Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships provide outstanding students with financial resources to help them complete their degrees. Assistantships offer varying educational and professional benefits.
Graduate assistantships provide outstanding students with financial resources to help them complete their degrees. Assistantships offer varying educational and professional benefits.
A graduate assistantship is NOT required to attend graduate school, but is used as a tool to gain valuable experience and cover costs of tuition. All assistantships are determined by the issuing department or office. Students must work with department directly to obtain an assistantship and complete the appropriate paperwork to receive payment.
- Graduate Teaching Assist (GTA) — Primary duty of teaching, tutoring, instructing or lecturing. Requires "face time" (zoom or in person).
- Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) — Primary duty is to work in collaboration with faculty involved in ongoing research. Research may or may not be directly related to thesis/dissertation research.
- Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA) — Primary duty is to complete administrative tasks typically within an office setting. Job duties do not meet definitions of a GRA/GTA.
- 25% time assistantship = 7 credits (Spring, Summer, Fall)
- 49% time assistantship = 5 credits (Spring, Summer, Fall)
For financial purposes, students need to be enrolled in at least 5 credits regardless of semester of study. Students with financial aid questions should email the Financial Aid Office or visit the Financial Aid Office.
Key Things to Know Regarding Assistantships
- All graduate assistants must register for a minimum of one credit (including summer) in order to receive an assistantship
- GTA or GRA appointments and on-campus hourly appointments cannot be held in combination
- Assistantships are not the form of compensation for the time graduate students spend on their thesis or dissertation research.
- Students on research assistantships are expected to work on their own research over and above the time for which they are compensated.
- GAs must not total greater than 49% effort in a single appointment or in combination with any other assistantship appointment. GA appointments greater than 49% will be granted ONLY with proper justification.
- Graduate students who are awarded a graduate assistantship and otherwise qualify shall, in addition to wages, will have all tuition and fees waived with the exception of the General Activity Fee (GAF). The GAF will be charged per credit hour.
Graduate Assistantship Opportunities
Please contact your adviser or department program coordinator to inform them of your interest in a graduate assistantship position when they become available and follow the South Dakota State University - Graduate School on Facebook.
New Student Orientation GA - Deadline: Feb. 1, 2025
Responsibilities:
- Ability to commit 20 hours a week to assist with orientation programming on campus and online
- Work in collaboration with the Professional Academic Advisors to provide incoming students with a positive NSO experience
- Participate in academic advising and registration processes during summer NSO
- Assist with preparation for NSO sessions including performing transfer equivalencies
- Provide follow-up assistance to students via Zoom, email and/or phone
- Provide support to Professional Advisors
- Collaborate with campus staff to provide appropriate resources to students
- Inform students about university resources and services offered in the College
- Visit with students regarding college transitions, needs, questions or concerns
- Follow-up with students regarding NSO evaluations
- Attend NSO training and meetings as scheduled
- Contribute to a dynamic professional team
- Other duties as needed
Required Qualifications:
- Enrolled in graduate study within the college of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, or in counseling, student affairs, education or a related field
- Enrolled in 1+ summer graduate credits; Any face-to-face class times should not conflict with the NSO schedule
- Possess knowledge of and interest in college student success
- Exhibit excellent oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrate familiarity with various computer programs and skills
- Have a professional attitude and appearance
- Dependable and responsible
- Demonstrate patience and empathy in helping interactions
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with academic advising or student support services
- Experience with Banner/Self-Service registration program
Salary: $16.50/hour ($2,000 for the summer)
Term of employment: May 22-August 21; Majority of work hours will be in June.
Schedule: 20 hours per week
To apply: Send a letter of interest/cover letter, resume and two references to Jessica Lewis.
Questions: Email Jessica Lewis, call 605-688-5492/605-688-4723 or visit Lincoln Hall 123
Purpose
The primary purpose of a Graduate Assistantship is to provide students with professional experience and the necessary financial resources to attend a graduate educational program. A GA is first a degree-seeking student and second, an employee of the university whose assigned duties may assist the University with completions of tasks, but more importantly substantially contribute to the student’s academic and professional development.
Eligibility
A Graduate Student may be eligible for a Graduate Assistantship if the student is:
- Admitted into a graduate degree program (degree-seeking).
- Registered for one or more credit hours.
- Maintains a cumulative greater or equal to 2.75.
Graduate students who are awarded a Graduate Assistantship and otherwise qualify shall, in addition to any required wages, have an incentive tuition rate of zero percent (0%) and program fees of zero percent (0%), except the General Activity Fee shall be paid one-hundred percent (100%), in accordance with SDBOR Policy 5:22.
- The incentive tuition rate begins the semester the student is appointed to a Graduate Assistantship and not before.
- A GA’s first GA appointment may begin 30 days prior to the graduate student’s first semester at the university, so long as the graduate student is admitted and registered in a graduate program that begins within that 30 day period.
- Graduate Assistants seeking to enroll for the summer semester who do not receive a sufficient stipend to meet minimum requirements for the incentive tuition rate for the summer semester may receive the rate, provided they received a qualifying graduate assistantship for the preceding Fall and Spring semesters. Continuation of the graduate assistantship during the summer semester requires registration for the required minimum number of credit hours during the summer semester.
- If a graduate assistantship is terminated, or the student resigns prior to the withdrawal date, the student is responsible for the prorated full tuition rates for the current term. Full tuition rates shall be assessed in all subsequent terms in which the student is not awarded a graduate assistantship.
- Graduate Assistants who are eligible for this incentive tuition rate will receive the same benefit for courses taken at other SDBOR institutions. The incentive tuition rate shall also be applied for all distance, off-campus and center courses taken.
- A GA must be awarded and receive at least the minimum stipend set annually by the University in accordance with SDBOR policies. GAs are expected to work a full semester to receive the full semester compensation and incentive tuition rate. The minimum compensation may be prorated according to the term of appointment in accordance with the provisions contained herein and in SDBOR Policy 5:22.
Time Expectations
- GA appointments greater than 49% effort will be granted only with proper justification.
- GTA hours to determine ACA compensable time are calculated as: 2 ¼ hours of service per week for each credit hour of teaching or classroom time, plus one hour of service per week for each additional hour outside of classroom duties the GTA spends performing other required duties.
- GRA and GAA hours are counted as they accrue. Percent time is counted as: 100% representing 40 hours/week; 95% = 38 hours/week; 75% = 30 hours/week; 49%= 20 hours/week, and 25% = 10 hours/week.
- GTA or GRA appointments and hourly appointments cannot be held in combination. GAAs, however, may have additional hourly appointments.
- Support activities, such as time spent in required meetings, office hours and other related activities, are considered as part of the time expectations.
