Graduate Assistantships

Working your way to greater opportunities

The department has a limited number of graduate assistant positions that are awarded annually on a competitive basis. GA positions entail 20 hours of work each week for the fall and spring semesters. In return, students can expect to earn a stipend of approximately $9,568 per academic year plus a fee waiver for up to 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters and six credit hours in the summer semester. Although graduate students can hold a GA position for a maximum of two years, GA positions in the department are not automatically renewed; a student wishing to renew a current assistantship must submit at the end of the first year a letter of intent outlining the progress and accomplishments made during the assistantship.

Duties for each GA differ, depending on the needs of the faculty member with whom he/she works. Typically GAs assist professors in working with undergraduate students, such as running tutorial sections, grading papers, and offering review sessions prior to examinations. They also assist professors with their research or library work as needed and generally contribute to the ongoing functions of the department.

GA applications are due in mid-February of each year. For specific departmental application deadlines and requirements, download the GA application instructions. For general university information, see Graduate College Graduate Assistantships. Those wishing to apply for a GA position should also contact Religious Studies Graduate Program Director Dr. Mark Given (markgiven@missouristate.edu). The department's Graduate Committee generally makes decisions for each year's GA positions in the late spring for the fall semester.