Graduate Assistantship Programs
As a way of fostering a strong graduate studies culture and encouraging mentoring as an essential practice of graduate education, a select number of students may receive financial aid in the form of assistantships while pursuing a master’s degree. To be eligible for appointment as a graduate assistant, the student must be fully admitted to a program with Regular Admission Status as identified by the Office of Graduate Studies in the initial acceptance letter.
A graduate assistantship is an honor based on merit, and for this aid, students are required to complete specific services to the University as spelled out in the letter or email that communicates the award of an assistantship. The Graduate Program Coordinator will assign the graduate assistant to a faculty mentor, who will be that student’s immediate supervisor. The Office of Graduate Studies will provide orientation and continuing education for all graduate assistants and their faculty mentors. For each semester of an assistantship, a student must provide proof of insurance and register for and earn credit for six to twelve hours* of graduate course work leading to a degree**. A graduate assistant must also maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and may not have received less than a “B” in any previous graduate course prior to an application for an assistantship. Applicants must also pass a background check prior to the start of their duties. They must additionally provide two letters of reference, which may be the same letters provided in the general admissions process if an applicant has yet to take a graduate course at any institution.***
*Note (1): Credit hour eligibility for assistantships will depend on the type of assistantship and the nature of the compensation as determined by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
**Note (2): Graduate teaching assistants will need 18 hours of 5000-level credit in the area of instruction.
***Note (3): Policy under review AY2022-2023
Complete guidelines for Graduate Assistantships, which may include Research Assistantships or Teaching Assistantships, can be found in the Graduate Assistantship Handbook in the Appendix of the Office of Graduate Studies Academic Catalog.