Assistantships
Assistantships are paid employment opportunities for graduate students that promote the professional development of the student while supporting the instruction, research and extension efforts of programs within our college. Our academic and administrative units award numerous teaching and research assistantships with competitive stipends. Assistantship appointments that are half-time (50 percent) include, in addition to the monthly stipend, full non-resident tuition waiver, full resident tuition waiver and health insurance benefits.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) provide services that are directly related to the teaching mission of the department/school/unit that employs the assistant. The GTA has direct involvement with the students enrolled in the offered course; examples include instructing classroom courses or laboratories, grading and general classroom/laboratory assistance to the course instructor.
Graduate Research Assistantships
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) provide services that are directly related to the research activities of the department/school/unit that employs the assistant. Examples include working on an externally-funded research project under the direction of a faculty member and research funded by the academic unit that is intended to be professionally disseminated.
Assistantship Work Effort
Assistantship appointments are usually half-time (50%) or quarter-time (25%) for designated time periods. Half-time graduate assistants work 20 hours per week, while quarter-time graduate assistants work 10 hours per week. Time allocations may vary by assignment and department.
Graduate assistants are not expected to work on officially designated university holidays. Otherwise, they are expected to be on duty throughout the appointment period.
Accepting an assistantship brings with it a professional obligation to fulfill all of the responsibilities associated with the assistantship assignment. Included in this professional obligation is the expectation that students who have accepted an assistantship will diligently pursue their degree to completion in the department or school providing the assistantship.