Financial Support for PMB Graduate Students

The Plant and Microbial Biology graduate program at the University of Minnesota seeks to support students from diverse backgrounds in pursuit of research and academic excellence.

Assistantships and fellowships
Students in good academic standing are financially supported throughout their PMB degree program through research assistantships from PMB and faculty advisors, teaching assistantships in PMB or general biology, fellowships, training grants, etc.

Assistantships and fellowships include:

stipend of at least $29,710/year (as of fall 2024)
full tuition coverage ($9,000 per semester in 2024–2025)
payment towards health insurance premiums ($6,900 for 12 months, September 2024–August 2025)

Career development fund

All PMB graduate students have access to a career development fund to support participation in professional conferences, workshops, or other professional development opportunities.

Student responsibility

student fees (about $690 per semester—fall and spring through candidacy; about $85 per semester after candidacy) | Check student fee details.
contribution to health insurance premium (about $200 per semester—fall and spring)
any required course or laboratory fees. (Course and laboratory fees for graduate-level courses are very uncommon.)
optional fee: parking contract
NOTE: PMB pays your student fees in your first semester.

Note: Graduate assistantships are 50% positions--for 20 hours of work that directly supports the project that is paying the RA (e.g., a research grant) or for a course, in the case of a TA. Your own coursework, time spent on professional development activities, and your thesis research are not included in the ~20 hours of the assistantship. To make progress towards your degree and remain in good standing in the graduate program, it is the expectation you have ~ 40 hours per week of commitment to your graduate program (~20 hours for your assistantship and ~20 for course work, thesis research, professional development, etc.).