Most incoming students and continuing students demonstrating satisfactory progress will receive some type of financial aid, though the type and amount of aid varies. The department offers a limited number of competitive stipend fellowships. It also awards associate instructorships to those who assist faculty in teaching undergraduate courses. Research assistantships may be available as well. The university and the department offer limited amounts of aid for dissertation field research.
Many students also receive fellowships from area study programs.
The department provides free placement services for its Ph.D. graduates. Students may also use the placement services of the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. During the past ten years graduates have been placed at a wide variety of colleges and universities, ranging from major research institutions and large state universities to elite liberal arts colleges. Most Ph.D. graduates have located positions at the type of institution which was of interest to them. The department has also assisted students in securing nonacademic positions in government, nonprofit organizations, and private industry.