(4) Types of Graduate Assistantships
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)
The duties assigned for Graduate Research Assistantships should be relevant and add value to the student's major field of study, area of interest, or expertise. The research is usually a component of the faculty advisor’s research that is directly supported by external funding. GRAs are generally expected to carry out a specific research project that often forms the basis for a thesis or dissertation. General duties include:
- Performing experiments, calculations, and analyzing the result and disseminating new knowledge orally or in written publications
- Reflecting on the state of the field and proposing new research problems
- Attending conferences to present results and collaborate with other researchers
- Training and supervising less experienced research personnel
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
Graduate Instructors are those graduate students who are involved in instruction, usually of undergraduates. Qualified GTAs perform instructional duties in an area of their expertise, most often within their home schools or departments, although qualified GTAs may perform teaching duties outside their schools or departments. Students appointed as a GTA must have a baccalaureate degree and be enrolled in a graduate program. GTAs who are primarily responsible for teaching a course for credit and/or assigning final grades for such a course must have earned at least 18 credit hours of graduate coursework in the teaching discipline prior to their appointment, be under direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, receive regular in-service training, and be evaluated regularly. GTAs only engaged in activities such as assisting in laboratory sessions, teaching physical education activities, attending or helping to prepare lectures, grading papers, keeping class records, conducting discussion groups, conducting tutorials, and holding student conferences do not need to meet the 18 credit hour requirement.
Graduate Faculty Assistant (GFA)
Students holding GFA appointments may not have a primary responsibility for a course, but they may serve as discussion leaders in breakout sections, grade papers, or assist the primary instructor of a course in other ways. GFAs will normally have completed less than 18 hours of graduate course credits in the appropriate discipline. The school or department chair or division director shall determine that the credentials of a student qualify the individual to undertake the work assignment.
Graduate Program Assistant (GPA)
Students in this role assist in the program that requires graduate-level knowledge skills and disposition and should not be doing clerical work that could be done by work-study or student assistants.
Graduate Student Assistant (GSA)
Graduate students appointed as Graduate Student Assistants may be involved in instruction and/or research usually in their area of expertise. GSAs assist faculty, schools, departments, or other units in a variety of activities that are closely related to the student's area of academic study and interest. Specific duties of GSAs may be similar or identical to GTAs and GRAs.