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Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are one form of financial support for qualified graduate students. Applicants are strongly encouraged to look for other sources of support including grants, loans, and employment. The Graduate School offers further information on sources of financial aid, and the Student Employment Web Site offers assistance for students seeking employment on campus or in the local community.

Graduate assistantships are awarded competitively to students with strong academic backgrounds and the potential to become leaders in the field. Assistantships are usually awarded in the Spring for the following school year. The Department does not have sufficient assistantships to fund all qualified students and applicants are encouraged to seek other forms of financial support.

A graduate assistantship includes a monthly stipend and remission of tuition charges in exchange for assistance with research, teaching, or other responsibilities. Most assistantships are for the 9-month school year but on occasion an assistantship becomes available for only one semester or for a 12-month appointment. Students with a graduate assistantship must be enrolled full time.

Consideration for any type of University financial award cannot be made until a student is fully admitted to the Graduate School. Many graduate assistantships on campus are awarded in January or February for the coming year so students should apply early. Incoming students who have been admitted who desire an assistantship should check periodically with the Department Graduate Coordinator to stay abreast of opportunities that might arise.

University of Georgia Graduate School Assistantships
The Graduate School funds a small number of University-wide assistantships. These are very competitive based on a student’s GPA, GRE scores, and potential for scholarly work. To be considered, new students must have completed their applications by January 15th. Students who receive a Graduate School assistantship typically have GRE scores over 1300 (verbal plus quantitative).

Departmental Assistantships
The Department awards several graduate assistantships each year to new or continuing graduate students. External grants sometimes provide other assistantship opportunities. To be considered for a Department assistantship, please follow these guidelines (click here for guidelines)

Graduate students who will have a significant role teaching are required to attend a teaching workshop held prior to the start of Fall semester. Students whose native language is not English must pass an English proficiency test before being allowed to teach. These workshops are sponsored by the graduate teaching assistant support services in the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Physical Education Teaching

The Department is allowed to nominate two students for assistantships teaching basic physical education classes. To qualify, a student must have experience and skill in the activities offered through the basic PE curriculum and a willingness to learn how to teach. New applicants who wish to be considered for a PE teaching assistantship should complete that section of the Department assistantship application form. Decisions about physical education teaching assignments are usually made in March or April.

Other Campus Graduate Assistantships

The Department of Recreational Sports manages indoor and outdoor recreation and fitness facilities at the University and oversees the Georgia Outdoor Recreation Program which sponsors outdoor activities, trips, and ropes courses. Limited assistantships are available.

The Division of Student Affairs offers graduate assistantships to students who are employed part time in various roles on campus.

A variety of assistantships are available with the Department of Student Housing as residence hall directors or in educational programming, multicultural education, and facilities management. Applications are reviewed in February for appointments for the following academic year.