The University Fellows Award is a prestigious fellowship offered only to the University of Arizona's highest-ranked incoming graduate students. The Graduate College and Graduate Center administer the award.
- Award Overview
- Eligibility
- Expectations for University Fellows
- Expectations for Departments and Programs
Award Overview:
- In year 1
- $34,000 fellowship -- $14,500 of which will be disbursed in the fall, $14,500 in the spring, and $5,000 in the summer.
- A Graduate Tuition Scholarship (GTS) that covers base graduate tuition in fall and spring for courses taken through main campus in the first year (excludes program fees, differential tuition, and mandatory registration fees)
- Coverage under the UA Student Health Insurance Plan
- In year 2
- $500 for attending conferences or other professional development activities
- Access to ongoing professional development programs as well as social events, community collaborations, networking opportunities, and interdisciplinary colloquia throughout their graduate career (visit the Cohort Experience page for more information)
- College and departmental support in years 2 through 5 equal to or greater than what is consistent with a 0.25 FTE Graduate Assistantship and full tuition coverage.
Eligibility
- Any newly admitted doctoral student who will matriculate in the fall semester (Outstanding recruits from Master’s programs that require a minimum of 60 units are also eligible.)
- Students with stellar undergraduate or Master’s academic/creative records
- Students who are accepted to programs that are primarily on campus, and who will reside in the Tucson metropolitan area during their first year (Distance and UA Online programs are not eligible.)
- Students interested in interdisciplinary exchange, collaboration, mentoring, leadership, and engaging with multiple communities
- Students entering Professional degree programs such as MBA, Master of Architecture, Juris Doctorate, Medical Doctorate, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) are not eligible
Expectations for University Fellows
To ensure that Fellows benefit from the program, they
- Do not engage in other paid work in their first year. Programs should exempt Fellows from first-year teaching responsibilities or research assistantships. If programs require such work, it will be limited to a 0.25 FTE position and will require approval from the Faculty Director.
- Participate for an average of 3 hours per week in programming, including enrollment in a 1-3 unit colloquium that takes place on Thursdays from 5 to 7:30 PM in fall and spring semesters, during the first year of studies. Attend the required overnight orientation in late August.
- Serve as a mentor in their first year for either a K-12 student, an Honors student, a refugee, immigrant, or an undergraduate recruited through a diversity program; in their second year, Fellows will mentor the new cohort.
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA
- Enroll as a full-time student in the fall and spring semesters (at least 9 units per semester).
Expectations for Departments and Programs
To facilitate the Fellows’ success, home departments will collaborate with the UA Graduate Center in the following ways:
- Provide support for years 2-5 of the Fellow’s degree program, pending academic performance and availability of funds. In the vast majority of participating colleges, support is in the form of a 0.50 FTE Graduate Assistantship each semester. The bare minimum of expected financial assistance is the equivalent of a 0.25 FTE Graduate Assistantship and full tuition coverage each semester. (Support can be in the form of tuition waivers, scholarships, assistantships, etc.) If a Fellow is awarded external funding, such as an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the program’s financial commitment can be met by the external funding source.
- Exempt Fellows in their first year from serving as teaching or research assistants and from other paid work. Any participation in paid work during the first year requires approval by the Graduate Center Faculty Director.
- Maintain open communication with the Graduate Center. This communication is crucial to ensuring that the University Fellow completes academic requirements and fellowship programming through the first year.
- Encourage the student to attend all University Fellows programming. Fellows’ experiences augment their skills in leadership, communication, community engagement, interdisciplinary research, and collaboration. Such development enriches the students’ academic performance and professional standing, thereby enhancing their department’s success.
- Excuse Fellows from attending activities during the University Fellows colloquium. The University Fellows colloquium is a central component of the first year cohort experience.
- Take steps to ensure your Fellow is included in your department's activities and communications. It is important that Fellows are part of the department's community as well as ther UF cohort.
In order to make it as simple as possible for departments, the Graduate Center takes responsibility for
- Administering the financial award associated with the University Fellows Program. The Graduate College, the institutional home of the Graduate Center, will disburse fellowship funds.
- Ensuring that University Fellows attend programs and other fellowship events. The Graduate Center provides an added level of mentoring and support for each Fellow. We work with the home department to maximize engagement in both academic and fellowship programming.
For additional information about the award, please email gradcenter@email.arizona.edu.
