Teaching Assistantships

Typically, you will receive a teaching assistantship for your first year in the Ph.D. program.  These appointments normally involve supervision of undergraduate chemistry laboratories or recitation sections and require approximately 12 hours per week (including preparation and grading).  The department provides intensive teacher training and pairs new teachers with experienced peer mentors.

Teaching assistantships carry a stipend of $29,000 for students entering in Fall 2024.  In addition, the department will pay teaching assistants' tuition.

 

Research Assistantships

After your first year, you will probably be supported by a research assistantship with your research director so that you can devote full time to your research.  Research assistantships carry a stipend of $28,000 for students entering in Fall 2023.  In addition, the research grant will pay research assistants' tuition.  The cost of living in the metropolitan Columbia area is typically less than comparably sized cities on the East Coast, especially for housing.

 

Fellowships

Each year, the University selects students to receive fellowships sponsored by federal programs, and these fellowships replace a research or teaching assistantship.  Prospective graduate students with superior records will automatically be considered for these fellowships.

Prospective graduate students will also be considered automatically for departmental fellowships given in addition to a teaching or research assistantship.  These fellowships are awarded to the most promising entering graduate students and provide supplements ranging from $1,000 to $4,000.  The Teague Fellowships honor Professor Peyton C. Teague, an organic chemist on our faculty who worked closely with the graduate program for many years.  The Murtiashaw Fellowship in Organic Chemistry honors Charles Murtiashaw III, a human disease researcher with Pfizer who received his Ph.D. degree in our department.  One Murtiashaw Fellow is selected each year from applicants who indicate an interest in organic chemistry.  Other fellowships include the IRIX/David L. Coffen Fellowship, and the Jerome D. Odom Fellowship in Chemistry.  Top applicants will also be nominated for the USC Presidential Fellowships, 

Entering domestic graduate students may also ask to be considered for the Summer Research Internship Program.  Summer interns, called Copenhaver Scholars, serve as research assistants typically for up to 10 weeks and earn up to $4,620 for the summer (i.e., $462 Per Week).  The program honors James Copenhaver, a former faculty member in organic chemistry who encouraged undergraduate research.