Graduate Student Employment

Three major types of graduate student employment are available to SHS doctoral students: Teaching Assistant (TA), Assistant Instructor (AI) and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA). Most students' primary source of funding and income will come through graduate student employment as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Assistant Instructor (AI). The Student Financial Assistance Committee meets before each semester to coordinate assignments. Students desiring GRA positions should seek them out independently.

Students must also be enrolled full time (9 hours in Fall/Spring, 3 hours in Summer) to be eligible for a graduate student employment position. (Students who do not maintain full time status are not eligible for funding.) Additionally, students must:

• Meet the scholastic requirements for eligibility established by the Graduate School and the University.

• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.

• Provide satisfactory service to the School.

• Comply with all applicable University policies.

During the first year of graduate study, students are limited to 20 hours of graduate student employment. After the first year, students are allowed to work for 30 hours. However, no student is allowed to work more than 20 hours per week in any graduate student employment position for more than 20 hours per week without the explicit permission of their primary faculty mentor and the Associate Dean for Doctoral Education. Per University policy, students on full fellowship are not allowed to hold a graduate student employment position. 

TA Assignments: You should respond to the Graduate Program Coordinator's (GPC) email soliciting requests and preferences for TA and AI assignments in a timely manner. In most cases, the committee can accommodate requests, but it is important to know that students are not guaranteed to receive their stated preferences. When responding to the GPC's email, you should provide 2 preferred faculty supervisors and inform the GPC of any pending or confirmed GRA assignments. Students may request a 20-hour TA assignment; or they may request a 10-hour TA assignment if the additional 10-hours of employment are covered by employment as a GRA.

AI Assignments: Students who have an interest in pursuing a AI must complete the pedagogy course and have 1 semester of experience as a TA. As such, students are typically not eligible for an AI position until the fall of their 3rd year.  When applying for an AI position, you should respond to the GPC's email with two course assignment requests (i.e., two courses you would like to teach) and include your CV. The committee will do its best to assign the student to one of their two requested courses. AI assignments are only available as 20-hour assignments.

Students funded via Graduate Research Assistantships or Full Fellowship: Students who will be employed in a GRA position or will be on fellowship in a given semester should inform the Graduate Program Coordinator of this as soon as possible.  Students who have a GRA should to provide their faculty supervisor(s) information and number of hours the student is working per week.