Financial aid is guaranteed to all admitted graduate students through assistantships and fellowships. Assistantships require students to work a certain number of hours per week while fellowships require research or teaching only in some years. Both are awarded competitively. The department controls a number of assistantships that require tasks related to the teaching program. Students apply through the Department Chair or Graduate Coordinator for teaching assistantships. Research assistantships are also available, funded by research grants. The grant’s principal investigator is responsible for awarding research assistantships. Sociology graduate students are also awarded research or teaching assistantships by other units within the university dependent on the needs of that unit. The Graduate Coordinator can provide information on likely sources of nondepartmental assistantship funding. The department does not control any fellowship funds, but the Graduate Coordinator can suggest possible college, university, and other sources of fellowship funds.
Graduate teaching and research assistants are evaluated each year; both initial appointment and renewal are competitive. For continuing students, one criterion for reappointment is the faculty evaluation of performance in previously held assistantships. Another criterion is the student’s satisfactory progress in the degree program. Decisions on award and renewal of research assistantships lie with the grant’s principal investigator, and for nondepartmental assistantships lie with the awarding unit.
The financial aid links below are to University of Florida sites outside Criminology.
Graduate Fellowships
The University and Graduate School sponsor a number of competitive fellowships for study. Departments nominate a limited number of qualified applicants each year for these awards.
Graduate Minority Fellowships
The Office of Graduate Minority Programs administers a competitive fellowship program for minority students. Each department nominates qualified applicants for this program.
Teaching Assistantships
The Department awards graduate teaching assistantships. They are awarded competitively. Assistantships generally include waivers of in-state and out-of-state tuition plus a stipend.
Research Assistantships
Research assistantships are funded by research grants received by members of the Department and by needs in programs elsewhere in the University. These assistantships are normally awarded only to students already enrolled at the University of Florida; current students should apply to the research project or individual faculty member holding the research grant.
Other Resources
The Graduate School maintains a useful page of links to other financial aid sources.
Student Loans
Student loans are administered by the Office of Student Financial Affairs. All information requests and applications for loans should be sent to them at the following address:
Office of Student Financial Affairs
P.O. Box 114025
S-107 Criser Hall
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611-4025
phone (352) 392-1275
“Non-degree Seeking” Student Policy
Non-degree seeking students can be admitted as a transient without matriculating and enroll in graduate seminars on a space-available basis after approval from the graduate committee.
Any interested person should provide the Graduate Committee with the following items for full consideration:
- A letter of intent stating his/her interest in taking seminars as non-degree seeking, the reason for this request, number of credit hours needed and the projected time line (e.g., the semester he/she wants to begin and the semester he/she plans to complete all coursework)
- A copy of previous transcripts at the MA and/or BA level (unofficial copies are acceptable)
- A letter of recommendation
- Other supporting documents (such as GRE scores, TOEFL scores, etc.).
Additional information may be requested by the committee for full consideration.
If approved by the Graduate Committee, the person can take up to 9 credit hours at the graduate level, assuming satisfactory progress. Additional credit hours can be considered by special request.
Send all materials and requests to: Graduate Coordinator, Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law, PO Box 117330, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7330.