Graduate Assistantships

 
 A number of qualified graduate students, typically 11‑12, are awarded assistantships.  A full assistantship requires approximately 20 hours of work per week and carries a stipend of approximately $5,000 per semester and a waiver of out‑of‑state tuition.  A half assistantship requires approximately 10 hours of work per week and carries half of the stipend and waiver of half of the out‑of‑state tuition. The role of the graduate assistant is described in Appendix C.
 

Most graduate students who are awarded assistantships are assigned to work with one or more Psychology Department faculty members.  Departmental assistants typically fill one or more of the following roles:  research assistant, teaching assistant, classroom instructor for an introductory psychology course.  A more complete description of role of the graduate assistant is included in Appendix D.
 
Some students are offered assistantships by other departments/offices on campus.  Depending on the particular department, duties range from clerical work, to tutoring, to collecting research data. 

Applying for an Assistantship
 
The student can begin the assistantship application process by completing an assistantship application form and submitting it to the Graduate School, specifying the department(s) in which the student wishes to work.  Many students complete this form when they apply for admission to graduate school.
 
Assistantships in the Psychology Department are typically awarded to students beginning their second semester in the program (e.g., full‑time students entering the program in the Fall would receive an assistantship in the Spring).  Sometime during the first semester in the program the student will be asked by the department chair to indicate interest in being considered for an assistantship.  This information is forwarded to a faculty committee that makes recommendations to the Chair, who in turn makes recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School.  Faculty recommendations to the Chair are based on consideration of students' academic performance, maturity, financial need, professionalism, and progress in the program, as well as faculty needs.  In the case of recommending students for teaching the introductory psychology course, ability to teach independently and competently, ability to represent the department appropriately to undergraduates are also taken into consideration.  Once assistantships are awarded, the department chair is responsible for assigning students to particular members of the faculty.

The Psychology Department does not usually offer assistantships to students during their first semester in the program.  However, if a student is interested in having an assistantship during the first semester, s/he should submit the assistantship application form to the Graduate School and make his/her interest known to the Graduate Dean and the Psychology Department Chair.  Other departments/offices on campus frequently have openings for assistants and will contact the Dean and/or the Department Chair in order to identify potential candidates.
 
     Given the limited funding for assistantships, students are typically not supported for more than two semesters.