Graduate Assistant

Position # GA0384 – Graduate Assistant – School of Media and Journalism

Position Summary:

The purpose of a graduate assistantship is to promote the student’s successful completion of an academic program while providing experience working in an academic environment. Graduate assistantships support the University’s teaching, research and service missions for the benefit of students in areas closely related to their chosen field of study. A-State offers three types of graduate assistantships:
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA);
Graduate Research Assistants (GRA); and Graduate Administrative Support Assistants (GSA).

The Chair of the department or Director of the unit in which the assistantship is held will assign the duties and responsibilities. Graduate Assistants are expected to work an average of 20 hours a week.

• Strong computer skills
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Ability to follow instructions and complete assigned tasks
• Adherence to assigned work schedule

Graduate Assistants are expected to work an average of 20 hours a week.

Applications will be considered only for the term selected on page one and must be submitted directly to the department that has the desired Graduate Assistant position. A new application form is required for each new period during which an assistantship is desired. The Master and Specialist assistantships have a maximum time limit of five semesters. An exception is made for students admitted based on a Bachelor’s Degree rather than a Master’s Degree to the Ed.S. in Psychology and Counseling;

these students are allowed a maximum of eight semesters. Doctoral assistantships have a maximum of eight semesters. Two summer terms of five weeks each count as one semester in all programs. Some departments may request additional information such as a resume and/or a potential work schedule; please contact the department directly if additional documentation is required.

• Master and Specialist GAs: 5 semesters (8 semesters for the special exception)
• Doctoral GAs: 8 semesters
• Summer terms: 2 terms of 5 weeks = 1 semester

• Graduate Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on graduate work.
• Master and Specialist GAs must complete a minimum of six hours of graduate credit during a regular semester and must hold a minimum of three graduate credit hours in the combined summer terms. Total summer credit hours may not exceed seven per summer term.
• Doctoral GAs must take a minimum of nine credit hours during the regular semester and three credit hours during each summer term in which an assistantship is held. Please contact Human Resources if validation of full-time status is needed.