Assistantships

The duties of assistantships will require 20 hours per week, including time spent in laboratories and in preparation. Duties will generally involve preparing for and helping in the teaching of two 100-, 200- or possibly 300-level laboratories and/or performing preparation work for the laboratory. Other duties will be assigned as appropriate. GTAs are required to be on campus and available for work assignments one week prior to the beginning of classes, and to remain on campus through the period of final examinations. Arrival delays or early departures must be approved by the department chair.

Graduate teaching assistantships are typically awarded for one academic year. Master's students may normally expect to have an assistantship for a second year. However, this is based on continued availability of state funding AS WELL AS evidence of quality performance as a graduate teaching assistant and that satisfactory progress towards the completion of the appropriate degree has been made by the student. Students failing to perform their duties satisfactorily may have their assistantship revoked any time. Continuation of the GTA past the second year is sometimes permissible but not guaranteed.

The Department offers teaching assistantships on a competitive basis. The majority of students awarded assistantships also receive out-of-state tuition remissions. To be considered for assistantship funding applications should be submitted prior to January 31^st (midnight EST). Assistantship funds for students entering the program in the spring semester are rarely available. Application deadlines for the fall and spring semester are April 15(midnight EST) and October 31(midnight EST), respectively.

Research assistantships (RAs) will be offered by the Department through individual faculty who have funds available from research grants or contracts. Selection criteria will be similar to that required for graduate teaching assistantships, but will emphasize the suitability of an applicant for a particular research program. Duties will be assigned by the Principal Investigator (PI) administering the particular research project.

Research assistantships are typically awarded for one academic year. However, under certain circumstances, research assistantships are awarded for a given semester or for the summer based on funds allocated in federal, state or private research grants of the faculty.