dependent on strong academic performance, meaningful progress toward degree, and faithful execution of teaching duties.

Other Funding Opportunities

The History Department also administers these scholarships and fellowships, which support its graduate students and their research projects. Please contact the department's Director of Graduate Studies with any questions.

Tom Fulton Scholarship in History

The Fulton Scholarship supports graduate students in the Department of History working towards their MA or PhD degrees. 

Frederic G. Renner Western American History Scholarship

The Renner Scholarship supports graduate students in the Department of History working towards their MA or PhD degrees whose focus of study is Western American history.

Winifred Alice Vincent Taylor and Emmett Gordon Taylor Memorial Scholarship in Montana History

The Taylor Scholarships supports graduate or undergraduate students working towards their degrees whose focus of study is Western United States history, preferably Montana history.

Demers/Price Endowment for Montana History

The Demers/Price Endowment for Montana History supports the study of Montana history, particularly its understudied aspects and especially pioneer business leaders. This endowment may be used to support history graduate student fellowships and research. Funds are awarded at the discretion of the chair of the Department of History and in conjunction with the Graduate Program Committee.

Graders

The History Department has opportunities for graduate students to serve as paid graders in undergraduate courses. These opportunities vary each semester. For more information, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Research Grants

The History Department awards research and travel grants from two sources. The H. Duane Hampton Fund provides two $500 grants each year to departmental graduate students. The A.B. Hammond Fund for Western History provides research grants for graduate students working in Western U.S. history. The amount of the award is variable.

Teaching Opportunities

Contingent on the availability of funds, the department offers advanced Ph.D. candidates the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses of their own design. The topics of these courses typically relate to students’ primary field of expertise and dissertation research. Only Ph.D. students who have passed their comprehensive exams are eligible to teach their own course.

These teaching opportunities are competitive. When funds are available, the Department Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, or the Director of Undergraduate Studies will put out a call for course proposals. All proposals must include a course syllabus, course description, CV, and letter of recommendation from the student’s advisor. The Undergraduate Program Committee will assess the applications and make recommendations to the faculty.