New investment in graduate education

October 2, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Earlier today, President Sterk and Provost McBride announced that Emory is making a significant investment in graduate education, specifically in the area of stipend support.

It is my pleasure to announce that beginning in academic year 2019–20, effective September 1, 2019, the base stipend for doctoral students in the Laney Graduate School will increase to $31,000.

While a number of our stipends are already competitive and at the funding level of peers, many other stipends are not. This change is an important step in closing that gap and optimizing the funding environment for all our doctoral students. This investment also complements the advancements LGS  continues to make in important mission-focused priorities, including increasing diversity and inclusion through Laney EDGE and supporting professional development and career planning, with programming that focuses on sharpening student skills, exploring careers, and training in ethics and public scholarship.

To echo President Sterk and Provost McBride, one hallmark of top-tier research universities is comprehensive and well-supported graduate education. Excellent research universities attract and retain world-class faculty who are field defining. Our faculty advance excellence and innovation through their work with graduate students who are field changing. In this way, graduate education and research are inseparable and together are essential for academic pre-eminence.

Emory’s investment in graduate education is a tangible sign of our dedication to enhancing faculty excellence and graduate program distinction. It also demonstrates Emory’s commitment to attracting the best student minds and to making sure that those who choose Emory as their academic community can pursue their studies with a greater sense of financial security. 

There is much work to be done in the coming months as we calibrate our systems and processes for this change, and it will be time well spent! We look forward to working with all programs affected by this change to make sure that this transition is as seamless as possible.

I am proud to work with you and University leadership, President Sterk and Provost McBride, who understand the vital connection and importance of graduate education to Emory’s aspirations and ambitions.  

We are delighted with this news for LGS doctoral students and we look forward to the transformative results of this opportunity and investment. And, on a personal note, I sincerely appreciate your inspiring work on behalf of graduate education at Emory.

With warmest regards,

Lisa A. Tedesco, PhD
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs – Graduate Studies
Dean, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies