The School of Communication Studies awards graduate assistantships every academic year to highly qualified graduate student applicants. Awards for students include a nine-month stipend (fall and spring semesters) and a waiver of resident and out-of-state tuition. Graduate assistants can enroll in a subsidized health insurance program through the university. Students with graduate assistantships are also eligible to teach during the summer sessions. These summer appointments provide free tuition for 4 credits of study in addition to a stipend. The application for an assistantship should be included with your overall program application.
All graduate appointees must register for at least 8 credits (typically 3 courses) per semester. Assistantship appointments consist of a 20-hour weekly workload that may include teaching two 3-credit hour classes, or three sections of a lecture/lab class. Most assistants teach Introduction to Human Communication (COMM 15000), the basic communication course. Position assignments may also include assisting with research or a combination of other duties.
Assistantship decisions are competitive and based on admission qualifications. Award decisions are usually made as early as February and no later than April 1 for the Fall semester. Normally, students in good standing at the M.A. level are supported for 2 years. Assistantships will be reviewed and renewed annually. Assistantship positions become available for Spring semester on occasion. Students admitted administratively or conditionally cannot be considered for an assistantship.