|
Graduate Assistantships
General Information
Teaching and research assistantships are available in many academic departments. Prospective graduate students should contact their department of choice for information regarding assistantship availability. Non-degree graduate students are not eligible for graduate assistantships or tuition waivers.
Graduate Assistantship Appointment Forms do not constitute a contract of employment. Final appointment and continuation authority resides with the Division of Graduate Education.
Academic Year Guidelines:
- Graduate assistants must be registered for 6 credits by the 20 th of the month that they are appointed as a GRA or GTA in order to receive a paycheck the following 11 th payday.
- Graduate Assistants may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during Fall and Spring semester.
- All GTAs and GRAs must carry a minimum of six credits during each semester they receive an assistantship.
- Graduate assistants may enroll in no more than twelve (12) semester credits if appointed to work more than fifteen (15) hours per week.
- Graduate assistants may enroll in up to fifteen (15) semester credits if appointed to work fifteen (15) or fewer hours per week.
Summer Guidelines:
- GRAs and GTAs must enroll in a minimum of six (6) credits during the summer sessions.
- Summer Graduate Assistants appointed as GRAs may work up to 40 hours per week.
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA)
Graduate Teaching Assistants are those graduate students who are involved in instruction, usually of undergraduates. Qualified GTAs perform instructional duties in an area of their expertise, most often within their home departments, although qualified GTAs may perform teaching duties outside their departments.
General Duties Include:
- Actual instruction in a classroom setting,
- Instruction in recitation sections,
- Conducting help sessions and holding office hours to advise students on class assignments,
- Assisting with laboratory setup,
- Grading papers, exams, laboratory reports, and homework, and
- Other duties pertaining to the instructional mission of MSU.
MSU faculty members oversee all GTA teaching duties. GTAs are usually assigned to work from 15 to 20 hours per week.
GTA Requirements for International Graduate Students
- The student must earn the minimum scores outlined below,
- The department also must certify that it has evaluated each student's ability to successfully carry out teaching assignments.
Minimum Scores
- International students must also meet the minimum score requirements for the TOEFL or IELTS as listed below:
- Classroom teaching in charge of a class or section:
- 580 TOEFL paper-based test or;
- 237 TOEFL computer-based test or;
- 93 TOEFL internet based test or;
- 7.0 IELTS total band score.
- Lab assistant or discussion leader with another qualified GTA, or with a regular faculty member present in the classroom:
- 565 TOEFL paper-based test or;
- 225 TOEFL computer-based test or;
- 86 TOEFL internet based test or;
- 7.0 IELTS total band score
- Test/paper grader, assisting with lab set up, or other non-student contact duties:
- 550 TOEFL paper-based test or;
- 213 TOEFL computer-based test or;
- 80 TOEFL internet based test or;
- 7.0 IELTS total band score
- International students must meet minimum English speaking scores:
- Classroom teacher in charge of a class/section; lab assistant or discussion leader with another qualified GTA, or regular faculty member present in the classroom:
- 50 TSE/SPEAK score or;
- 26 TOEFL internet based speaking score or;
- 7.0 IELTS speaking score.
- Test/paper grader or performance of other non-student contact duties:
- 45 TSE/SPEAK score or;
- 26 TOEFL internet based test or;
- 7.0 IELTS speaking score.
Tuition Waiver General Information
- Tuition Waivers do not waive the various fees attached to a student’s tuition and fee statement.
- GTA tuition waivers are available on a limited basis, and eligibility does not guarantee a tuition waiver.
- The Division of Graduate Education is in no way obligated to award tuition waivers based on promises made by departments.
Requirements & Deadlines for Submission of Tuition Waiver Requests
By the 10 th class day of each semester students:
Late Awarding and Retroactive Waivers
- Tuition waivers awarded after the tenth class day are not guaranteed, and students may have to pay full tuition.
- Retroactive tuition waivers are neither permitted nor granted.
- MSU reserves the right to bill the student for the amount of the waiver when GTA assistantship appointments are cancelled after the 10 th day of instruction.
Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs)
Research conducted by Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) is a significant portion of the total sponsored research at MSU. GRAs often conduct research in a relevant area of their major course of study under the direction of a faculty member. GRAs are expected to work 15 to 20 hours per week.
The research is usually a component of the faculty advisors research that is directly supported by external funding. GRAs are generally expected to carry out a specific research project which often forms the basis for a thesis or dissertation.
General Duties Include:
- Performing experiments, calculations, and analyzing the results and disseminating new knowledge orally or in written publications
- Reflecting on the state of the field and proposing new research problems
- Attending conferences to present results and collaborate with other researchers
- Training and supervising less experienced research personnel.
Other Student Employment
Employment Authorization Form Required
Graduate students may also hold employment in other capacities (i.e. , student employment such as custodial, cafeteria help, tutoring, as well as classified, professional or adjunct positions). Any non-assistantship position must be approved by the Division of Graduate Education (DGE) prior to accepting employment.
An individual who comes to MSU as a student may be employed primarily through a graduate teaching or research assistantship. However, students may also work as a student employee (through any combination of payroll types) at Residence Life, University Food Services, ASMSU Tutoring, or apply for classified, professional and adjunct positions. For this type of employment, a DGE Employment Authorization Form must be submitted with approval from the student's advisor and the Division of Graduate Education. Graduate students may not be employed for more than 20 hours per week cumulatively for all forms of employment on campus.
All student employment for graduate students must be approved through the Division of Graduate Education.
Ethical and Professional Standards
Faculty, administrators, supervisors, and others in positions of authority shall take care to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards in their interactions with students and employees.
For more information, contact the Affirmative Action office.
Back to Graduate Catalog Table of Contents
|
Admissions
