Apply to become a Schaefer Center graduate fellow.

The Schaefer Center offers a limited number of graduate fellowships for full‐time, University of Baltimore graduate students. Graduate fellows work in the center 20 hours per week while attending graduate school on a full-time basis. Schaefer Center graduate fellows assist on Center projects in a variety of ways. Typical graduate fellow assignments include collecting primary and secondary data, reviewing data for accuracy, assisting research staff with field interviews, providing support services for the center’s training programs and strategic planning activities, data analysis utilizing SPSS, preparation of charts and graphs, and library research. Click here to download the job description for a graduate fellow.

Schaefer Center fellows have gone on to employment in the Maryland General Assembly, Maryland Department of Legislative Services, U.S. Department of Defense, National Institute of Health, Harford County Government, National Aquarium, Maryland Nonprofits, and the University of Southern California, among many other employers.

Qualifications:

  • Enrolled or planning to enroll at The University of Baltimore with at least 9 credits per semester as a Master’s level graduate student or 6 credits per semester as a Doctoral student
  • Minimum undergraduate or graduate GPA of 3.0
  • Experience with math/statistical software packages (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R) or familiarity with data analysis and reporting tools (e.g., Nvivo, PowerBI, Qualtrics).
  • Experience or interest in public policy research, program evaluation, survey research, strategic planning, or other policy-related areas

Application deadlines:

  • Fall semester: April 15
  • Spring semester: November 15
    *The interview process is usually finished by June 15 for the fall semester and November 30 for the spring semester.

Application materials:

  1. Application. Complete a Schaefer Center graduate fellowship application.
  2. Resume. Include a professional resume that highlights your experiences and accomplishments.
  3. Letters of recommendation. Have two professors or employers write letters of recommendation on your behalf.
  4. Essay. In a three to five page essay, please answer the following questions:
    *Why did you decide to attend graduate school?
    *What are your career goals and aspirations?
    *How will receiving a Schaefer Center fellowship fit in with your academic and career goals?
    *How will the Schaefer Center benefit from awarding you a fellowship?

Application deadline:

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted by April 15th for Fall fellowships and November 15th for Spring fellowships for priority consideration. (Note, fellowships are typically awarded for the fall semester. It is rare that fellowships become available in the Spring semester.)

Application review process:

Applications are preliminarily screened for completeness.

Applicants who submit complete applications and who meet the minimum qualifications are screened by Schaefer Center staff, and the top applicants are selected for virtual or in-person interviews to be conducted by one or two Schaefer Center staff members. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis with GPA, previous work experience, educational goals, research and public policy interests, references, and overall suitability to the work of the Schaefer Center.

NOTE: Incoming graduate fellows are required to work all hours on-campus in the Schaefer Center’s office. Graduate fellows who have satisfactorily completed at least one year of work for the Schaefer Center will be eligible for one day of telework per week.

Award package:

Schaefer Center fellowships are generally awarded on an academic year basis. Graduate fellows receive full tuition remission up to 9 credits per semester and a stipend of $6,000 per semester for Master’s level graduate students and 6 credit hours and a stipend of $8,000 per semester for Doctoral students. In addition, fellows are given the opportunity to continue to work at the Center during the summer.

Click here to apply to be a graduate fellow at the Schaefer Center for Public Policy.

Questions? See our Frequently Asked Questions.

Contact us:

For more information about Schaefer Center graduate fellowships, please contact:

Dr. Sarah Ficenec
Assistant Director for Research
Email: sficenec@ubalt.edu
Phone: 410-837-6203