August 2024

AERA has opened enrollment for the 2025 Doctoral Cohort Membership Program. The program offers institutions a unique opportunity to partner with AERA to offer doctoral students joining AERA for the first time access to AERA membership at a substantially reduced dues rate.

The Cohort Program allows participating graduate institutions from around the globe to offer special introductory membership pricing. For each student who joins AERA as part of the program, AERA contributes $25 and the participating institution contributes $25, reducing the student dues rate to $25. The regular graduate student membership rate for 2025 is $75.

“We are excited to again offer this important opportunity for graduate students to join the broader scholarly community, begin to extend their research networks, and take advantage of the full array of AERA resources,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “For more than a decade, the program has helped to foster the aspirations of researchers who are beginning their careers.”

Among the benefits for program participants are free membership in an AERA division, complimentary digital access to all seven AERA journals, attendance at the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting at the discounted student member registration fee, and more. A central value is connecting with the dynamic graduate student community within AERA, who make up more than one third of the association’s membership.

Faculty members and graduate students who would like to see their department or school participate in the program are encouraged to reach out to their dean or graduate director. To ensure a vibrant program, AERA asks that the school or department actively promote the program and recruit the entire first-year doctoral student cohort to join.

If a school or department is interested in the program, please contact us at members@aera.net or call (202) 238-3200. Visit the program webpage for more information.

The AERA Doctoral Cohort Membership Program is open to any graduate institution or program. Institutions have until March 2025 to sign up for the 2025 membership year. Only students who have not previously been a member of AERA are eligible to take part.

Nearly 5,000 students have made their first connection with AERA through the Doctoral Cohort Membership Program since its founding in 2016.