Graduate Assistantships & Fellowships

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.

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.  Additional criteria include:

1. At least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA
2. Full-time status (9 semester hours)
3. Full graduate standing admission
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 Assistantships

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 should access the NBCC Foundation website for current fellowship information:

https://www.nbccf.org/programs/scholarships