A number of graduate assistantships are made available each year to assist students with expenses while studying for advanced degrees at Missouri State University. Students who are enrolled as non-degree seeking, post baccalaureate or in any other non-graduate degree enrollment classification are ineligible for assistantships.
Benefits – The graduate assistantship provides a student with a minimum of $8,160 for the 2013-14 academic year (nine months) and, in some departments, a higher stipend is available. A limited number of assistantships are available during the summer. The minimum stipend for the 2013 summer assistantship is $2,040.
Fee Waiver Scholarships – Students who receive graduate assistantships are also eligible for limited fee waiver scholarships if their appointment paperwork is received in the Graduate College by September 15 (fall semester GA) or February 15 (spring semester GA). Fee waivers are intended to cover graduate courses required on the Advisor Approved Program of Study. The maximum cumulative credits allowable with fee waiver scholarship assistance will not exceed ten percent beyond the credit hour requirements of the degree program. Upon review, courses which do not meet this guideline will result in loss of the fee waiver benefit for such courses, or possible future eligibility. Fee waivers will not cover undergraduate classes to enhance a student's preparation for his/her graduate program. In rare situations, with special permission of the Graduate College Associate Dean, undergraduate courses mandated by the advisor to complement a student’s program of study may also be covered by the fee waiver. Fee waiver scholarships are for up to 15 hours of graduate course work for each of the fall and spring semesters. Those receiving summer term fee waiver scholarships have fee coverage for up to 6 hours of graduate course work. Students appointed on a graduate assistantship during the spring semester are eligible for a fee waiver scholarship during the following summer term as long as minimum eligibility requirements are maintained. This eligibility does not depend on having a summer graduate assistantship. For fee waiver purposes, credit hours taken in the intersession prior to the semester are part of the allowable fee waiver limits of that semester (i.e., 15 hrs limit in the fall, 15 hrs limit in the spring, 6 hrs in the summer). Please see Fee Waiver Policies for complete details on what the fee waiver does and does not cover.
Eligibility and Requirements – To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, a student must be admitted to a degree program and have at least a 3.00 grade point average on his/her undergraduate cumulative, or last 60 hours for first-time graduate students, or graduate cumulative (minimum 9 hours). Students who receive an assistantship must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 hours of graduate-level course work (600-800 level) during a regular semester. However, a minimum enrollment of 9 hours is required to be considered a full-time student. Summer graduate assistants must enroll for at least 3 hours of graduate-level course work. A student in a masters degree program may hold an assistantship for a maximum of two years (including fall, spring, and summer), and a student admitted to a certificate program may hold an assistantship for two semesters. A student is eligible for a third year of assistantship support if she or he has completed all requirements for a masters degree (has graduated) and is admitted to a second masters degree or a graduate certificate program. Also, a student in a doctoral program is eligible for a third year of assistantship support. Graduate assistants are not eligible to work at any other paid position at Missouri State University during the time of their assistantship. Assistants must maintain a 3.00 GPA to continue eligibility.
Availability – Graduate assistantships are offered in both academic and administrative areas. Assistantships provided through academic departments typically involve either teaching or research responsibilities. Assistantships in administrative offices involve a variety of office-specific tasks.
Application – To apply for an assistantship, the student must submit an application directly to the department/office in which an assistantship is sought. It is important to check with the department/office before applying as there may be additional requirements such as letters of recommendation. The application is available for download at the bottom of this page.
Procedures – Once you have been notified by the department or office that you are being offered an assistantship, you should wait to receive confirmation and additional information from the Graduate College. You will receive an award letter and an Employment Appointment Form. The Employment Appointment Form must be returned to the Graduate College in a timely manner in order to process your fee waiver and to ensure that your paycheck is not delayed.
Appointment Period – Assistantships begin the week prior to classes and continue through graduation. Graduate assistants work 20 hours per week on average. Specific hours of employment are arranged between the student and the supervisor. Graduate Assistants are not eligible to hold any additional on-campus positions other than their graduate assistantships during the time of their appointment.
Download the complete Graduate Assistantship Application Guide (Word Doc)
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Download the Graduate Assistantship Application (PDF)
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