MCDB Graduate Student Handbook
In a public university setting, the Department is obligated to coordinate the effective distribution of a variety of sources of financial support for students pursuing the Ph.D. degree under the guidance of MCDB faculty. It is a general MCDB policy that Ph.D. students be supported for five years. Current levels of support are shown in the table below. The principal forms that financial support generally takes are listed below the table:
For the 2008-2009 academic year, the established support level for MCDB doctoral students is detailed below:
| Academic Level | Annual Support Level† | Annual Fees* | Total Support |
| Ph.D. Student | $ 26,875 | $ 9669.50 | $ 35,544.50 |
*Includes mandatory student health insurance. Fee amount is for California residents. Fees charged to non-residents of California are slightly higher.
†Support level amount listed is for 12 months
The amount listed above as the Annual Support Level may be derived from various combinations of sources: stipend from Departmental, University, or Extramural fellowships, or from institutional or individual training grants; salary from academic apprentice employment, such as teaching assistantships and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointments. Amounts coming from any of these sources are considered to fulfill the Department's stated promise of support to its doctoral students. Annual fees paid for students are also considered part of the total support figure. While there are no formal upper limits on total compensation, MCDB will utilize its departmental resources to assure only the recommended amounts shown above.