Most of the support you receive will most likely be in the form of assistantships, usually teaching assistantships (TAships). Individual faculty sometimes have grants that include money for research assistants.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships are regularly awarded to beginning and advanced graduate students who are qualified to undertake supervised teaching duties within the Department. In addition to a salary, TAships include tuition remission and health insurance benefits. TAs usually have 50% appointments and are responsible for teaching a beginning or intermediate language course, depending on your language proficiency and the needs of the department. More experienced TAs may also have the opportunity of teaching a third-year course. Reader/Graders are also sometimes needed to assist individual professors in teaching large undergraduate courses. These positions are usually 25% appointments.
Policies concerning TAships
Non-native speakers of English are required must show proficiency in spoken English in order to be employed as a teaching assistant. You must score 27 or higher on the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT or take the Spoken English Test for Teaching Assistants (SETTA) when you arrive.
Renewal of Teaching Assistantships: Students must apply each year for renewal of their Teaching Assistantships. This is done in Spring Semester by submitting a Teaching Dossier accompanied by a letter to the Department Chair.
In an attempt to make funding for Teaching Assistantships and the renewal of TAships as equitable as possible, we observe the following guidelines, which are subject to change and do not constitute a contract:
- All renewals of awards beyond the initial year of appointment are contingent upon progress toward a degree and satisfactory teaching performance.
- It is the Department’s policy to grant financial aid primarily on the basis of merit without regard to need.
- All awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.