The department offers a departmental fellowship to all enrolled students. This fellowship covers full tuition costs plus an annual stipend of $33,000 (starting in July 2022) and full student health insurance coverage. During a student’s first year of study, this fellowship support is provided with no teaching assistantship duties. Though attrition during the first year of the program is very low, it is still very challenging and, for that reason, we feel it is essential that students are able to devote almost all of their energies to their studies. Beginning in the second year of study, students who are performing satisfactorily will again receive the same departmental fellowship coverage as in their first year. In addition, during years 2, 3, 4 and 5, this fellowship will involve a teaching or research assistantship assignment. The department guarantees financial support for a minimum of five years of graduate study, conditional on satisfactory performance and often for a sixth year as well.

In addition to these sources of funds, there are many other opportunities both on and offcampus involving research or teaching. The summer program at Hopkins is taught exclusively by our graduate students. Students have also taught in nearby universities such as Loyola College, Goucher College, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. One can also find research assistantships in other Hopkins programs; for example, the School of Public Health and the Carey Business School. Many students take advantage of the proximity of Washington, D.C. to serve as research assistants at institutions related to their field of research during the academic year and/or summer. In recent years, our graduate students have been research assistants at such institutions as Brookings, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Federal National Mortgage Association, International Monetary Fund, Inter-Development Bank, World Bank, and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.

Relocation Costs

We recognize that it can be financially burdensome to relocate to a new city to attend a Ph.D. program. Students who are accepted to Ph.D. programs at JHU can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to JHU.

These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their Ph.D. program.

This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.

More information is available on the Provost’s website.

Carl Christ Fellowship

In the academic year 1989–90, the department established the Carl Christ Fellowship fund to honor one of its faculty members for his distinguished service and achievements. The proceeds of the fund are used to support outstanding graduate students at the dissertation stage of their research.

For further information about graduate study in economics, contact the Director of Graduate Admissions, Department of Economics at [email protected].

Kelly Miller Fellowship

Kelly Miller was the first African-American student to enroll at Johns Hopkins in 1887. He left the university before he completed his graduate degree, but later became a longtime professor of mathematics at Howard University, and a dean of arts and sciences. The fellowship is open to underrepresented applicants to any program. 

The fellowship provides a stipend for the first two years of the student’s program, and a research fund to be used in the course of the fellow’s graduate career. There are currently 10 fellowships available per year