In focus: The Graduate School

Princeton University's Graduate School, established in 1900, includes roughly 2,000 degree candidates in 40 departments and programs. By history and design the Graduate School is relatively small and traditionally has emphasized Ph.D. programs in the arts, social and natural sciences, and engineering. In 2002-03, Princeton awarded 260 Ph.D.'s and 162 final master's degrees. Princeton University has no business, law, or medical schools.

Thirty-eight percent of the Graduate School's students are female, 41 percent are citizens of other countries, and 12 percent are members of U.S. minority groups.

The Graduate School participates in all major national fellowship programs. Graduate students win many of the following awards: Department of Defense Fellowships, Ford Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities, Hertz Fellowships in the Applied Sciences, Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies, National Science Foundation Fellowships, and U.S. Department of Education Fellowships (FLAS, GAANN, Javits).

Most degree candidates receive financial support for the duration of their degree program through some combination of University fellowships, assistantships in research or teaching, and non-University awards. In 2001, the University's trustees approved new funding programs for Ph.D. students. First-year fellowships are offered to all entering students in the sciences and engineering, and summer stipends for all years of study are available to students in the humanities and social sciences.

Sources: Office of the Registrar, A Princeton Profile, Princeton Weekly Bulletin