Funding Opportunities

MPP Teaching and Research Assistantships

The Master of Public Policy program offers competitive Departmental assistantships for incoming students. Recipients of the Departmental assistantships work during the Fall and Spring semesters (10 hours if the assistantship is quarter-time or 20 hours if the assistantship is half-time) on research, teaching, or administrative assignments for the program. In return, recipients receive a stipend, tuition and fee waivers (for 9 credits for the Fall and Spring semesters), and health insurance coverage.

To apply for the Departmental assistantships, supply the normal application for admission and indicate an interest by February 15 via email to msumpp@msu.edu. Candidates considered for the assistantships may be emailed requests for further information or a personal interview.

IPPSR Fellows

MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR), in conjunction with the Master of Public Policy Program, offers competitive IPPSR fellowships for incoming students. Fellows work at IPPSR during the Fall and Spring Semesters (10 hours if the assistantship is quarter-time or 20 hours if the assistantship is half-time) on research assistantships, applying research findings to Michigan public policy issues and compiling information for policymakers and civic education efforts. Fellows will also be involved in event organizing and online publishing. Fellows receive a stipend, tuition and fee waivers (for 9 credits for the Fall and Spring semesters), and health insurance coverage. Mid-career applicants who have worked in Michigan government or the policymaking community are especially encouraged to apply.

To apply for the IPPSR fellowships, supply the normal application for admission and indicate an interest by May 15 via email to msumpp@msu.edu. Candidates considered for the fellowships may be emailed requests for further information or a personal interview.

 Additional Funding Opportunities

We also offer Public Policy Learning Assistantships and Public Policy Research Assistantship opportunities where students can either assist an instructor-of-record in course preparation or collaborative learning exercises for a policy class, or assist a faculty-of-record, post-doc, or graduate student with hands-on public policy research. PPLAs and PPRAs are provided a small stipend. PPLA/PPRAs are selected each Fall and Spring semesters; students are only eligible for these positions after their first semester in the program.

Feel free to visit MSU’s Graduate School for more funding opportunities: https://grad.msu.edu/funding. MSU offers residential life graduate assistantships (https://liveon.msu.edu/graduateassistantships), need-based scholarships (https://finaid.msu.edu/grad.asp), among other funding opportunities.