Eligibility and application process

Eligibility
To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, you must:
- Be admitted to a graduate program at Missouri State
- Hold a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0; an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in your last 60 hours; or a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on 9 or more hours of your most recent graduate course work
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA to continue eligibility
Limitations of Assistantship Support
The official policy on how much assistantship support a student can receive is described in the Graduate Catalog. Note that these limits apply to all students holding a Graduate Assistantship regardless of the assistantship duties or the funding source:
- A student working solely on a certificate is eligible for two semesters of support, and the fee waiver can cover the courses required for the certificate plus one extra class (3-credit).
- A student working on most Masters degrees is eligible for four semesters of support, and the fee waiver can cover 110% of the number of credits required for the degree, even if simultaneously pursuing a graduate certificate.
- A student working on a MFA or doctoral degrees is eligible for six semesters of support, and the fee waiver can cover 110% of the number of the credits required for the degree, even if simultaneously pursuing a graduate certificate.
- A student who has a graduate certificate conferred, then decides to pursue a related graduate degree (all/most certificate classes can be counted in the degree) is eligible for a total of four semesters of support. If the certificate and subsequent degree do not overlap (no more than 3 credits counting in both), the student is eligible for four additional semesters of support to pursue the degree.
- A student working on a second graduate degree at MSU (first one conferred) is eligible for two semesters of support beyond those used while pursuing the first degree, even if simultaneously pursuing a graduate certificate.
- A student working solely on a graduate certificate after the conferral of a graduate degree at MSU is eligible for one semester of support beyond those used while pursuing the degree.
How to apply
- Review the Graduate Assistantship Information Document
- Download and complete the Application for Graduate Assistantship
- Review the graduate assistantship posting for additional required application materials or contact the department that is offering the assistantship
- Gather any additional required application materials
- Submit your application and supporting materials directly to the department
Visit the Appointment page for information about what happens after you are offered a graduate assistantship.
Requirements that Departments must follow: GA Appointment/BearPAF Procedures
Please see this link for important GA Appointment/BearPAF Procedures that must be followed by all Colleges, Departments, and Administrative offices when hiring Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, and Graduate Assistants effective immediately. Failure to follow guidelines and BearPAF submission deadlines will result in the BearPAF being returned to the originator and the assistantship being denied or delayed until the next semester. If you have any questions, please contact the Graduate College at 417-836-5335 and speak with Phillip Raleigh.
Specific instructions will be sent to Colleges, Departments, Budget Officers, Departmental Assistants and others via email the beginning of each Academic Year. This document will list any revised due dates and other reminders that should be noted. Attached are links to specific documents for GA Appointment Procedures for the following: Academic Year 2021-2022; and Academic Year 2022-2023.
For questions not covered in the information included on the Graduate College Graduate Assistantship page, please refer to the Missouri State University Web Policy Library - Op3.16 Graduate Assistantship Appointment Guide.