Graduate Assistantships
An important part of the academic environment, the Graduate School at the University of Louisiana at Monroe approves the appointment of nearly 200 graduate assistants in various academic and non-academic departments across campus each year. These appointments come in the form of teaching or research assignments and follow the prescribed university calendar.
Where possible, students are generally placed in graduate assistantships with the program in which they are seeking a degree.
Eligibility
To be eligible to hold a graduate assistantship, applicants must also be eligible for Graduate School enrollment. Additionally, the applicant must be regularly admitted into the graduate degree program. To hold a graduate assistantship, students are required to have a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of at least 2.50 and a score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) of at least 750. GRE score must include at least a 350 breakdown on each the verbal and quantitative portions of the examination.
Applicants admitted conditionally because they lack undergraduate prerequisites are also eligible to hold a graduate assistantship. Students admitted conditionally on the basis of GPA and/or test score requirements are not eligible for a graduate assistantship. Provisional and non-degree seeking students are also not eligible.
Appointment Process
Applicants must submit an application form and three letters or recommendation to the department in which they desire to hold a graduate assistantship. Appointments to graduate assistantships in an academic unit will be made to coincide with the full academic year. Once these have been submitted, the department will make a decision on the applicant and will submit a request to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval of the appointment. Following this approval, an offer will be extended to the student that outlines responsibilities, type of assistantship, and compensation. A written acceptance by the student of the position is required by the Graduate School before the graduate assistant may begin their responsibilities and have their waivers applied.
Reappointment
Reappointment is contingent, in part, upon continued eligibility for graduate enrollment, satisfactory progress toward meeting degree requirements, and satisfactory performance of assistantship duties. Graduate assistants are expected to complete their degree programs in a timely fashion. This is generally considered two years for a master's degree and four years for a doctoral degree.
Required Course Load
Graduate assistants are expected to earn no fewer than nine semester hours of credit toward their graduate degree (12 semester hours in the College of Pharmacy) during a regular semester and not less than three hours of credit during a summer session. Appropriate courses include:
1. Those which are required for the student's graduate degree
2. Those which have been identified as deficiencies/prerequisites and are included on the graduate student's approved degree plan.
To hold a graduate assistantship, the prospective student's course load must include at least six hours of graduate-level offerings during a regular semester.
Graduate assistants are encouraged to register for classes during the outlined registration schedule.
Work Load
There are no part-time graduate assistantships. Graduate assistantship appointments include 20 work hours per week in the student's designated area under the supervision of a university faculty or staff member. Graduate assistants are not permitted to hold any other on campus employment (including but not limited to student publications, residential advisor, event staff, etc...) or second graduate assistantship.
Compensation
University graduate assistantships feature a base compensation package that includes a full tuition and out-of-state fee waiver. Students are also awarded a base stipend of at least $2,500 per regular term and $800 per summer term. Many departments offer assistantships with stipends that exceed the departmentally outlined minimum. For more information on stipend amounts, the perspective graduate assistant is encouraged to contact the department in which they are interested in appointment.
Graduate assistants are required to pay student assessed fees, including general fees, activity fees, ID validation fees, technology fees, and if applicable, vehicle registration fees and international student service and insurance fees. As there are no graduate assistantship appointments during the Winter and May inter sessions, tuition and out-of-state fee waivers are not available.
Graduate Assistant Orientation
All graduate assistants are required to attend the Graduate Assistant Orientation meeting at least once per academic year, regardless of if new or a reappointment. Failure to attend either the Fall or Spring orientation will result in the graduate assistantship being immediately rescinded and tuition charges being reapplied to the student's account.
The Graduate Assistant Orientation is typically conducted the first day of each semester. If a student is unable to attend on this date due to extenuating circumstances, they are to notify their graduate assistant supervisor and the Graduate School in advance. The student will be expected to attend the mandatory make-up meeting held at a time and location to be announced.
