Assistantships


Graduate Assistantships

Teaching, research, and other graduate assistantships are available in most of the departments of the University. A full-time assistantship is 20 hours per week. In the interest of timely degree completion, graduate students are generally employed by the University for no more than 20 hours per week. Employment for more than 20 hours per week must be approved by the student's adviser and degree-program department head and the Graduate Dean. Graduate assistants must be full-time, matriculated students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Graduate assistants may register for a maximum of 12 credits per semester. However, a research assistant whose assistantship involves his or her thesis or dissertation research may register for additional credits.

Teaching Assistantships

Graduate students may be teaching assistants or graduate instructors in departments. Teaching loads vary up to a maximum of 20 hours per week and stipends vary depending on the department and the teaching load.

International students may be considered for teaching assistantships if they demonstrate adequate proficiency in English communication, as determined by Utah State University's Intensive English Language Institute, and have participated in the required teaching assistants workshop. All teaching assistants and graduate instructors are required to participate in a training workshop sponsored by the School of Graduate Studies prior to beginning their assistantships. The workshops help students gain the techniques and skills to be effective instructors in the university environment. The workshop for international students also aids students in understanding the American university culture and in improving communication. When a teaching assistant workshop has been successfully completed, it will be added to the student's transcript with one credit. However, this credit cannot be applied toward a graduate degree program.

Research Assistantships

As for teaching assistants, the stipends and workloads for research assistants vary, with a maximum workload of 20 hours per week. Students conducting research that will be used for their thesis or dissertation may register for 4 research or thesis credits above the 12-credit limit.

Federal College Work-Study Assistantships

Graduate students who are eligible for work-study support apply for these competitive assistantships through departments and the Financial Aid Office.


Back to top