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assistantships & fellowships

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS GRADUATE ADMISSIONS HORNETSWEB NEW STUDENTS GRADUATE SCHOOL FORMS ASSISTANTSHIPS & FELLOWSHIPS GRADUATE BULLETIN GRADUATE SCHOOL STAFF THESIS & DISSERTATIONSANNOUNCEMENTS

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are available in various academic disciplines as support in carrying out the important functions of lab assistant and research. As such, awards are restricted to those departments/college that can use qualified graduate assistance rendered to the university in support of its teaching and research mission. The graduate assistant is expected to perform well academically to retain the assistantship. The assistantship requires a commitment of 20-25 hours per week. Stipends vary from 4,725 to 9,450 for 9 months. Additional funding is available for the summer (2 months approximately 2,100).

To be eligible for an assistantship, students must first posses the skills required to perform the particular duties involved. While the academic record is priority, outstanding interpersonal skills and facility in written and spoken English are also important. International students are not usually eligible. Additional criteria include:


1. At least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA
2. Full-time status (9 semester hours)
3. Full graduate standing admission (i.e., all required credentials and test scores on file).
4. No full time employment
5. Priority is given to those without additional funding sources.

Most graduate assistantship assignments are made at the beginning of the fall semester. Assignments are made on a priority basis according to specific departmental/college needs at the graduate levels and the demand for lab assistants at the undergraduate level in University College.

Applications for a graduate assistantship should be submitted by the students to the Graduate School three weeks before registration. Students selected will have one week after notification to accept the assistantship. Awards that are not accepted will be reassigned to alternates.

Reappointment is not automatic for assistants who meet the minimum criteria. Rather, the final decision will be base on departmental needs, financial resources, and the supervisor’s evaluation. The graduate assistant must maintain a 3.0 (B) average and is expected to make steady progress toward the degree. Students must reapply on a yearly basis. Students dropping below 3.0 are ineligible. Ordinarily a student will hold only one assistantship at a time, and will not engage in full-time employment while holding the Graduate Assistantship.

Types of Assistantship

Lab Assistant:  Graduate students in this category assist regular faculty members who teach selected undergraduate classes with a separate laboratory for basic skills or subject matter enhancement (e.g., designate University College core courses).

Research Assistant:  Unlike lab assistants, who are involved in the instructional process, research assistants are assigned to assist individual faculty members or department heads. These faculty members have specific projects (grants, professional publication, or departmental/college needs with respect to assessment and evaluation) that require data collection and analysis.

Fellowships

National Board for Certified Counselor Minority Fellowship Program (NBCC MFP)

The National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program (NBCC MFP) for Mental Health Counselors (MHC-M). This program is made possible by a grant awarded to the NBCC Foundation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The NBCC Foundation will administer up to 30 master’s-level counseling fellowships of $10,000, plus the travel expenses to participate in program-related trainings for mental health counseling students. 

Eligible applicants must demonstrate knowledge of and experience with one or more of the following: underserved minority communities, child/adolescent and geriatric groups, minority communities in inner cities and rural areas, minority persons (including LGBT), or those who are veterans or are from military families. Eligible applicants must commit to teach, administer services, conduct research, and/or provide direct mental health counseling to at least one of the above-listed populations.

Eligibility Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status.
  2. Applicants must not work for a federal agency or receive any other federal funds (except for federal student loans or work-study).
  3. Applicants must not already possess a master’s degree in a behavioral health field. 
  4. Applicants must be currently enrolled full time and be in good standing in a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited master’s-level counseling program. Applicants must be currently taking courses. Applicants may not have a pending status, deferred status, or other future start date for coursework.
  5. Applicants are expected to graduate by May 31, 2024 (within three years of the date of the fellowship funding).
  6. Eligible applicants must not have an anticipated program completion date before Dec. 31, 2021, which will be verified in writing by their academic department prior to the awarding of funds.
  7. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of and experience with underserved minority communities, child/adolescent and geriatric groups, minority communities in inner cities and rural areas, minority persons (including LGBT), or those who are veterans or are from military families.
  8. Applicants must commit to teach, administer services, conduct research, and/or provide direct mental health counseling to at least one of the above-listed populations within one year of graduation and for the duration of two years post-graduation. 
  9. Applicants must commit to securing an internship that includes experience with one of more of the minority populations listed above.
  10. Applicants must commit to becoming board certified by applying for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification prior to graduation and completing the application process.
  11. Applicants must be able to attend the NBCC Foundation’s Bridging the Gap Symposium to open their fellowship year the week of May 24–28, 2021, and to close their fellowship year at the 2022 Symposium during the week of May 23–27, 2022, and up to two other training events during their fellowship year.
  12. African Americans, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are especially encouraged to apply.

The application opens Sept. 1, 2020, and the deadline is Dec. 15, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST. Fellowship awardees will be announced by the end of March 2021.

For questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions, call 336-232-0376, or email foundation@nbcc.org.