Assistantships

Student and professor conducting research

Enhance your education

As a graduate student, you have an opportunity to work as a graduate assistant — teaching, assisting with research or joining the coaching staff of an athletic team.

Graduate assistant positions are available in the following capacities:

Research

You may be assigned primary research responsibilities for a specific project or program.

Teaching

You may be assigned teaching responsibilities or other instructor tasks as assigned by a faculty supervisor.

Athletics

You may be assigned coaching responsibilities for various athletic teams.

Offices

You may be assigned responsibilities in offices such as Campus Recreation, Research and Sponsored Programs, The Learning Center or Institutional Research and Analysis.

Compensation

Graduate assistants typically receive tuition support for a maximum of six credit hours per semester. Some graduate assistant positions will also receive an academic year stipend averaging between $5,000 to $6,000 for a maximum of 20 hours per week for the academic year.

If you are an out-of-state graduate student receiving graduate assistant support, you will not be responsible for paying the difference between resident and non-resident tuition for the six credit hours.

If your graduate assistant position does not include a stipend, you will work approximately 10 hours per week while classes are in session.

Application Process

You must be accepted into a degree program or have a pending application to a degree program before you can apply for a graduate assistant position. Only students that have been accepted into a degree program can be offered a graduate assistant position.

Please complete an application and forward it to the Graduate Admissions Office. All positions will remain posted until filled. Once a position has been filled, it will be removed from this site.

You are responsible for making sure required recommendations are submitted with your application. Incomplete applications will not be processed. A separate application for each position is required.

Rules

Graduate assistants on full or half assistantships can be offered additional work, with pay, without limitations during the summer and winter intercessions through temporary service payroll.
Graduate assistants on half assistantships can be offered additional work, with pay, up to approximately 11 or 12 hours per week while class is in session payable as extra service through temporary service payroll.
Graduate assistants on full assistantships can be offered additional work up to approximately one to two hours per week payable as extra service through temporary service payroll.
Graduate assistants may assist faculty with classes and may teach laboratory sections. They are not permitted to teach classes by themselves.
Graduate assistants may teach activity classes as long as the assignment remains in compliance with rules one through four.
The Graduate Assistant Agreement must be completed each semester.

More detailed information can be found in the Graduate Assistant Policy (PDF).

Graduate assistant application

To apply, create an account or log in to your application if you are returning to complete it.

Select Start New Application, then GA - Assistantship Application and Graduate Assistant Application from the dropdown menus.

Answer each question completely, upload required documents, review and submit your completed application.

If you are unable to access the application, contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 607-753-4800.

Graduate Assistant Application

Graduate assistant position announcements for 2024-2025

Additional funding opportunities for graduate students in the Kinesiology; Physical Education; and Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies departments are listed after the graduate assistant positions.