At UB, we believe that cost shouldn't stand in the way of potential. Each year, we offer a competitive selection of assistantships, fellowships and funding options to support PhD students in economics—so you can focus on research, teaching and growing your academic career.
Join a community of scholars and researchers working together to solve pressing global problems.
We are committed to recruiting the very best PhD students and preparing doctoral students for career success. UB features:
Academic year stipends of $23,000 and a full tuition waiver for all full-time, funded PhD students on 10-month academic teaching assistant, research assistant, or graduate assistant appointments.
These are more than just financial support—they’re career prep with real-world payoff. Assistantships help you build teaching experience, research skills and meaningful faculty relationships from day one.
A Teaching Assistantship is an instructional position. TAs may serve as the second instructor for a class or discussion section, or (advanced students only) may take full responsibility for an undergraduate course, including all assessments and the submission of final grades.
A Graduate Assistantship is a non-instructional position. GAs may be assigned duties in support of an individual faculty member’s research activities or, in some cases, may be asked to assume the duties normally assigned to Teaching Assistants.
Summer Teaching Assistantships are normally available for advanced students in addition to the academic year assistantships.
We award assistantships on a competitive basis each year. Funding may be renewed up to three times based on academic performance, satisfactory work as a TA or GA and available funding.
The basics:
What counts most:
Not the number of classes you take, but your steady academic progress, passing your exams and staying actively engaged in your research.
No extra forms. No separate application. You’ll automatically be considered for assistantships and fellowships when you apply to the PhD in Economics program by February 1.
Joseph W. and Kenneth P. Kogut Brothers of New York Mills Economic Development Award, was established in 2007 by Frederick J. Kogut and Nina F. Kogut-Akkum. The purpose of this award is to provide financial support outside the required curriculum to UB undergraduate or graduate students engaged in efforts related to improving the economic development of Africa and/or upstate NY, or any other activity related to the Peace Corps.
The department funds approx. 8-10 PhD students per year. All master's students and any PhD students who do not receive departmental funding are still eligible for College of Arts and Sciences and university-wide funding. For more information on this and other philanthropic scholarships and awards, please visit UB’s scholarship portal at https://buffalo.academicworks.com/opportunities.
Domestic students pursuing STEM degrees are eligible for a variety of regional and national scholarships from organizations like the National Science Foundation.