For first-year students, this assistance is typically in the form of a teaching assistantship during the academic year and a research assistantship during the summer. Particularly outstanding first-year students are supported by fellowship or traineeship assistance. Students beyond their first year are typically supported by research assistantships. The department offers teaching assistantships to all qualified graduate students who are accepted into the graduate program. The normal duties for such assistants include supervision of laboratory classes and recitation groups and the grading of exercises and examinations.
All tuition is waived for teaching assistants.
Most graduate students are appointed to research assistantships in the summer. Some national fellowship programs are available to qualified graduate students in chemistry. These include those offered by the National Science Foundation and the Danforth Foundation. Application for these should be made early in the senior year of undergraduate school. A number of different types of financial aid are administered by the Graduate School or the Department.