The anticipated total compensation package for a first year (non-resident of Massachusetts) doctoral student is in excess of $50,000. In 2022-2023 this includes a teaching assistant stipend of $25,034 (20 hours/week for 38 weeks), a tuition waiver, 95% exemption of the individual health insurance fee costs (90% for the family plan), and dental, vision, wellness and childcare benefits. You will remain responsible for other mandatory fees, the cost of which is approximately $1110.50 per semester, plus a one-time only graduate entering fee of approximately $507.00 which is due the first semester. For up-to-date information regarding fees, please see http://www.umass.edu/bursar/fee-explanation.
In addition, many students receive summer salary through Research Assistantships (RA's); a few summer Teaching Assistant (TA) positions are also available. A summer RA pays up to an estimated $9882 and a summer TA stipend pays between $1,300 and $3,000. If you negotiate RA support for the entire summer with a research group, you can receive a stipend up to $34,916 for the first year.
Through a combination of RAs, TAs, and fellowships, students in good standing are typically supported from matriculation to graduation. In recent years, all students in good standing have been fully funded.
Department of Physics