All students admitted to the Ph.D. program are guaranteed at least 4 years of funding. To date, every graduate student in our program has received full funding for up to 6 years. In 2018-19, teaching and research assistantships provide a starting pay of about $21,200 for a 9-month appointment. These awards include coverage of tuition and most student fees (students typically pay around $640 out of pocket). The program provides additional funding that can cover research costs, professional travel, and summer support. This amount varies from year to year and is not guaranteed.
The William R. Shadish Award for Leadership and Service
Distinguished Professor William R. Shadish was an internationally renowned professor of quantitative psychology and Founding Faculty at UC Merced. In 2003, he was one of the first 13 faculty members appointed to build the first research university of the 21st century. He led the development of the Psychological Sciences department, now comprised of 18 faculty across Developmental, Health, and Quantitative Psychology. He also led the development of the Psychological Science Ph.D. program, which had over 40 enrolled doctoral students and graduated over 10 PhDs by the time of his death in 2016.
In recognition of his significant contributions to Psychological Sciences, we proudly established our graduate student leadership and service award in his honor in 2016. This award is intended to recognize graduate students who uphold Professor Shadish’s exemplary model in leadership and service. The amount of each award is determined by the availability of funds each year.
UC Merced Funding Opportunities
UC Merced awards a number of competitive internal fellowships. Some of these fellowships are awarded to continuing Ph.D. students, while others are awarded to highly competitive applicants as part of their admission offer. These fellowships are awarded primarily on the basis of merit and the promise of outstanding academic and professional achievement. Consideration is given to the extent and quality of previous undergraduate and graduate work, evidence of ability in research or other creative accomplishments, evidence of intellectual capacity and promise of productive scholarship.
Outside Funding Opportunities
APF/COGDOP Graduate Research Scholarship - This is the 18th year of the American Psychological Foundation (APF)/ Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP) Graduate Research Scholarship in Psychology program. Several scholarships were awarded in 2012, including the $5,000 Harry and Miriam Levinson Scholarship, the $5,000 William and Dorothy Bevan Scholarship, the $3,000 Ruth G. and Joseph D. Matarazzo Scholarship, the $2,000 Clarence J. Rosecrans Scholarship, the $1,000 APF Peter and Malina James & Dr. Louis P. James Legacy Scholarship, and a number of additional $1,000 scholarships.
American Psychological Association's Scholarships, Grants and Awards - APA offers a variety of awards with the aim of advancing the science and practice of psychology. Go to APA's Scholarships, Grants and Awards page to search for an award in your field.
For more external funding opportunities, go to the Graduate Division's External Funding page or the following sites: Scholarship Opportunities for Psychology Students, and UCLA Funding Opportunites Database.
Updated 2021
