Yes, SoC students can apply for academic year and summer Student Research and Creative Project Grants. In order to be eligible, students must first apply for University funding through the University Research Grant Program (URG). Academic year grants have rolling applications through most of fall and winter quarter. The deadline for summer grants is in early March. Ask your academic advisor, or consult the SoC Undergraduate Guide, for further details. Additionally, students in Human Communication Sciences (HCS) can receive funds under the Early Research Experience Award (EREA) to support work as an undergraduate research assistant in one of the Communication Sciences and Disorders research labs. All incoming first-years students in HCS will receive a message about this opportunity before they arrive on campus in September. If you have questions about the program, please contact Jeanette Ortiz at J-Ortiz@northwestern.edu.

Yes, many of our students work for SoC or one of the specific departments. These positions are listed on the Work Study Office jobs. Many labs and professors in the school are also able to hire students as research assistants, both as work-study and non-work study employees. A list of research labs in Communication Sciences and Disorders is available and in Communication Studies. Some faculty hire students directly as research assistants, usually after the student has taken a class with them. For more information, you can contact the faculty member directly via their email address.

Thanks to the generous support of several donors, our office of External Programs, Internships, & Career Services (EPICS) manages three award programs for SoC students seeking to fund internships over the summer. These are in addition to the university-wide Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP). For questions or more information, visit award programs. Additionally, students in the SoC may receive academic credit for an internship during the school year regardless of whether the internship is unpaid or paid.

SoC places a very high priority on engaging with the world beyond Northwestern’s borders. The Office of External Programs, Internships and Career Services (EPICS) organizes a variety of opportunities for our students to travel internationally to gain exposure to the global marketplace in connection with an academic course. These trips frequently occur during Spring Break, and often have a winter quarter class associated with them. Keep an eye out for information on these trips in mid-fall quarter. For these trips, SoC covers most on-site program costs, including lodging, local transportation, activities and some meals. Unless otherwise noted, students will be responsible for some aspects of their expenses; however, additional financial aid will be available for students with demonstrated need. Please inquire with EPICS about support when you apply for one of these programs.

SoC students interested in attending a professional conference should apply for the university-wide convention travel grants. In addition, they should contact their department chair, as many departments have small funds that may assist with these costs.

Yes, any student taking a production course in RTVF may borrow equipment from our RTVF Equipment Cage, a.k.a. the Cage. Before any equipment can be checked out from the Cage, a student must be currently enrolled in a production course in the department of Radio/TV/Film and have an equipment deposit of $50 on file with the Film and Equipment Cage Manager. Lockers (available for rental in Louis Hall), use of the studios in Louis Hall, and keys for after-business-hours use of the Louis Hall studios require a separate deposit card. The price of these refundable deposits can be found in the RTVF Production Handbook (PDF).

Yes, the School of Communication will cover membership fees and honor cord costs for students on financial aid who are invited to join Lambda Pi Eta. Information on these resources will be included with your invitation to Lambda Pi Eta.

If you have additional questions about financial assistance options at the School of Communication, please contact your academic advisor, his or her contact information can be found at the School of Communication website.