It can be extremely rewarding to pursue a fully funded doctoral programs.  Whether it is for professional development or for personal – a doctoral program can be a life-changing venture. It can greatly impact both your personal and professional life.

But is it that easy to get a fully funded doctoral program? According to the CNBC report, trillions of student debts are owed by American students. This is why it’s comprehendible why Americans often hesitate to pursue their education further, especially in doctoral programs.

Fortunately, there are methods by which you can apply for a fully funded doctoral program and switch on your professional development. To know more about them, here’s what you should know and what you can do to get a fully funded doctoral program without spending thousands of dollars.

What are fully funded doctoral programs?

According to research, a fully funded doctoral program can cost you between $28,000 to $40,000 annually. This cost range greatly relies on several factors which include the field of your Ph.D., the university where you want to take admission, the course, and any grant or scholarship that a student may already back up with.

But luckily if you get enrolled yourself in a fully funded doctoral program, you don’t need to pay a penny for your doctoral degree. This is because fully funded doctoral programs allow the enrolled students to continue their Ph.D. education without spending anything on tuition.

Depending on your fully funded doctoral program, you can even get additional funds to cope up with your living expenses and bear any other utility cost. Other than just continuing your education, there are several other benefits that you can avail of from a fully funded doctoral program.

Through these programs, students have the freedom to concentrate on their studies without thinking about the expenses that they have to bear. Especially when they are out of their country. These programs prevent students from taking heavy student loans and doing extra hours at work to meet their educational expenses.

Precisely, enrolling in a fully funded doctoral program means having total control and attention on studies so they can be professionals in their selected fields.

Top programs that you should apply for

No matter what your field is – STEM, business, healthcare, engineering, or any other when it comes to pursuing a Ph.D. program, you have some other options related to your field as well.

Many graduating schools in the United States provide programs to meet the required criteria to get enrolled in a fully funded doctoral program.

Here are some of the fully-funded Ph.D. programs that you should look for:

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is considered a world of business. Once you apply for a fully funded doctorate in the Marshall School of Business, you will be enrolled automatically in a fully funded fellowship along with the monthly stipend.

Based on the performance and situations, students get financial support once they complete at least 5 years of the educational period. Every field in business school includes high-tech research and studying with the field faculty.

At Marshall School of business, there are several concentrations that you can opt from according to your interest and field. They include:

  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Accounting
  • Operations and Data Sciences &
  • Organization and Management

Harvard University

Another outstanding university that offers fully funded doctoral programs is Harvard University. The university offers funds for tuition, health insurance, along with the stipend to enroll students.

Students have to maintain good grades and notable academic progress to remain enrolled in the Harvard University fully funded programs. Through this program, students have the opportunity to enroll in the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and received a doctorate in biological sciences.

University of Pennsylvania

If your interests are in business education, then you should enroll in the fully funded programs offered by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

From the offered funded program, you can get $39,370 annually to cover health insurance, tuition fees, along with a monthly stipend. Enrolled students will attend two years of in-school learning and research-based experience in three years.

Options for concentration offered by the Wharton School include:

  • Applied Economics
  • Finance
  • Accounting
  • Legal and Ethical Studies
  • Economics and Health Care Management Studies
  • Marketing
  • Management
  • Statistics &
  • Operation, Decisions, and information

Columbia University

If you are interested in a fully funded doctoral program in clinical psychology, then you should look for Columbia University. Not only clinical psychology students, but students enrolled in Teachers College are also eligible to receive an annual $25,000 stipend.

Students pursuing doctoral programs have the opportunity to work along as research assistants or graduate teachers. This program takes normally 5-7 years to complete which prepares students to get a hold on to the studies like:

  • Research institutes
  • Academia
  • Community agencies &
  • Hospitals

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT offers a PhD program in Entrepreneurship, Technological Innovation, and Strategic Management which typically revolves around the study of entrepreneurship and business on a technical level at the Sloan School of Management.

All enrollees in the Sloan School of Management will receive a scholarship that is enough to cover the tuition fees which are $3,400 along with the monthly stipend.

At the school with this extraordinary opportunity to enroll, students get a new laptop and health insurance, and $4,500 of travel budget. The budget is subjected to increase over a specific time depending on the academic progress of the students.

Fordham University

Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University offers a fully funded doctorate program with some options for concentration. Students at the school research with the faculty on various high–tech projects as well as research-based fields.

The Ph.D. curriculum at Fordham University not only focuses on exciting and diverse business options, but students can also opt to have one or more interdisciplinary tracks such as Decision-making and Strategy, or Capital Markets.

Students are free to choose the additional program and explore numerous possibilities to become professionals.

How to find fully funded doctoral programs online

It is not necessarily required to break your bank to pursue a Ph.DPh.D.. Several universities offer fully funded doctoral programs so you can concentrate on your studies and course work without getting into worries of paying the tuition fees and other living expenses.

You can easily find the universities offering fully funded doctoral programs online. Other than this it is even easier to discover the campuses near you offering opportunities for post-graduation PhDs.

Compare them according to your interest and fields along with schools to find the best match for your career prospectus.