Graduate Assistantships & Graduate Work Study
Resources & Documents
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.
Graduate Work-Study
The University provides a number of laboratory, non-teaching, and research graduate
work-study positions. To be eligible for graduate work-study the applicant must be
eligible for Graduate School enrollment and is required to be in or eligible for admission
to a specific graduate degree program. Applicants admitted conditionally are also
eligible, but provisional and non-degree students are not eligible for graduate work-study.
Applications for graduate work-study may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies
and Research, The University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, Louisiana 71209-0600.
Completed application forms for graduate work-study are to be filed with the Head
of the Department to which the applicant desires assignment. Transcripts and three
letters of recommendation are required. International students seeking graduate work-study
positions must be able to demonstrate adequate communication skills.
Students are expected to work 20 hours per week during the regular semester or summer
session in which they hold a graduate work-study position. They may not hold a concurrent
graduate assistantship or another graduate work-study position.
The stipend for graduate work-study is $2,240 for a regular semester and $800 for
a summer session. The out-of-state fee is waived for the regular semester or summer
session during which a student holds a graduate work-study position. The out-of-state
fee is also waived for the summer term following the spring semester in which a graduate
work-study position is held if the student does not graduate that semester. Graduate
work-study students are required to pay in-state tuition, general fee, activity fee,
ID validation fee, technology fee, and if applicable, vehicle registration fee and
international student service and insurance fees.
Graduate work-study students are expected to earn not less than nine (9) semester
hours of credit toward their graduate degrees (twelve semester hours in the College
of Pharmacy) during a regular semester and not less than three (3) hours of credit
during a summer session. Appropriate courses include (1) those which are required
for the degree and, if applicable, (2) those courses designated by the department
and/or the student's graduate committee as deficiencies or prerequisites which are
included on the graduate student's approved degree plan. Exceptions, for unusual circumstances,
must be recommended, in writing, by the appropriate academic dean or university administrator
and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and Research.
All graduate work-study students are encouraged to register for classes during the
regularly scheduled telephone registration period.
Reappointment is contingent, in part, upon continued eligibility for graduate enrollment,
satisfactory progress toward meeting degree requirements, and satisfactory performance
of duties. Graduate work-study students are expected to complete their degree programs
in a timely fashion - in general, two years for a master's degree and four years for
a doctoral degree.
Graduate School