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Graduate Fellowship Program

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Carl Albert Graduate Fellowship Program


At the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, our commitment to the study of representative government is reflected in the highly competitive and prestigious Carl Albert Graduate Fellowship program.

Carl Albert Fellows work closely with Center faculty to pursue a rigorous and individualized program of study leading to a Ph.D. in political science. Fellows focus their program of study on fundamental issues in representative government in America including the study of institutions, processes, and public policy. Faculty regularly interact with fellows in an office space that facilitates collaboration and scholarly exchange. The laboratory model of graduate education means students will be involved with research from day one. Fellows are expected to develop original research leading to professional conference presentation and publication.

The robust fellowship package provides up to four years (including summers) of financial support as a teaching or research assistant, and an additional final year of funding with no work obligations to complete the dissertation. In their first year, fellows serve as a teaching assistant for Introduction to American Government. In subsequent years, fellows support research and teaching of Center faculty. Senior fellows have opportunities to serve as faculty-of-record for their own courses.

The fellowship pays for full tuition and fees, funded research and conference travel, course work at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and dissertation research funds. The Center also assists fellows in finding the best possible placement to meet career goals. As they complete the fellowship, fellows are prepared to be productive research scholars, in part because of the resources and support provided by the Center.

Fellows may also avail themselves of a rich and diverse selection of other resources at The University of Oklahoma to advance their individual research and intellectual development:

Apply to the Graduate Fellowship Program

Financial Support

The goal of the Carl Albert Center is to alleviate, as much as possible, the financial burdens of graduate study to enable students to devote their time and energy to academic excellence. In addition to covering the full tuition and fees of its Graduate Fellows, the Center provides a monthly stipend, health insurance, a book allowance, conference travel, and other support.  

Starting Fall 2023, stipends for a fellow will be $21,000 per year for a five-year fellowship. The total value of the fellowship for a non-resident student is more than $230,000.

Placement Assistance

The Carl Albert Center places a high priority on helping graduating fellows obtain substantial professional appointments. The Center provides both personal and institutional placement support to alleviate the administrative burdens associated with the search for appropriate positions. Alumni of the program are currently pursuing careers in both academia and on Capitol Hill. These alumni have a record of success that underscores both the Center's commitment to excellence and the quality of its programs. The work of Carl Albert Fellows has been recognized through numerous prestigious awards, grants, and other formal citations.